Our list of books for the winter and spring that booksellers are looking forward to selling concludes today with a look at children's and early readers titles. Lists of young adult & middle grade, nonfiction and fiction ran over the past three issues.
Arriving in stores on February 14 is Not Quite Narwhal (Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers), the picture book debut of author and illustrator Jessie Sima. Kelp has grown up in the ocean thinking that he, like the rest of his family, is a narwhal, even though his horn is a little different and he's not as good a swimmer as a narwhal usually is. One day Kelp gets swept close to shore by a strong current and sees a creature that looks just like him, and soon he learns that he's not a narwhal but actually a unicorn. "This book is painfully adorable," said Brandi Stewart, children's book buyer at Changing Hands Bookstore in Tempe and Phoenix, Ariz., adding that she plans to recommend it as an adoption book for a child in a blended family or for anyone who has ever felt like they don't fit in. "The story is about finding your own way to belong," she said. "It's just beautiful."
In Lane Smith's A Perfect Day, Cat, Dog, Chickadee and Squirrel are all having a great time doing their own thing. Cat is dozing in some daffodils, Dog is lounging in the pool, Chickadee is eating seeds from the bird feeder and Squirrel found a corncob. Once Bear comes along, however, their days are messed up to create a perfect day for Bear. Kate Schlademan, owner of the Learned Owl Book Shop in Hudson, Ohio, said she liked the book's message about perspective and that "perfect means something different for everyone. Loved the illustrations!" A Perfect Day will be available February 14 from Roaring Brook Press.
Caldecott Honor-winning author and illustrator Rachel Isadora returns on March 14 with I Just Want to Say Good Night, a new spin on the classic Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown and Clement Hurd, set on the African plains. I Just Want to Say Good Night follows Lala as she puts off going to bed by saying goodnight to her family's cat, goat, chickens and more one at a time. "Isadora perfectly captures the universal ritual of a child saying goodnight to everything as a way to stall going to bed," said Erin Barker, buyer and manager at Hooray for Books! in Alexandria, Va. "The book is humorous and gentle, and the main character is adorable." It will be published by Nancy Paulsen Books.
Out of Wonder: Poems Celebrating Poets marks the first collaboration between Newbery Medalist Kwame Alexander and Caldecott Honoree Ekua Holmes. It is a collection of original poems written by Alexander, Chris Colderley and Marjory Wentworth that pay homage to 20 poets who inspired them at some point in their lives. Small biographies are provided for each celebrated poet, and the original poems are accompanied by mixed-media images created by Holmes. Judy Bulow, book buyer at Tattered Cover Book Store in Denver, Colo., recommended Out of Wonder. It will be available March 14 from Candlewick Press.
John Ronald's Dragons: The Story of J.R.R. Tolkien is a picture book retelling of the life of J.R.R. Tolkien and the events that inspired him to create arguably the world's best known fantasy series. Written by Caroline McAlister and illustrated by Eliza Wheeler, John Ronald's Dragons follows Tolkien's life from his early childhood and the loss of his mother to his service in World War I and the years beyond, when he decided to write of Middle Earth and dragons for the first time. Max Probst, children's book buyer at Vroman's Bookstore in Pasadena, Calif., recommended this Tolkien biography, calling it "a lot of fun." Available March 21.
In Jordan P. Novak's early readers debut, Mosquitoes Can't Bite Ninjas, the only way to out-stealth a mosquito and avoid being bitten is to move like a ninja. Kate Schlademan of the Learned Owl said: "Mosquitoes bring out the ninja in all of us. Very funny!" Look for Mosquitoes Can't Bite Ninjas from Bloomsbury USA Children's on March 28.
In 2012, R.J. Palacio published Wonder, about a young boy born with a facial deformity trying to fit in at school and lead a normal life, which went on to inspire the Choose Kind movement. On March 28, Palacio will publish We're All Wonders, a picture-book retelling intended for a younger audience. "Wonder is extended to a younger group with Palacio writing and illustrating the story of a boy who is really just a regular boy after all, but born with looks that are a bit different," said Judy Bulow of the Tattered Cover. "Choosing kindness extends to the preschoolers and kindergartners, too!" Published by Knopf Books for Young Readers.
The Legend of Rock Paper Scissors is the first collaboration between Drew Daywalt, author of The Day the Crayons Quit, and Adam Rex, author and illustrator of Frankenstein Makes a Sandwich. Coming April 4 from Balzer + Bray, The Legend of Rock Paper Scissors tells the legendary origin of the game Rock, Paper, Scissors, when warriors from the Kingdom of the Backyard, the Empire of Mom's Home Office and the Kitchen Realm battled it out for the first time. "We're going to sell a ton of this," said Max Probst of Vroman's. "It's a lot of fun."
BE QUIET! by Ryan T. Higgins is the story of a mouse named Rupert, who wants nothing more than to star in a wordless, silent picture book. Rupert's friends, however, are extremely noisy, and their attempts to help do more harm than good. "The humor will delight both parents who appreciate a moment's silence and kids who have so much to say," said Erin Barker of Hooray for Books! "Perfect for interactive story times and read-alouds." It will be available April 4 from Disney-Hyperion.
Olivia the pig returns on April 4 with Olivia the Spy by Ian Falconer. Olivia's birthday is coming up, and although she knows she's not supposed to eavesdrop on her mom to learn the birthday plans, she can't help it. But instead of birthday plans, Olivia hears her mom talking about Olivia's bad behavior, and suddenly her imagination runs wild with fears of being sent to boarding school. Recommended by both Judy Bulow of the Tattered Cover and Shelf Awareness children's editor Karin Snelson. Published by Atheneum/Caitlyn Dlouhy Books.
The final book on today's list is CatStronauts: Mission Moon, the debut graphic novel from author and illustrator Drew Brockington. In response to a global energy shortage, the World's Best Scientist decides that Earth's last hope is to build a solar power plant on the moon. To get the base built, he turns to the CatStronauts, a fearless group of space cats whose members include Major Meowser, Waffles the pilot, Blanket the technician, and science officer Pom Pom. Recommended by the booksellers at WORD Bookstore in Jersey City, N.J., and Brooklyn, N.Y., CatStronauts will be available April 18 from Little, Brown Books for Young Readers. --Alex Mutter