My anticipated book release posts generally focus on adult and YA fiction. I thought it would be fun to look at picture books for the first quarter of 2025
JANUARY
Title: Girls on the Rise
Author: Amanda Gorman
Author: Loveis Wise
Publisher: Viking Books
Publication Date: January 7
Description:
Who are we? We are a billion voices, bright and brave; we are light, standing together in the fight. Girls are strong and powerful alone, but even stronger when they work to uplift one another. In this galvanizing original poem by presidential inaugural poet Amanda Gorman, girls and girlhood are celebrated in their many forms, all beautiful, not for how they look but for how they look into the face of fear. Creating a rousing rallying cry with vivid illustrations by Loveis Wise, Gorman reminds us how girls have shaped our history while marching boldly into the future.
Title: Be My Yummy ABC
Author: Joyce Wan
Publisher: HIppo Park
Publication Date: January 14
Description:
A love letter? A yummy treat? YES! Joyce Wan’s Be My Yummy ABC is ALL THREE! This cozy picture book with irresistible art, foil, and embossing is perfect for Valentines Day, baby shower gifts, and anytime!On the menu? Scrumptious treats from all over the food Be my gooey APPLE strudel; My baby BURRITO, I love to cuddle; My twirly, curly CREPE supreme; My swirly, whirly DOSA dream.Beloved picture book creator Joyce Wan’s new alphabet book is a treat–and one that small kids will simply eat up! It’s a multicultural smorgasbord of foods from more than fifteen different countries, each with a loving “BE MINE” message. It’s irresistible! Joyce has cooked up a list of yummy foods from A to Z and brought them to life with adorable faces and rhymes.
Title: Many Things at Once
Author: Veera Hiranandani
Illustrator: Nadia Alam
Publisher: Random House
Publication Date: January 28
Description:
Based on the author’s own family history, here is a moving story about a young girl from two different backgrounds. The girl’s mother tells her stories about her mother, a Jewish seamstress in Brooklyn, New York. She lived in a tiny two-bedroom apartment and sewed wedding dresses shimmering in satin and lace.
Her father tells stories of his mother, the girl’s other grandmother, who liked to cook bubbling dal on a coal stove in Pakistan. They tell stories about how both sides came to America, and how, eventually, her parents met on a warm summer evening in Poughkeepsie.
The girl sometimes feels as if she’s the “only one like me.” One day, when she spots a butterfly in her yard, she realizes it’s okay to be different—no two butterflies are alike, after all. It’s okay to feel alone sometimes, but also happy and proud. It’s okay to feel– and be– many things at once.
February
Title: Caboose
Author: Travis Jonker
Illustrator: Ruth Chan
Publisher: Abrams Books for Young Readers
Publication Date: February 4
Description:
From children’s book creator and elementary school librarian Travis Jonker, with art from critically acclaimed illustrator Ruth Chan, Caboose is a hilarious picture book all about the antics of classroom line up Every kid knows the joy of being line leader. You can make the line go fast. You can make the line go slow. You can stop suddenly and make the line crash—oh, the power! Cedric has all sorts of tricks to make sure he’s first in line. There’s the fast walk, the slow run, the shoulder tap, the slingshot, and so much more. But when Cedric’s line leader antics go too far, he’s banished to the back of the line. The very back of the line.Now that Cedric’s the caboose, he must hatch a whole new world of hijinks. The turtle walk, the step back, the cloak of invisibility, the “no, no, after you!” The possibilities are endless!
Title: Me and Other Bunnies
Author: Mo Willems
Publisher:Union Squate Kids
Publication Date: February 4
Description:
There are ME bunnies.
There are YOU bunnies.
There are US bunnies . . . and WE bunnies . . . and THEM bunnies.
There are a lot of bunnies in Me and Other Bunnies.
Author: Strong Like Me
Illustrator: Michaela Dias-Hayes
Publisher: Candlewick Press
Publication Date: February 11
Kamara is super strong, and she loves that—it makes her feel fizzy and zappy! She wins at almost every competition. But lately she’s been hearing resentful words from her classmates, and she’s starting to doubt herself and the good feeling she gets from her physical ability. With sports day and the Big Race approaching, does Kamara have what it takes to reach the finish line? This picture book debut by author and UK podcast host Kelechi Okafor is an inspirational story aimed at helping children discover their power, champion themselves, have compassion for others, and be unapologetically secure in who they are. Packed full of heart, Strong Like Me opens important conversations around ability, intersectionality, race, and identity.
Title: The Full Stop That Got Away
Author: Laura Baker
Illustrator: Nathan Reed
Publisher: Scholastic
Publication Date: February 13
Description:
This is Frank.
Frank is a full stop.
He’s round and small and things quietly stop when he’s around.Frank is a full stop, and he acts exactly
like a full stop should. He splits up sentences that get too long . . .
“It’s true. I do.”
He never shouts . . .
“Ouch. Ouch. Help.”
And he never asks questions.
“That’s right.”
But what if Frank decides to stop acting like
a full stop? What would happen then?
March
Title: Signs of Friendship
Author: Annie Silvestro
Illustrator: Ziyue Chen
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Publication Date: March 25
Sally and Sonia met when they were very small. As they grew, their friendship grew, too. And when they realized Sonia struggled to hear, they learned sign language together. One day, Sally has an to plant a garden with her best friend.
But when a new neighbor named Dev moves in with his puppy, Sonia spends so much time with them that she doesn’t seem to remember Sally at all. Can Sally find a way to share her feelings with Sonia—and maybe even welcome Dev as a new friend?
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