Celebrate the start of spring with these fresh picks of the month for young readers, including a picture book about navigating an embarrassing moment, a graphic novel series starter about the founding of a creative club, a doomed-from-the-start YA love story, and more.
Picture Books and Early Readers
Clarice Lispector, trans. from the Portuguese by Benjamin Moser, illus. by Carla Irusta. New York Review Books, $19.95 (48p) ISBN 978-1-68137-897-8. Ages 5–9. In a rollicking translated fable about a fig tree that endeavors to outsmart a flock of hens, Brazilian novelist Lispector casts as narrator dog Ulisses, who can “bark out a story that seems almost like make-believe and almost true.”
Rebecca Stead, illus. by Gracey Zhang. Chronicle, $17.99 (56p) ISBN 978-1-79721-515-0. Ages 3–5. A child grieving a move to a new apartment narrates this musing moment-by-moment story. Read more about Stead’s picture book debut in our Cover Reveal. The book received a starred review from PW.
Are You a Friend of Dorothy? The True Story of an Imaginary Woman and the Real People She Helped
Kyle Lukoff, illus. by Levi Hastings. Simon & Schuster, $19.99 (40p) ISBN 978-1-66593-166-3. Ages 4–8. Straightforwardly detailing how LGBTQ+ people have long found each other via verbal and visual cues, this approachable, engaging work is a primer on both queer history and how “learning about the ways we survived in the past could help people in the future.” The book received a starred review from PW.
Neil Sharpson, illus. by Dan Santat. Dial, $18.99 (40p) ISBN 978-0-593-61667-3. Ages 3–7. Caldecott Medalist Santat fires up the comedy with goggle-eyed vignettes of crafty fish, spying fish, disguised fish, and more. The book received a starred review from PW.
Joy Harjo, illus. by Adriana M. Garcia. Norton, $18.99 (40p) ISBN 978-1-32405-224-1. Ages 4–8. U.S. poet laureate Harjo, a member of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation, follows an Indigenous family in gathering to welcome an infant. The book received a starred review from PW.
Elisha Cooper. Abrams, $18.99 (40p) ISBN 978-1-4197-6675-6. Ages 4–8. In a winningly granular work that shows how components make up a whole, Caldecott Honoree Cooper uses list-forward lines and thumbnail-like sketches to trace a book’s creation, from inspiration onward. The book received a starred review from PW.
His Fairytale Life: A Book About Hans Christian Andersen
Jane Yolen, illus. by Brooke Boynton-Hughes. Holiday House/Porter, $18.99 (32p) ISBN 978-0-8234-5103-6. Ages 4–8. Yolen traces via a single, lilting sentence the life of Danish writer Hans Christian Andersen (1805–1875), whose original stories are now considered cultural touchstones.
Kelly Yang, illus. by Xindi Yan. Dial, $18.99 (40p) ISBN 978-0-5934-0711-0. Ages 5–9. Laila, a child who often translates English for her Chinese-speaking parents, navigates appreciation and struggles with her translation responsibilities. Read more about Yang’s picture book debut in our profile.
Sascha Alper, illus. by Jerry and Brian Pinkney. Random House/Schwartz, $18.99 (40p) ISBN 978-0-593-30912-4. Ages 3–7. When a fire begins burning through a forest, a hummingbird attempts to stop it drop by drop. The book received a starred review from PW.
Marjory’s River of Grass: Marjory Stoneman Douglas, Fierce Protector of the Everglades
Josie James. Little, Brown/Ottaviano, $18.99 (40p) ISBN 978-0-316-44691-4. In this place-based tale of 20th-century conservation, James’s straightforward storytelling and gentle, chalky artwork capture the abiding appreciation of nature writer Marjory Stoneman Douglas (1890–1998) for the Florida Everglades. See our q&a with James and other authors on their picture books celebrating women throughout history.
Eliza Kinkz. Kokila, $18.99 (40p) ISBN 978-0-5937-0023-5. Ages 4–8. Making her solo debut with magnificently scrawled artwork, Kinkz offers a story that blends deep empathy, raucous candor, and a useful ritual for dealing with shame. The book received a starred review from PW.
