Thanks to Ellen Myrick of Publisher Spotlight, we can continue to give you a sneak peek at some of the books due out in the coming months. You can find the first of these small press roundups here, the second here, the third here, and the fourth here. This next series includes a ton of books you certainly don’t know about. That is, not yet:
Freedom Braids by Monique Duncan, image Oboh Moses
ISBN: 9781915244802
Release date: September 10, 2024
I’m always fascinated by how certain themes, ideas, and facts appear in multiple children’s books in a single year, purely by chance and for no particular reason. Take, for example, the fact that enslaved African women wove maps to freedom into people’s hair. I saw this in the upcoming Rapunzel-inspired story. The magical Callaloo by Trish Cooke, ill. Sophie Bass. Now I see it in this book, Freedom braids. Written by an American author (of Jamaican descent) and a Nigerian illustrator, the book explores how braids were once part of the language and used as maps. The endpapers then show the different types of braids in a truly stunning arrangement. This book is truly beautiful.
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“Step Into My Shoes” by Alkisti Halikia, ill. Fantini Tikkou
ISBN: 9781915244925
Release date: October 1, 2024
Ah, this one is nice. You could call it an empathy story. One day a girl in Paris is going to school and then sees all the shoes in front of a mosque. Out of curiosity she tries them on. In the process she learns more about people and what they do. And in the end she actually buys the favorite pair of shoes she saw. Illustrated with fun collage art, it’s a nice little piece of storytelling.
The Language of Flowers by Shyala Smith, illustration by Aaron Asis
ISBN: 9781915244864
Release date: September 10, 2024
In this story, Appa, a girl, owns a flower shop. Our heroine Juhi grows fond of one of the customers. Then one day he is in the hospital, so Juhi picks out a flower for him that looks like the dancers in Sri Lanka. When he dies, she has to deal with her grief somehow, so she does so by picking the best possible final bouquet in his honor. With an author from Sri Lanka and an illustrator from the Philippines, this title stands out in the industry.
Dinosaur Pie by Jen Wallace, illustrated by Alan O’Rourke
ISBN: 9781915071491
Release date: February 8, 2025
What I always forget about Little Island Press is their tendency to focus on children’s chapter books that are heavily illustrated. This latest book from Wallace and O’Rourke is a prime example. In this story, a child with ADHD accidentally eats a magical cake that turns him into a dinosaur. This, unsurprisingly, really complicates things as one thing after another happens to this child. As a result, he must figure out how to navigate his life in this new way. It’s a sweet, soulful little story.
Chasing Shy Town by Erika McGann, illustrated by Toni Galmés
ISBN: 9781915071514
Release date: October 8, 2024
It’s difficult to resist a book that seems to have won every award in Ireland. This book has humour as it tells the story of a young boy and his grandmother searching for a kind of shy brigadoon town that is constantly on the move. Does anyone else detect a hint of Miyazaki here?
The Dogs Next Door by Patricia Carlin
ISBN: 9781958325230
Release date: October 8, 2024
As far as irresistible covers go, this one is at the top. One day, a couple of dogs move in next door. Are they just dogs or bad Dogs? When you get to know them better, it turns out there is actually a third option: funny dogs. They like to have fun. When a girl comes to watch them, the dogs teach her to have fun too. But then people start complaining. With fresh, energetic and hilarious art, this book is equal parts silly and subversive.
Sophie: Jurassic Bark and Sophie: Frankenstein’s Dog by Brian Anderson
ISBN: 9781958325148 & 9781958325254
Release date: October 15, 2024
Here’s something funny. The creator of the popular webcomic Dog eats Doug has launched a new graphic novel series that definitely appeals to the younger generation. And it can’t come too soon. As any librarian will tell you, finding younger GNs is a challenge in itself. Each book in this series is based on a movie in which Sophie is the heroine. For dog GN kids, this is just the thing.
And that’s all for this week folks! Enjoy what’s here and stay tuned for the next title preview soon!
Filed under: Publisher Previews
