After Jackson, who reads as white, wears a pink-and-white polka-dot dress to school, the blowback he receives from ill-intentioned teacher Miss Felton motivates the 12-year-old to crank up the dial on his fabulous meter. With encouragement from his nonbinary Filipino American BFF Eva, Jackson enters the regional Our Little Miss pageant using his newly established “secret drag queen” persona, Sissy St. James. Joined by Jackson’s movie makeup artist uncle Aaron, Eva draws from their shared love of musical theater and famous drag performers to help Jackson polish his look and practice his talent. Jackson’s cover is jeopardized, however, when he learns that his crush’s twin sister will also be competing, and that Miss Felton is one of the adults in charge of running the pageant. In this touching debut by RuPaul’s Drag Race competitor O’Hara, in collaboration with Poblocki (More Tales to Keep You Up at Night), giggle-inducing fart jokes keep things light, even as Jackson navigates serious conversations about depression, homophobia, and the difficulties—and eventual pleasures—of being oneself. Bessa’s animated illustrations highlight Jackson’s effervescent personality. Ages 10–14. (Oct.)

Reviewed on 08/01/2025 | Details & Permalink

In the eight years since his parents died, Willis has lived a Dickensian existence with his cold uncle Tod. The now-12-year-old is responsible for cleaning the used bookshop in which they live, cooks every meal, and is forbidden from spending time with his friends outside of school. When Uncle Tod assigns Willis a new task—reading to wealthy local Mrs. Shorthouse—the youth isn’t expecting to enjoy the experience, yet he comes to relish his time with the kind widow and her caustic teenage great-niece Daphne. One day, Willis stumbles upon an abandoned locale seemingly straight out of the 1950s: a lake island on the outskirts of his small English town houses a prototype community, created by the late Mr. Shorthouse, where all the work is done by robots. Willis’s joy about his discovery is short-lived, however, as Uncle Tod demands that Willis steal rare books from Mrs. Shorthouse for him to sell, prompting Willis—wracked with guilt over his complicity in his uncle’s cruel schemes—to push away friends both new and old. Abrupt perspective shifts and underdeveloped characterizations sometimes disrupt momentum. Still, the novel’s tantalizing premise proves intriguing and will charm readers in search of a cozy and thought-provoking tale. Main characters read as white. Ages 8–12. Agent: Amy Tompkins, Transatlantic Literary. (Oct.)

Reviewed on 08/01/2025 | Details & Permalink

Exactly six years after her hatching, self-proclaimed inspector H. Poulet has just hung out her detective-agency shingle when three hen friends arrive demanding answers to the titular question. Evasive about their motives, they set the feathered detective, who’s decked out in a noir-style fedora and trench coat, on a barnyard-wide investigation. “I had a case to solve or there’d be egg on my face,” writes Caplan Sayres (the Where Do... series), conjuring text in which chicken puns pile up thicker than feathers from a molting hen. At each stop, Poulet discovers a taunting note: “You can lead a horse to water,” reads one, “but... you still haven’t solved this mystery!” Who could the wise quacker be? Readers paying close attention may suspect that the farm animals’ behaviors are all in service of a good—even celebratory—cause. Sunny-hued, digitally finished pencil illustrations by Fearing (Brandon and the Totally Troublesome Time Machine) portray an expressive, googly-eyed animal cast, all remarkably skilled at secret-keeping. This blend of detective fiction and farmyard fun offers read-aloud audiences and emerging readers a solid introduction to the mystery genre, with just enough goofiness to keep them clucking. Ages 4–8. (Sept.)

Reviewed on 08/01/2025 | Details & Permalink

Johnson (What Can a Mess Make?) understands that biding one’s time can be hard work—not least during a day of endless errands. As a caretaker and two rambunctious siblings head out (a note from Dad reads “Be back soon”), playful short rhymes and stylish visuals, reminiscent of mid-century modern commercial art, sweep readers along. The children, shown with light brown skin, at first make constructive use of their surroundings to ground them. At the farmers market, “Bucket drummer/ makes a beat// While we wait, we move our feet,” and at the post office, entertaining a toddler helps the time to pass (“While we wait,/ we make a friend”). Things grow trickier at a vintage shop as well as at a crowded, noisy diner, where the kids “fall apart,” littering the counter with overturned creamer containers, straw sleeves, and sugar packs. A rainstorm under a shared awning resets the dynamic (“While we wait,/ we squeeze together”), until bedtime reveals that waiting can be hard on grown-ups, too: after a day of offspring-wrangling, the solo adult falls asleep sitting up, too pooped to turn out the light. Background characters are portrayed with various skin tones. Ages 4–8. (Oct.)

Reviewed on 08/01/2025 | Details & Permalink

When a red-coated ant attendant announces that the Brain Train is departing for the Memory Palace from platform A, this raucous alphabet adventure from Mylie (Hello Day) seems to be proceeding according to schedule. Ink and watercolor illustrations chock-full of seek-and-find elements evoke a vintage nursery rhyme vibe, while the text employs giggle-inducing alliteration. (For the letter E, an audience including an eagle, an elephant, and a giant teary eye watch a puppet performance: “Elves rescue the earth, and it’s very emotional. Everybody cries.”) But the train derails dramatically on a spread representing the letter F, and the whole alphabet suddenly falls out of order. T follows J, M precedes L, and unplanned letter-themed adventures include navigating a trash-filled vat of tar. Initially discombobulated, the passengers soon roll with the punches and reach their destination in high spirits. Before kicking off a party, a vixen queen declares, “You found your way. The key to unlocking the mystery of reading is memory.” Though the closing point about reading comprehension may not be crystal clear, this unconventional journey assures that alphabet fluency needn’t always follow the main line. An author’s note concludes. Ages 4–8. (Oct.)

