Category Archives: review

Searching for Security: A Review of Comet’s Nine Lives

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Comet’s Nine Lives
Jan Brett
G.P. Putnam’s Sons, an Imprint of Penguin Random House
Ages 4-8
Available: October 6, 2026

 

When his first life slips away from him after eating some foxgloves, Comet the cat needs to find a home to keep his other eight lives intact. As his efforts turn into one misadventure after another, losing more lives in the process, Comet’s goal of finding a suitable shelter seemed further than ever. However, the safety he sought may be closer than he first thought. 

Jan Brett’s signature intricate and realistic art style shines once again in her latest picture book. Her trademark serene and cool watercolor illustrations and borders, which include seashells, sea creatures, seaweed, and wooden planks, capture the coastal ambiance of the story’s island setting. The watercolor paint isn’t super vibrant, but it is smooth and calm. Comet’s antics portrayed in the pictures spark exciting action despite the lack of bright colors. Brett’s prose doesn’t talk down to her audience. She uses sophisticated language in some areas, especially when a dog character feels outraged or frightened of Comet’s unwelcome presence. For instance, in one scene where a health inspector comes to an ice cream parlor and sees Comet, he proclaims, “Feline residues! Maximum infractions!” As Comet loses each life, Brett’s wording makes apt descriptions that match the situation presented in the illustrations. Overall, Comet’s Nine Lives is an exquisite read sure to charm both parents and young readers alike. Jan Brett fans would be proud to include this book in their collections. 

A Historic Journey: A Review of Riding the Trail: Cherokees Remember the Removal

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Riding the Trail: Cherokees Remember the Removal
Traci Sorell and Will Chavez
Charlesbridge
Ages 10+
Available August 25, 2026

Every year, a select group of young people from the Cherokee nation and Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians participate in the Remember the Removal ride — a bicycle journey of nearly 1,000 miles retracing the route many Cherokees took during the period of forced removal often referred to as the Trail of Tears. This book follows the 2020-2021 team (initially selected to ride in 2020, their ride was pushed back due to COVID-19) as they ride the trail, following in the steps of their ancestors and learning about the historic suffering, survival, and resilience of the Cherokee people.

The book begins by covering the historical context of both the removal of the Cherokee people from their homelands and the Remember the Removal ride itself, started by the Cherokee Nation in 1984, giving readers a solid foundational background to understand the ride. The journey of the nine members of the 2020-2021 team is told through narrative prose, photos, and firsthand quotes and accounts from the riders, support staff, and the people they meet along the way. Emphasis is put on the scale of the tragedy being remembered as well as the emotional significance for the riders, all of whom leave the three-week ride changed.

With one foot in the past and one in the present, Riding the Trail works to make real-life connections to historic events. Any reader can benefit from the story inside, but it would make an especially meaningful companion to lessons on 19th century American history.

One Beary Cute Story: A Review of Mr. Crump, the Heartless Grump

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Mr Crump, the Heartless Grump
Pog
Illustrated by Stephanie Leon
Floris Books
Ages 4-7
Available August 18th, 2026

Mr. Crump is, frankly, a total grump. He has no manners, no patience, and absolutely no enjoyment of things like pigeons at the park. But the second he gets home, Mr. Crump suddenly becomes soft, snuggly, and sentimental—just like the enormous collection of stuffed teddy bears filling his house! One fateful Halloween, a group of trick-or-treaters mistake his beloved bears for treats and make off with the entire collection! Left with just Captain Snuggles, his oldest and most prized teddy, Mr. Crump begins to learn what it means to care for others. With his newfound generosity, the town discovers there’s more beneath his curmudgeonly exterior, and the children now know that Mr. Crump is far from a grump.

One of the most striking features of Mr Crump, the Heartless Grump are Stephanie Leon’s pencil illustrations. The soft lines give the characters depth and texture, while the color palette mirrors emotion. The town’s colors lean cooler, more muted, and a little distant, resembling Mr. Crump’s gruff, closed-off personality. But inside his home, everything warms up. There’s a gentle, golden glow that makes his space (and his bears) feel safe, tender, and inviting.

Paired with author Pog’s playful, slightly silly language and distinct vernacular, Mr Crump, the Heartless Grump feels lively, cozy, and inviting, making it a great choice for younger readers and especially strong as a read-aloud tale.