The Mystery of the Thinking Rabbit
Clarice Lispector, trans. from the Portuguese by Benjamin Moser, illus. by Kammal João. New York Review Books, $19.95 (48p) ISBN 978-1-68137-898-5. Ages 5–9. This surrealist picture book in translation describes the enigma posed by white rabbit Joãozinho, who escapes from a close-barred, heavy-lidded hutch again and again without others discovering how.
Patrice Gopo, illus. by Carlos Vélez Aguilera. WorthyKids, $18.99 (32p) ISBN 978-1-5460-0539-1. Ages 4–7. Delectable prose and jewel-toned illustrations come together as a young narrator counts down until a bunch of plantains are ripe enough for eating. The book received a starred review from PW.
Rashin Kheiriyeh. Random House/Schwartz, $18.99 (40p) ISBN 978-0-5937-0510-0. Ages 4–8. When Rose proposes turning one of her garden drawings into a rug, Baba joon teaches her how to dye and dry yarn, then how to knot it. The book received a starred review from PW.
Virginia Driving Hawk Sneve, illus. by Steph Littlebird. Amulet, $14.99 (64p) ISBN 978-1-41975-955-0. Ages 5–8. Spending a summer at his grandparents’ Rosebud Reservation home, young Eddie learns skills that are necessary when his grandfather is suddenly injured. The book received a starred review from PW.
Christopher Silas Neal. Knopf, $19.99 (48p) ISBN 978-0-593-81264-8. Ages 4–8. Though whales live in the water and human beings live on Earth, their mammalian lifeways parallel each other, Neal shows in a series of side-by-side portraits. The book received a starred review from PW.
Middle Grade
Wesley King, illus. by Maike Plenzke. S&S/Wiseman, $17.99 (288p) ISBN 978-1-6659-3769-6. Ages 8–12. Titular detective Benny starts an investigation when valuable items have begun vanishing from people’s rooms at the retirement home that his mother owns. The book received a starred review from PW.
Lauren Wolk. Dutton, $18.99 (352p) ISBN 978-0-593-69854-9. Ages 10 and up. Newcomers 12-year-old synesthete Lucretia Sanderson and her painter mother find themselves at the center of a simmering feud between the year-round islanders and the seasonal vacationers. The book received a starred review from PW.
Kathleen Gros. Quill Tree, $24.99 hardcover (304p); $15.99 paper ISBN 978-0-06-305769-2; ISBN 978-0-0630-5768-5. Ages 8–12. When her best friend heads to summer camp, 12-year-old Lucy is left to her own devices in a small town called Milford. The book received a starred review from PW.
Raina Telgemeier and Scott McCloud. Graphix, $24.99 hardcover (288p); $14.99 paper ISBN 978-1-338-77722-2; ISBN 978-1-3387-7721-5. Ages 8–12. Eager to make her own comics, middle schooler Makayla, a budding writer, joins forces with bespectacled artist Howard to establish the Cartoonists Club. See our announcement of the book here. The book received a starred review from PW.
Ryan Wolf. West 44, $16.35 paper (160p) ISBN 978-1-9785-9781-5. Ages 10–13. The small film crew of TV show Shiver Search, along with the showrunner’s nephew Teddy, determines to investigate an abandoned theme park where legend says a person’s deepest fears become manifest. The book received a starred review from PW.
Gary D. Schmidt and Ron Koertge, illus. by Yaoyao Ma Van As. Clarion, $18.99 (224p) ISBN 978-0-06-338092-9. Ages 8–12. Collaborators Schmidt and Koertge team up with illustrator Ma Van As to explore a single day at Rockcastle Beach, N.J., through the perspectives of more than two dozen kids in this winsome work. See our In Conversation with the collaborators.
Joan Holub, illus. by Rafael Rosado. Random House, $14.99 (144p) ISBN 978-0-5934-3430-7. Ages 7–10. In this spoof of classic superhero comics, prodigiously farting Phartolomew embraces the identity of Fart Boy and aims to defeat evil Professor Groovypants. The book received a starred review from PW.
