5 Awesome New Kids’ Books
In the cold days of winter when everything feels kind of bleak, I look for those little moments of joy like it’s my full-time gig. If I spot a cool set of animal tracks in the snow, you bet I’m going to follow them. I might learn a new song on my guitar or chuckle at my kids getting into some hilarious messy trouble in the next room. I’ll also shoot a text to a buddy and we’ll trade those laugh-cry emojis because even when it’s chilly out, there’s always something to giggle about.
And of course I’ll be reading. This month I’ve been really into kids’ books that highlight those small joys in their lives: running through the grass, pretending with someone they love, or watching big trucks roll by. I also picked out some great novels for middle graders and young adults that are little joys on their own.
“Mixed Feelings”
If you’re looking after toddlers, you’ve probably seen a ton of books about feelings, but this one hits different. In Mixed Feelings, the kids aren’t just feeling happy or worried; their emotions run deeper. They think things like “no one ever listens to me,” “feeling mad at so many things… and maybe a bit hungry,” and “just in the mood to pretend to be a horse.” New Yorker cartoonist Liana Finck brings a fun twist and a real understanding of kids’ feelings to this clever picture book.
“Let’s Be Bees”
You can’t enjoy Let’s Be Bees solo, at least not the right way: Caldecott honoree Shawn Harris’s new picture book celebrates the joy of reading aloud with your favorite person. On each page, there’s an adult and a child (both reading Let’s Be Bees in a cool twist) making sounds together while transforming into the creatures and things they’re pretending to be: buzzing bees, swaying trees, wind and rain, butterflies, cacti, rumbling volcanoes, and more fun noises. This book is super interactive and I think a lot of adults will have a blast roaring like a moose too.
“Every Monday Mabel”
“Monday is the best day of the week (well, according to Mabel).” I won’t spill the beans on why Mabel loves Mondays so much—the reveal in this awesome picture book is way worth it—but I’ll say if you’ve got a kid like mine who races to the window when it’s trash pickup day, you need this book like yesterday. You might wanna grab a few copies to gift to your kids’ truck-loving pals. With bright artwork and clever text, award-winning author-illustrator Jashar Awan has created a real celebration of one of life’s weekly little pleasures.
“Will’s Race for Home”
I’m all about stories that are a bit different, and Will’s Race for Home definitely fits the bill. It’s a western set in 1889 about a young Black boy and his family who have been sharecropping in Texas. When Will and his dad find out there’s land open for settlement in Oklahoma, they head out on an adventure to finally “claim their own acres” after years of working in other people’s fields. But nature can be tough, and so can people. Award-winning author Jewell Parker Rhodes brings her fantastic writing to every part of Will’s adventure, and the black-and-white drawings from Olga and Aleksey Ivanov really help bring his historical world to life.
“The Ghosts of Bitterfly Bay”
Mary Averling follows up her first middle grade book, The Curse of Eelgrass Bog, with another fun and spooky read for kids who dig creepy stories. Twelve-year-old Maudie seems just like a regular kid, except for one little thing: she’s a ghost. She haunts a vacation cabin in the woods, which is mostly a blast because she and her ghost buddies, Kit and Scratch, try to scare off the holiday visitors. But even ghosts have their fears—specifically, there’s Longfingers, a creature that snatches kids and steals their souls. When Kit and Scratch go missing, Maudie suspects Longfingers is behind it, and she has to team up with the living girl she’s been haunting if she ever wants to find them again.