Reviewed on 08/01/2025 | Details & Permalink

Convinced she’s descended from mighty dinosaurs, fierce fowl protagonist Lena is sure that her avian family is “a bunch of big chickens,” an opinion helped along by the advice they give: “Aim LOW and you’ll never be disappointed.” Of the farm’s human caretakers, only young Madeline, portrayed with dark hair and pink skin, appreciates Lena’s spirit: “She has PERSONALITY! I like her!” When a sneaky, magnificently whiskered weasel arrives and infiltrates the coop, Lena taps into something “way down deep inside her bones and DNA.” And as the spirits of dinosaur ancestors seem to swirl about her in pale blue hues, she goes full terrible lizard, unleashing a “KKRRAAAGGGHH!!” that both routs the predator and brings her fellow chickens around (“She really IS a dinosaur! She really IS!”). Lena is further vindicated when Madeline returns from school having learned that chickens are indeed “one of the closest living relatives in the WHOLE WORLD to a dinosaur.” Gloriously goofy pencil and watercolor illustrations by Steele (That Always Happens Sometimes) and theatrical dialogue from Bailey (Cinderella—with Dogs!) imbue Lena with delicious levels of gravitas across a triumphant, fully fleshed-out work that delivers important observations about honoring one’s nature. A contextualizing note concludes. Background characters are portrayed with various skin tones. Ages 3–7. (Oct.)

Reviewed on 08/01/2025 | Details & Permalink

Platt’s jaunty rhymes chronicle a group of kids’ efforts to save a local flock of turkeys from becoming dinner in this message-forward Thanksgiving book about “our friends of beak and feather.” Kids worried about the fate of a farm’s googly-eyed fowl enact a plan to disguise the threatened birds. Dressed as “Auntie June” with a string of pearls, astronaut “Beak Aldrin,” and a “sparkly unicorn,” the turkeys each miss detection. Finally, the enterprising youths wheel a suspiciously turkey-like “Farmer Byrd” around to deliver a transparent message: “All out of turkeys this year!” Crayon-like detailing gives Cleland’s over-the-top digital renderings a grade-school vibe as expressive children of various skin tones gleefully pull off their ruse. Luckily, all seem to agree: “Vegetarian-style meal?/ Think that has some great appeal!” Ages 4–8. (Sept.)

Reviewed on 07/25/2025 | Details & Permalink

Boston Weatherford and Morrison reteam for this joyful celebration of food, family, and tradition. Rhythmic lines describe Big Ma and Pops rising at five a.m. to begin preparations for an intergenerational Black family’s unspecified gathering. As relatives trickle in from all directions, everyone lends a hand. A warm, saturated color palette evokes the cozy chaos of a bustling kitchen, while layered details create a sensory feast on every page. Adults catch up while children revel in the delicious commotion as a refrain reads, “Tastes like home when family meet;/ a bond so warm, so strong, so sweet.” After the slicing of a turkey, and a heartfelt prayer shown from a bird’s-eye view, the family assembles to enjoy one another’s company. The joy lingers long after dessert across this soulful tribute to legacy, love, and familial gatherings. Ages 4–8. (Sept.)

Reviewed on 07/25/2025 | Details & Permalink

Warmhearted quatrains from Tawil Kenyon applaud Thanksgiving’s many attributes in this appreciative seasonal picture book. Opening lines take a repeat form, describing the holiday variously as a “harvest,” “recipe,” “tradition,” and the like: “Thanksgiving is a family,/ our compass when we roam,/ a place we know we’re welcome/ because family means we’re home.” From morning to evening, Lugo’s earth-toned paintings tell a parallel story, following figures as they gather produce, prepare food, and offer remembrances for “people who we miss.” An overhead portrait highlights the eventual feast’s bounty and the fellowship of those partaking. Meanwhile, verse reorients around values, highlighting the day as a time for “kindness,” “forgiveness,” and “blessing.” Characters are depicted with various abilities and skin tones. Craft instructions and a pumpkin soup recipe conclude. Ages 3–8. (Sept.)

Reviewed on 07/25/2025 | Details & Permalink

“Friends celebrate everywhere,” declares Colleen’s polished ode to Friendsgiving—“a day to discover you are not alone.” On each spread, active verbs relay the moment’s events, as friends “travel,” “prepare,” “gather,” “feast,” and more, and accompanying free verse articulates the day’s hallmark attributes. Cranberry reds, buttery yellows, and arrayed shades of purple give Sandoval Herrera’s collage-like artwork a merry vibe as holiday scenes unfold: figures of varying abilities and skin tones observe a city parade, feast, and watch and play football before, finally, when “bellies and hearts are equally full,” they embrace goodbye. The creators affirm the importance of camaraderie with this radiant portrait. Ages 3–7. (Sept.)

Reviewed on 07/25/2025 | Details & Permalink