Kaya Morgan’s Crowning Achievement
Jill Tew. Freedom Fire, $18.99 (288p) ISBN 978-1-368-10468-5. Ages 8–12. Middle schooler Kaya Morgan attends the North Georgia Renaissance Faire and learns to navigate her disappointment when she’s cast as court jester instead of the promised role of queen. The book received a starred review from PW.
Lupe Ruiz-Flores. Carolrhoda, $18.99 (256p) ISBN 979-8-7656-1052-7. Ages 10–14. In this historical novel set in 1930s San Antonio, Tex., Petra accepts her new responsibilities working for pennies at a pecan factory after her father dies. But when tragedy occurs, Petra must weigh her family’s needs with the changes promised by a strike and union, should she join other laborers’ efforts. The book received a starred review from PW.
Jamie Sumner. Atheneum, $17.99 (240p) ISBN 978-1-6659-5607-9. Ages 10 and up. In this sensorial verse novel Bea, a disabled eighth grader navigates trauma in the aftermath of a school shooting. The book received a starred review from PW.
Yamile Saied Méndez. Tu, $22.95 (368p) ISBN 978-1-6437-9643-7. Ages 8–12. Méndez examines the toll that participating in elite dance has on one child’s friendships and mental health in this emotionally raw and honest offering. The book received a starred review from PW.
Tales from Beyond the Rainbow: Ten LGBTQ+ Fairy Tales Proudly Reclaimed
Pete Jordi Wood, illus. by Anshika Khullar et al. Penguin Workshop, $18.99 (272p) ISBN 978-0-593-88972-5. Ages 8–12. In this assemblage of 10 adapted folk and fairy tales collected from around the world, British author Wood presents “stories featuring positive portrayals of LGBTQ+ people: stories about love in its many forms, transformation, identity and gender, hope, survival, and living life as your true self.” The book received a starred review from PW.
Kate Messner. Bloomsbury, $17.99 (288p) ISBN 978-1-5476-1639-8. Ages 9–14. Finn Connelly must make amends for defacing a headstone by summiting every peak by Labor Day with a beloved dog, Seymour. The book received a starred review from PW.
Young Adult
Zoe Hana Mikuta. Disney Hyperion, $18.99 (384p) ISBN 978-1-36809-919-6. Ages 12 and up. Eighteen-year-old Vanity Adams escapes the clutches of the museum owners who hold her and other witches hostage, but her tenuous grip on her powers—and reality—grows increasingly unstable. The book received a starred review from PW.
Death in the Jungle: Murder, Betrayal, and the Lost Dream of Jonestown
Candace Fleming. Random House/Schwartz, $19.99 (368p) ISBN 978-0-593-48006-9. Ages 12 and up. In riveting detail, Fleming recounts the murder of more than 900 Peoples Temple followers in Guyana by American cult leader Jim Jones. The book received a starred review from PW.
F.T. Lukens. McElderry, $19.99 (368p) ISBN 978-1-66595-094-7. Ages 14 and up. Lukens dazzles in this paranormal adventure about a psychic teen attempting to stop a murder before it occurs. The book received a starred review from PW.
Alwyn Hamilton. Viking, $21.99 (512p) ISBN 978-0-451-47966-2. Ages 12 and up. Two cousins, established Nora and newcomer Lotte, compete in a trial to inherit the family fortune in this fantastical mystery. See our q&a with Hamilton.
Erin Entrada Kelly and Kwame Mbalia. Amulet, $19.99 (272p) ISBN 978-1-4197-7563-5. Ages 13 and up. Kelly and Mbalia tackle the ups, downs, and awkward in-betweens of young love in this wholesome rom-com collaboration. Read more in our Cover Reveal.
Renegade Girls: A Queer Tale of Romance and Rabble-Rousing
Nora Neus, illus. by Julie Robine. Little, Brown Ink, $25.99 hardcover (304p); $18.99 paper ISBN 978-0-316-43983-1; ISBN 978-0-3164-3993-0. Ages 12 and up. In this gripping historical graphic novel, a determined teen spending the summer with her wealthy aunt and uncle in 1880s New York City eschews societal expectations to find a suitor, instead working as a stunt reporter to expose the city’s injustices. The book received a starred review from PW.
