Pilgrim Codex
Vivian Mansour, trans. from the Spanish by Carlos Rodríguez Cortez, illus. by Emmanuel Valtierra. Levine Querido, $18.99 (48p) ISBN 978-1-6461-4515-7
Incorporating facets of Mesoamerican mythology, Mansour (El Enmascarado De Lata/The Man With the Tin Mask) and Valtierra, making a picture book debut, chronicle the Vargas Ramírez family’s arduous journey from a place north of Tenochtitlán—“Iztapalapa, Land of Clay upon Water”—to the U.S. Digitized illustrations that draw on the Boturini Codex and Mixtec Codices mix present-day images (streetlights, a taxi) with bright-hued iconography and reiterative motifs. The small group of friends and family “walked and took bus after bus after bus,” and travel by van, working to avoid gunmen, coyotes, snakes, and more. An unnamed boy narrates in extensive prose, chronicling the brutal trip, the struggles of fellow travelers, the group’s reliance on each other and their faith, and his own questions about their destination (“What do burgers taste like over there? Does every house have a pool?”). Together, word and image work richly together to describe a suspenseful journey of “many things, terrible and magnificent,” that ends with “eyes [that] thirst for tomorrows.” Publishes simultaneously in Spanish. An author’s note and glossary conclude. Ages 3–8. (Feb.)
Stalactite & Stalagmite: A Big Tale from a Little Cave
Drew Beckmeyer. Atheneum, $19.99 (40p) ISBN 978-1-66592-663-8
Beckmeyer (The First Week of School) views the history of life on Earth from within a cave, via a conversation between a stalactite and stalagmite whose slow, unceasing DRIP DRIP DRIP continues in contrast to planetary change occurring outside. Occasionally, someone wanders by. “A thing is moving down there,” Stalactite observes. “I am not a thing. I am a trilobite,” replies an orange, many-segmented creature. Loosely drawn and collaged multimedia spreads carry a light-hearted goofiness that chimes with the characters’ offhand view of earth-shattering—and life-ending—events. After a visiting triceratops peers outside just in time to witness a cataclysm (“LOOK AT THOSE DAZZLING LIGHTS”), the meteors that wipe out most of the planet’s life evoke a retrospective sigh: “Remember how pretty they were?” And the speleothems wrestle with their own paradox as they anticipate merging into a single column (“Maybe becoming the us is where our story really starts”), while the planet outside hurtles into a futuristic landscape. The premise of a bond that lasts eras and epochs poses all kinds of possibilities, here pursued with wit, curiosity, and sparky energy. Human characters are portrayed with various skin tones. Contextualizing back matter concludes. Ages 4–8. Agent: Stephanie Fretwell-Hill, Red Fox Literary. (Mar.)
Faith Takes the Train
Kesi Augustine, illus. by Mokshini. HarperCollins, $19.99 (40p) ISBN 978-0-06-325134-2
On the “same old train ride home” with Mama, young narrator Faith eats a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, “gooey with honey from Grandma’s beehive,” as other passengers chat. Soon, the narrator’s former neighbor Isaiah, who “sings to us every day,” enters the car, asking, “Could anyone please spare some change?... A bite to eat?” Silence fills the compartment. In fluid, expressive lines, Mokshini draws a view straight down the aisle from where Isaiah stands; the child, in full color, smiles as other riders fade into dark blues and grays. Writing moment-by-moment, and paying close attention to physical sensations and perceptions, Augustine captures a child reacting mindfully to a request that others ignore—offering the last piece of sandwich and asking, “Would you like a snack?” Affectionate spreads of the subway and beyond show a city filled with activity, then pivot to exuberant fantasy as Faith imagines serving Isaiah and his son a sky-high mound of sandwiches. One generous gesture uncaps a well, Faith discovers in this resonant, community-focused double debut: in the subway station, musicians buoy passengers, and “a little girl smiles at me through the train window. I smile back.” Characters are portrayed with various abilities and skin tones. Ages 4–8. Author’s agent: Stephanie Fretwell-Hill, Red Fox Literary. Illustrator’s agent: Karen Kaller, IllustrationX. (Mar.)