Seeing Double: A Review of Fairy Door Diaries: Eliza and the Fairy Double

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Fairy Door Diaries: Eliza and the Fairy Double
Megan McDonald
Illustrated by Lenny Wen
Candlewick Press
Ages 6-9
Available September 15, 2026

When she’s struck with a case of the hiccups that just won’t go away, Eliza realizes she’s being sent a unique message by the elves of Elfindor. Something bad is happening to the elf Zelia, and only her human double can save her. Can Eliza help her fairy twin before it’s too late?

McDonald’s Fairy Door Diaries allow readers a peek into a world full of magic and fantastical creatures, underscored by Lenny Wen’s gorgeous gouache illustrations of flowers and fairy folk. The story is engaging and fast paced, keeping readers hooked as Eliza puzzles through how to save her newfound double.

This read is sure to appeal to young readers who love all things magical and fairy-filled. With multiple chapters, it’s a step up from easy readers, but is easy to tackle for those who are ready to move on to chapter books.

This Wood Make a Great Read: A Review of I Am Not Boring

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I Am Not Boring: The True-Life Story of a Log
Lena Podesta
Ten Speed Young Readers
Ages 3-5
Available May 26th, 2026

This log wants you to know that it is NOT boring! It might not talk, or sing, or eat, although countless creatures like fungi, lichens, and bugs make it their dinner. He might just sit there, but its cozy insides make for a great skunk home, and its mossy outsides are the perfect perch for a bird friend. The life of a log may not be glamorous, but it sure is useful.  

In tandem with the quirkiness of her characterizations, Lena Podesta’s illustrations bring our narrating log to life in a way that makes it feel anything but boring. The wood is textured with colored pencils, and the surrounding flora & fauna, with that same sketchbook-esque style, add depth and movement to each page. The animals are drawn in a playful, cartoon-like style that keeps the story fresh, fun, and approachable. The scientific concepts are woven in smoothly, and it helps that the log itself has a bit of an attitude, making this an engaging, entertaining blend of both non-fiction and narrative picture book. 

The backmatter includes all of the log’s roles: house, food, gardener, and helper, and Podesta’s author’s note adds a nice personal touch, sharing how she grew up flipping over logs and ended up discovering just how much life they can really hold. I Am Not Boring: The True-Life Story of a Log is a fun, informative read, bringing charm & wit to a topic we rarely see explored in science class. Maybe logs aren’t so boring after all! 

From A Rocky Start to Solid Pals: A Review of Still Friends

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Still Friends
Troy Wilson
Illustrated by Mike Deas
Orca Book Publishers
Ages 3-5
Available May 19th, 2026

On a routine trip to the neighborhood park with his owner, one friendly (and inquisitive!) pup notices a lone girl sitting on the bench. He wants to play, but she doesn’t move (or talk!). Nothing but stone-cold silence. But as the seasons pass and the months go by, he learns to appreciate her stability. She doesn’t make him go to the vet, or scold him when he eats a dropped hot dog, and maybe, after all, he can learn to love her for exactly what she is… rock solid.

The charm of this picture book lies not just in its endearing, offbeat premise—unlikely companionship between a statue and a dog—but also in its world. Quirky characters, like a recurring flock of nosy pigeons, the stern lady manning the hot dog cart, and a family of birds who just won’t stop eating seeds, let the story come alive; perfect small details for eagle-eyed younger readers. The words are simple and sparse, yet still emotionally resonant. Deas’ soft pastel and watercolor illustrations bring a warmth and nostalgia to the story, with thoughtful usage of white space and sketchily drawn lines that feel lived-in and familiar, keeping each page spread from feeling too cluttered with the chaos of this faux-Central Park.

All in all, Still Friends is a tenderly funny read, inviting young audiences to reconsider what friendship can look like—and how sometimes, the most unexpected companions are the ones who stay.

By the Pricking of My Thumbs: A Review of A Coven of Witches: Spellbinding Tales of Magic and Myth

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A Coven of Witches: Spellbinding Tales of Magic and Myth
Alexis Powell
Illustrated by Marina Vidal
Gibbs Smith
Ages 8-12
Available July 14, 2026

This collection of scary stories form Alexis Powell asks what it means to be a witch, through the lenses of folklore, mythology, and history. Whether they’re climbing on to ghost trains or being dragged into the spotlight of a circus sideshow, the characters in these stories come face to face with the otherworldly and unexplainable. Will they make it out of their encounters unharmed?

