A little girl receives a gift from her grandpa — a red hat — and discovers that there’s more to it than meets the eye. It’s not only something to wear on her head. It can be used for silly things, to hold dreams...or to hide secrets. Most of all, it’s a promise of adventure and wonder, and a reminder of the love of its giver, Grandfather. A whimsical and heartfelt story of the gift of family.
My Red Hat was written and illustrated by Rachel Stubbs and published by Candlewick Press.
History is all around us and in the case of a small corner store in a bustling city, it walks in and out its front door. Oscar Nowicki arrives in the US just before the turn of the century carrying his life in a cardboard suitcase and enough money to pursue his American dream — his very own barbershop. Oscar eventually marries, leaving for a job as a subway conductor. The barbershop becomes a fashionable clothing store in the Roaring Twenties and later turns into a soup kitchen feeding the poor of the Great Depression. Subsequent eras leave their mark on the little storefront, each with a story to tell about the generation living through it. But after a fire eventually sweeps through the little shop, what will become of it? Will it still play a part in fulfilling other American dreams? This story is a beautiful reminder that there is more to the old, venerable buildings still standing in our cities than we realize, and that if walls could talk, they would truly have an abundance of stories to tell.
Oscar’s American Dream was written by Barry Wittenstein, illustrated by Kristen & Kevin Howdeshell and published by Schwartz & Wade Books.
I’m excited to host a cover reveal for author-illustrator Monica Arnaldo’s forthcoming picture book ARE YOU A CHEESEBURGER?
Grub is a lonely racoon. Rumbling in the trash. Looking for food. Seed is, well, a seed! Patiently waiting in the trash. Hoping someone will plant it.
When the two finally meet, they realize they might be able to help each other! Grub has just one big question first: What will Seed grow? Could Seed grow Grub’s favorite food, mouthwatering cheeseburgers? Seed isn’t sure what a cheeseburger is exactly, but . . . maybe!
And so begins a hilarious friendship following two unlikely strangers learning more about the other and discovering the pressure that comes with fulfilling expectations. Author-illustrator Monica Arnaldo will leave readers giggling and clamoring for more in this charming story that celebrates the unexpected—and how the most special friendships bloom only when we are unapologetically ourselves.
Are You a Cheeseburger? publishes June 1, 2021 from HarperCollins and is now available for pre-order!
Ever wonder which animals inhabit your city? If you lived in Nara, Japan, you might see Sika deer who have been living there for at least 1,000 years, who have also been found wandering supermarket aisles! Other urban denizens include brown-throated sloths in Panama City, dragonflies in Lisbon, turkey vultures in Havana and Jacques monkeys in Dhaka, Bangladesh. Readers can travel from country to country, learning about all of these animals’ habits, how to find them and how to help preserve the little corners of the cities they call home.
Wild in the City: A Guide to Urban Animals Around the World was written by Kate Baker, illustrated by Gianluca Folì, designed by Tina Garcia and published by Lonely Planet Kids.
Ren leaves the fireflies, nature and magical creatures of the forest in exchange for the noise, brick and cement of city life, and oh how he misses his wild life in el Yunque. One day he meets friendly Ava who lives upstairs . She shows Ren that the city has its own kind of vibrant charm and adventures around every corner but will he be able to see its magic? A heartwarming tale that shows that sometimes a good friend is all you need to make a new place feel like home.
A New Kind of Wild was written and illustrated by Zara González Hoang and published by Dial Books for Young Readers.
Zara González Hoang on the inspiration behind the story — “A NEW KIND OF WILD was inspired by my dad, who was born in the mountains of Puerto Rico, a place that in his stories was so magical, and moved, when he was fairly young to New York City, a place that I have always found magical. New York and Puerto Rico are so different and I wanted to write about that – about what it is to be taken from a place so familiar, the only place you had ever known, and be dropped some place new and completely different – where you just don't see how anything can be the same. I am so fascinated by the concept of "home" and what it is, how we find it, how we make it and the pieces we bring with us when we move, it's a theme that comes up in a lot of the stories I write.”