Nellie’s Big Splash
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Cori Doerrfeld. Dial, $18.99 (40p) ISBN 978-0-5938-5629-1
Tiny, wide-eyed sea turtle Nellie watches her hatchling cohort head rapidly to the water, but the huge wall of blue, white-capped waves is just too scary for her to follow. She opts to head in the opposite direction, but her first two choices for refuge—inside a pink shell, atop a large sea mammal—both end up in the waves as well (the first is swept away, the second proves an avid bodysurfer). Desperation lands Nellie on a rocky plateau, only to recognize the presence of even stronger feelings: “She was cold, lonely, and missed the other turtles more than ever.” The waves are a big obstacle, but Nellie realizes that if she can “make it through,” what appears beyond—a turquoise sea full of all kinds of creatures—will welcome her. Working in friendly cartoons with sponge-textured, pastel hues, Doerrfeld (Goodnight School) imbues the sentiment that “the only way out is through” with deep empathy, proof once again of her exceptional talent in buoying characters—and readers—in the face of turbulent emotional waters. Ages 3–7. Agent: Rachel Orr, Prospect Agency. (Mar.)
Me and Other Bunnies
Mo Willems. Union Square, $17.99 (32p) ISBN 978-1-4549-5149-0
Via anthropomorphized rabbits who represent the words me, you, we, them, and us, Willems (Are You Big?) movingly explores themes of individuality and belonging. Throughout the visually straightforward work, what distinguishes the terms is a willingness to bridge a divide—here, the gutter of the book itself. “I am ME,” begins one bunny, standing solo against a solid-colored background. A page turn later, the initial rabbit reappears on the verso; on the recto stands another solo bunny: “You are YOU.” Another page turn later, readers see the duo now holding hands on the same page—“We are US”—and happy smiles on both faces show that this is definitely a positive transformation. The pattern keeps repeating with the appearance of more bunnies, portrayed with various abilities and wearing an array of costumes. They arrive on each spread’s right side looking disconnected from one another, then scoot to the spread’s left side to join a party that’s literally and figuratively hopping. What’s more, on the book’s final page, the original bunny retains space to proclaim “and I am still ME!”—proof that enjoying multiplying connections need not require compromising one’s sense of self. Ages 3–6. (Feb.)
Blake the Snake Bakes a Cake
Amy Young, illus. by Alison Young. Viking, $18.99 (32p) ISBN 978-0-5936-2174-5
Readers’ first glimpse of the eponymous protagonist brims with comedic promise—Blake’s mouth lolls open in deep sleep, a teddy bear nestled in one crook of the character’s long green body. Then Blake wakes with a start. There’s “lots at stake” as the snake tries—and tries—to achieve a culinary goal: whipping up a birthday cake for a friend’s party. The title serves as a refrain, and rhyming text leans way into the -ake sound throughout the project’s iterations. For each cake, something goes wrong with the baking process (a “mistake” around a toppled mixing bowl, an “EARTHQUAKE!” that rattles the entire kitchen) or the transport (a rake hits Blake in the face outside the front door; a cake falls into a lake). While married collaborators the Youngs (Mustache Duckstache) lean into heartache for poor Blake, the mayhem does have an upside: each time the snake starts over, readers get to view an elaborately executed new cake concept. By the time a triumphant Blake arrives at pal Drake’s party, the dessert is a flower-festooned affair worthy of The Great British Bake Off. Digital watercolors take the cake with their high-energy slapstick in a laugh-out-loud story that remains sympathetic to its resilient protagonist. Ages 3–5. (Mar.)
The Urban Owls: How Flaco and Friends Made the City Their Home
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Christian Cooper, illus. by Kristen Adam. Little, Brown, $18.99 (40p) ISBN 978-0-316-58357-2
Making his picture book debut, Cooper (Better Living Through Birding, for adults) catalogs a handful of wild owls who have taken up residence in New York City, starting with Flaco, the famous Eurasian eagle-owl who escaped from the Central Park Zoo: “He flew and flew and flew! If you’d been stuck in a cage your whole life, wouldn’t you?” Barry the barred owl, a keen hunter, attracts devoted sightseers because of her dependable appearance on a favorite roost. Great horned owl Geraldine “still catches all the food she needs” following an injury (“A body that’s different doesn’t mean you’re not able to do great things. Just ask Geraldine!”). The survey concludes with the appearance of Rocky, a saw-whet owl that arrived one year via the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree. In light-filled digital spreads, Adam (The Secret of Fall) shows the owls in flight and at rest, emphasizing their city-bird status by picturing them near fire escapes and neon signs. Drawing frequent parallels between owls and humans (“Flaco worked the night shift”), cadenced text assures readers that owls might be more proximate than they think. Owl facts conclude. Ages 4–8. Author’s agent: Gail Ross, WME. Illustrator’s agent: Alice Jin Zhang, Astound US. (Feb.)
