Here we round up new and forthcoming children’s titles including a picture book following one bird’s quest for love, a picture book about a group of peas excited for a holiday, a picture book centering around a family’s blessing, and more.
Bert the Bowerbird: The Small Bird with a Big Heart by Julia Donaldson, illus. by Catherine Rayner. Boxer, $18.99; ISBN 978-1-9158-0184-5. The titular bird builds a tower of items in hopes of attracting a mate. The picture book received a starred review from PW.
Hap-Pea Valentine’s Day by Keith Baker. Beach Lane, $9.99, ISBN 978-1-665-94022-1. The peas have plenty of valentines to spare in the second installment of The Peas series.
Love Is Here with You: A Lullaby of Blessings by Jyoti Rajan Gopal, illus. by Nabi H. Ali. Candlewick, $18.99; ISBN 978-1-5362-2827-4. As dusk falls at the start of this culturally rich bedtime picture book, a family of Indian heritage surrounds a wide-eyed infant to bless the child. The picture book received a starred review from PW.
Mr. Krup’s Pup by Eva Lindström, trans. from the Swedish by Annie Prime. Astra, $18.99; ISBN 978-1-66262-070-6. Lindström follows a contemptuous yet somehow lovable canine antihero, her devoted human, and their shared life.
My Fairy God Somebody by Charlene Allen. HarperCollins, $19.99; ISBN 978-0-06-321284-8. Sixteen-year-old Clae utilizes her time at her internship program in New York City to delve into the mystery surrounding the “deadbeat dad” she’s never met.
The Party by Natasha Preston. Delacorte, $14.99 paper; ISBN 978-0-5937-0408-0. Friends attending an English boarding school plan a four-day spring break party at an isolated, abandoned castle and must fight for their lives when the party takes a lethal turn.
A Sea of Gold: A Ukrainian Family’s Story Through the Generations by Patricia Polacco. S&S/Wiseman, $19.99; ISBN 978-1-6659-3842-6. In this extended picture book telling, three generations of Ukrainian women—Alina, Yana, and Oksana—flourish raising sunflowers, the radiant petals symbolizing plenitude and hope “as far as they could see and their hearts could reach.”
Swimming with Spies by Chrystyna Lucyk-Berger. Scholastic Press, $18.99; ISBN 978-1-33901-246-9. While Sofiya works with Ilya on a school project to raise funds for the dolphinarium, she learns about their interwoven past, and that her beloved sea mammals once served as “military marine systems”—i.e., spies—under the Soviet regime. The middle grade book received a starred review from PW.
Unraveled Book 9.5 by Shannon Messenger. Aladdin, $21.99; ISBN 978-1-665-96741-9. In the latest installment of the Keeper of the Lost Cities series, Keefe heads to the Forbidden Cities for help with his sudden new powers and to learn the truth about his past.
Wolves at the Door by Steve Watkins. Scholastic Press, $18.99; ISBN 978-1-5461-0998-3. Tween Asta, her younger sister Pieta, and their mother flee their East Prussia home and are forced to evade capture, traveling through the woods, battling harsh winter conditions, and eventually joining thousands of others jockeying for passage across the Baltic Sea. The middle grade book received a starred review from PW.
Work: Interviews with People Doing Jobs They Love by Shaina Feinberg, illus. by Julia Rothman. Candlewick, $18.99; ISBN 978-1-5362-3266-0. This impressively global and heartfelt survey communicates that every job has its particular—and peculiar—demands and rewards. The picture book received a starred review from PW.
For more children’s and YA titles on sale throughout the month of December, check out PW’s full On-Sale Calendar.