The team behind the charming LOS ANGELES IS. . . is back with an ode to the city that never sleeps. From corner shops to subway stops, New York is alive with culture, bustle, meaninfgful landmarks and of course, delicious food. A modern, colorful and lively book for those looking to remember their perfect city moment spent in the Big Apple.
New York Is. . . was written by Elisa Parhad, illustrated by Alexander Vidal and published by Cameron Kids.
Julia Kuo’s newest book uncovers the science and story behind bioluminescent creatures, plants and tiny organisms such as fireflies, foxfire and glowworms. Anglerfish and vampire squid live in the deep, dark depths of the sea and have special glowing properties unique to them that aid in hunting and evading predators. There’s even a fish that emits a red light — a fact new to us! Did you know that astronauts can sometimes see bioluminescence from outer space? A fascinating and enlightening look at bioluminescent beings, and an invitation to explore their extraordinary world.
Luminous: Living Things that Light Up the Night was written and illustrated by Julia Kuo and published by Greystone Kids. Out on November 22!
I’m so, SO excited to share the cover of my next picture book, MARIBEL’S YEAR, out on May 9, 2023, from HarperCollins. 🥳 I can’t wait for you to meet Maribel and her beautiful world so extraordinarily illustrated by Filipina Canadian illustrator Sarah Gonzales. Her art is brilliant and poetic and incomprehensibly beautiful. Her color work is sublime and is like nothing I’ve ever seen before (and I’ve read thousands of picture books in my lifetime). Be prepared to be blown away (in the best way possible)! 😳😄
📮Preorders really do matter and make a huge difference! Thank you so much to everyone for your support of my books and other diverse books. Stay tuned in the coming months for sneak peeks of the interior art here! 👀 Also, please feel free to share this post far and wide. ❤️📚
MARIBEL’S YEAR is a celebration of the special connection between father and daughter that knows no bounds. This evocative, lyrical picture book from author Michelle Sterling and artist Sarah Gonzales recounts the year a little girl and her mother spend in America while waiting for her father to join them from the Philippines. ❄️🌱☀️🍂
New country, new school, new friends.
A lot can happen in a single year. But one thing’s for certain: Maribel won’t forget her papa, even when he’s eight-thousand miles away in the Philippines.
After all, Papa is all around. He is the memory of feeding koi fish in their pond every morning. He is the constellation map as Maribel dreams of showing him her new world. He is the packages and letters sent back and forth.
He is everywhere except the place he’s wanted the most. But the bond between Maribel and Papa transcends oceans. So as the snow melts and turns to rain, as flowers blossom and welcome sun-kissed days, and as the leaves start to change and snow begins to fall once more, can Maribel wait just a little bit longer?
MARIBEL’S YEAR publishes on May 9, 2023, and is available for preorder now!
We’re sharing Pumpkin Island again because it’s one of our absolute favorites to read during the month of October. 🎃
A perfect storm brings a proliferation of pumpkins to the small, unassuming town of Elkader, Iowa. Pumpkins work their way into daily life and the people do fun (and sometimes dangerous) things with them. But how will things return to normal with pumpkins continuing to pop up everywhere and make inroads into every aspect of life in Elkader? After all, one can only have so much pumpkin bread, pumpkin pie and pumpkin spice in one’s coffee. Thank goodness Halloween is coming up. But what is to be done after that? Is there life after pumpkins? A fantastically amusing tale for this season and beyond from the incomparable Arthur Geisert.
Pumpkin Island was written and illustrated by Arthur Geisert and published by Enchanted Lion Books.
🎉 Special announcement!
I’m starting an email newsletter called Kidlit in a Nutshell. ✉️ And it’ll be free! In it, I’ll be cutting a long story short and bringing you a curated list of what’s new and extraordinary in children’s picture books each month. I decided to start a newsletter since life is so busy and we all miss out on seeing posts regularly. Basically, the books I share on Instagram and on this blog (plus a few select others) will be wrapped up in a nice, shiny email and sent to your inbox once a month so you can take it to the library, bookstore or online ordering session. 📚
I’ll also include a couple of surprises and tidbits here and there, like my current favorite cookbooks that I’m devouring cover to cover, favorite book lists covering different topics, and a handful of exceptional children’s books publishing next season that I can’t wait to read. Plus occasional news about my forthcoming books, and maybe even a sneak peek or two of the art. In a nutshell, a little (but a lot!). If you’re interested, look for the gray box on the right side of this page and enter your email there. 📬