Mixing the imagined and the factual, each story is accompanied by a blurb explaining the real folktale, mythological figure, or event its based on. Powell takes inspiration from across time and space, pulling from sources from the Bible to 19th century New Orleans.

A Coven of Witches is well-suited for readers from scared-cats to hardcore horror fans, with each story receiving a “fright level” score out of three to serve as a guide for those who might want to skip the true spine tinglers. A wide variety of cultural perspectives allows anyone who picks up the collection to learn something new, regardless of their previous knowledge of witchcraft and mythology.

The Nature of Healing: A Review of To the Last Gram

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To the Last Gram
Shreya Davies
Illustrated by Vanessa Wong
Difference Engine
Ages 13+
Available May 12th, 2026

To the Last Gram follows eighteen-year-old Divya as she reflects on childhood insecurity and navigates her teenage years in a body that never feels quite right. What begins as an awareness of her weight quickly spirals into portion control and exercise obsession as Divya’s relationship with food—and herself—becomes more and more turbulent.

Shreya Davies approaches Divya’s coming-of-age story with a careful balance of honesty and tact, detailing the gradual descent into anorexia in a way that feels both deeply personal and painfully recognizable. What seems to linger most is the graphic novel’s understanding of food as something far more complicated & complex than just sustenance. Within Divya’s Indian-Singaporean upbringing, food is seen as love, ritual, and expectation; it’s something you can’t easily turn away from. That tension sits at the heart of the story, exploring Divya’s struggles in a cultural way, a narrative that’s seldom explored this carefully. Vanessa Wong’s illustrations carry that same emotional weight, their limited color palette and careful attention to the characters’ expressions highlighting just how quietly painful and incredibly nuanced disordered eating can be.

Although the story ends with hope, it never simplifies recovery. Davies leaves space for relapse, uncertainty, and for the ongoing nature of healing, being far from linear. To the Last Gram is unflinchingly honest and incredibly human: a resonant read that explores something sadly so many young adults face.

New Adventures: A Review of Unexpected Guests

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Unexpected Guests
Mariajo Ilustrajo
The Quarto Group/Frances Lincoln Children’s Books
Ages 3-5
Available March 17, 2026

The mice have some unexpected guests — humans have moved into their house! They’re not too sure what to think, but when they start investigating, they discover that the humans come with all sorts of exciting (and delicious) human things. But when they push their luck and sneak back for more, they end up face-to-face with a human girl. Are humans everything they were afraid of after all?

Illustrajo’s charming mixed media illustrations bring life to the mice and their human counterparts, often playing with scale and contrast between the mice’s home below the floorboards and the humans’ home above.

This simple and inviting tale is engaging to read and packed with lots to look at. Young readers can enjoy the tale of adventure while keeping an eye out for recognizable household objects being put to unconventional uses by the mice.

A Stick (Or Princess) In The Mud: A Review of Her Muddy Majesty of Muck

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Her Muddy Majesty of Muck
Beatrice Alemagna
Astra Books for Young Readers / Hippo Park
Ages 5-8
Available March 31st, 2026

Little Yuki and her older brother Shen are far from friends. Yuki has big feelings, and Shen has little patience for her stomps and tears. One afternoon on the walk home from school, Yuki, in a fit of rage, flings their house keys into the sewer. When she climbs down after them, she comes face-to-face with the Muddy Majesty of Muck: an ooey, gooey creature made entirely of mud. The Muddy Majesty takes Yuki on a journey underground, meeting Boogers who love to be mean, and trekking to a museum of objects left behind by those who lost their tempers once, too. Along the way, the Muddy Majesty explains that the meaner Yuki becomes, the bigger she grows. Yuki feels like she’ll be stuck underground forever, but then she spots Shen, who’s come to her rescue. The siblings reconcile, Yuki feels her anger melt away, and although the Muddy Majesty has now shrunk, Yuki promises to come back and visit her soon—to make mud pies, of course.

Alemagna’s incredibly charming illustrations, created through an endearing and eclectic potpourri of gouache, collage, oil paint, and wax pencils, make Her Muddy Majesty of Muck just as delightful visually as it is in its storytelling. The dialogue is simple yet incredibly effective, and the humor—snarky Boogers attempting to read or bathe or don heels and a muddy princess who can’t stop dripping—will appeal to younger and older readers alike. Most importantly, the story’s message resonates: we shouldn’t let our feelings consume us. Anger, envy, and sadness can be messy, but with persistence and love and maybe a nice shower, even the muddiest of feelings can eventually be washed clean.