Mighty: The Story of an Oak Tree Ecosystem
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Henry Cole. Peachtree, $18.99 (48p) ISBN 978-1-68263-733-3
In intricate b&w spreads, Cole (Adventure Awaits) traces the life of a single oak from sprouting acorn to mature tree, detailing its relationship with the changing world around it. Short, documentary-style sentences describe the tree’s growth and the complex ecosystem it sustains across approximately two centuries (“The oak tree’s leaves and branches provide camouflage for the nest, as well as a good supply of insects for food”). As time passes, Indigenous people are pictured resting in the subject’s shade. Later, a pale-skinned naturalist makes notes about the tree, a hole in a branch hosts myriad creatures, and human-built structures appear, as nearby trees are felled and vintage autos of different eras populate the pages. At last, the oak towers over a small town and shelters the stands of a festival the same way it shelters wildlife: “The tree is home.” Meticulous spreads drawn entirely with fine pen combine the accuracy of scientific illustration with the dense patterning of tapestry. It’s easy to imagine touching the oak’s bark and feeling its crisp leaves in this study of an organism living among others. Back matter includes notes on building an ecosystem. Ages 4–8. (Feb.)
Sea Legs
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Jules Bakes, illus. by Niki Smith. Graphix, $24.99 (256p) ISBN 978-1-338-83588-5; $14.99 paper ISBN 978-1-3388-3586-1
Based on debut author Bakes’s childhood experiences sailing with her parents, this buoyant graphic novel follows the adventures of Janey as she sails the Caribbean during her fourth grade year in the mid-1990s. The family leaves Indian Harbor Beach, Fla., where they had moored long enough for Janey to go to school and make a best friend. But now that she’s at sea, her mother is her teacher, and she rarely encounters other kids. When they anchor in St. Thomas, Janey meets older (and cooler) Astrid, who experiences emotional and physical abuse from her alcohol-dependent father. The girls soon become each other’s support system and bond over the contradiction of cohabitating in confined quarters and luxuriating in the vastness of the open ocean while living on a boat. Vibrant artwork by Smith (The Golden Hour) bursts with tropical colors and includes detailed nautical diagrams and maps throughout. Together, the creators skillfully recreate the unique experience of living at sea, infusing the story with humor and intense emotion that invites readers to partake in a shared adventure. Janey is depicted with pale skin and Astrid is shown with tan skin. Ages 8–12. Illustrator’s agent: Charlie Olsen, InkWell Management. (Feb.)
The Undead Fox of Deadwood Forest
Aubrey Hartman. Little, Brown, $17.99 (320p) ISBN 978-0-3165-7572-0
Clare, the undead fox of Deadwood Forest, is cast as a monster by the local children who gather each Halloween around the forest’s edge to chant about how he “waits to feast/ On little bones.” But Clare isn’t a monster: he’s an Usher, one who helps wandering souls find their way to their respective afterlife, be it Peace, Pleasure, Progress, or Pain. Having died as a kit, Clare has no memories of his mortal life; all he knows is that if he dies again, his soul will go to Pain. When he learns of a prophecy about his impending disappearance, and Gingersnipes, a badger soul who doesn’t seem to belong to any afterlife, arrives on his doorstep, Clare realizes he’s being replaced as Usher, forcing him to confront his loneliness and fear of death, and making him reckless in his grief. In folktale cadences, Hartman (The Lion of Lark-Hayes Manor) speaks directly to the reader, deftly weaving a riveting and morally complex tale populated by flawed, fully realized characters navigating realistic emotions. Prospective life-after-death scenarios are presented in an age-appropriate manner without judgment, encouraging self-reflection and bravery in the face of the unknown. Whimsical chapter illustrations spotlight important aspects of this atmospheric and deeply emotional story about loss and the things one discovers upon learning to be vulnerable. Ages 8–up. Agent: Molly O’Neill, Root Literary. (Feb.)
