Weekend reads roundup: 16 May 2026, part four

 

A garden in my hands.

Written by Meera Sriram.

Illustrated by Sandhya Prabhat.

Alfred A. Knopf, 2023.

Picture book.

Good for #WorldKidLitMonth. Henna and family stories.

Possible read-alikes:

• Eid for Nylah by Nizrana Farook and Zelma Firdauzia.
• The beautiful layers of me by Sophia Payne and Ruchi Mhasane.
• Tea is love by Adib Khorram and Hanna Cha.
• Great Aunt Margot and me by Bryher Mackenzie and Rhiannon Archard.
• What will my story be? by Nidhi Chanani.

 

No such thing.

Written and illustrated by Ella Bailey.

Nobrow Press, 2022.

Picture book.

Rhyming text.

Adamantly sure ghosts don’t exist. One where the fun is in the illustrations.

Possible read-alikes:

• Hardly haunted by Jessie Sima.
• There's a ghost in this house by Oliver Jeffers.
• The house on the hill by Kyle Mewburn and Sarah Davis.
• There's no such thing as... ghosts by Lucy Rowland and Katy Halford.
• Fairy walk by Gaia Cornwall.

 

Taxi, go!

Written by Patricia Toht.

Illustrated by Maria Karipidou.

Walker Books, 2024.

Picture book.

Rhyming text.

The day in the life of a taxi.

Limited appeal in my part of the world – very few taxis around.

Possible read-alikes:

• Goodnight, goodnight, construction site by Sherri Duskey Rinker and Tom Lichtenheld.
• Roadworks by Sally Sutton and Brian Lovelock.
• Every Monday Mabel by Jashar Awan.
• Cranky by Phuc Tran and Pete Oswald.

 

Fergal and the fib.

Written and illustrated by Robert Starling.

Andersen Press, 2022.

Picture book.

The problem with lying – and how small lies can escalate.

Possible read-alikes:

• Tell the truth, Dragon! by Bianca Schulze and Samara Hardy.
• Pig the fibber by Aaron Blabey.
• Finn's little fibs by Tom Percival.
• Snake's big mistake by Sarah Kurpiel.
• Liarbird by Laura and Philip Bunting.
• How to apologize by David LaRochelle and Mike Wohnoutka. 

I’d rather be a dragon.

Written by Laura Bunting.

Illustrated by Philip Bunting.

Scholastic Australia, 2025.

Picture book.

Rhyming text.

When you’re over being a little kid – wouldn’t life be better if you were something else.

Possible read-alikes:

• I want to be spaghetti! by Kiera Wright-Ruiz and Claudia Lam.
• I don't want to be a frog by Dev Petty and Mike Boldt.
• If I was a horse by Sophie Blackall.

 

The little ghost who was a quilt.

Written by Riel Nason.

Illustrated by Byron Eggenschwiler.

Tundra Books, 2020.

What to do when you’re a ghost quilt – and not a sheet like every other ghost.

Possible read-alikes:

• Gustavo the shy ghost by Flavia Z. Drago.
• The world needs who you were made to be by Joanna Gaines and Julianna Swaney. 
• The blue tomato by Amber Aü.
• Picopaco: the woodpecker who built a town by Mocculere.
• Maxolotl by Laura Sieveking and Katie Abey. 

Everything is fine!

Written by Michelle Sumovich.

Illustrated by Sarah Jacoby.

HarperCollins, 2024.

Picture book.

You wouldn’t believe me about the subject, so here is the blurb from the publisher:

Sweet Paulette loves her mother tirelessly... and her exhausted mother must really love her too. Whoopsie! Whoopsie! Whoopsie!! Never mind that trail of chaos and smashed tomatoes at the market, because Paulette is perfect and precious and EVERYTHING IS FINE! But when her darling daughter suddenly goes missing, Paulette's mother must comb through a village of beastly children and other flustered parents to find her own child in the most unexpected of places. It is an outlandish and utterly hilarious tale about a tired mother who unknowingly slurps her daughter up during a spaghetti dinner.

Possible read-alikes. Is that even possible?!

• Harriet, you'll drive me wild! by Mem Fox and Marla Frazee.
• No, David! by David Shannon.
• A star for Mama by Ashling Kwok and Kathy Creamer.

 

The magic & mystery of Earth.

Written by Jason Bittel.

Illustrated by Claire McElfatric.

Dorling Kindersley Limited, 2026.

Illustrated non-fiction.

Just what it says in the title.

Possible read-alikes:

• Earth's changing surfaces edited by Corey Tutt, illustrated by Mim Cole/Mimmim.
• Shapes of nature: a kaleidoscope of the natural world by Ben Hoare and Sally Caulwell.
• How the earth works by Dr Lucía Pérez Díaz.
• The spectacular science of planet Earth by Rob Colson and Moreno Chiacchiera. 
• How the world works by Clive Gifford.
• The story of planet Earth: from stardust to the modern world by Anne Rooney and Margarida Esteves.

 

Come home, Bigibila.

Written by Corey Tutt and Irma Gold.

Illustrated by Jessica Tedim.

Allen & Unwin, 2026. 

First Nations / Indigenous creator. 

Picture book. 

Coming home to Country. To home. Where your connection lives.

Possible read-alikes:

• Our dreaming by Kirli Saunders and Dub Leffler.
• Back on country by Adam Goodes, Ellie Laing, and David Hardy.
• Being home by Traci Sorell and Michaela Goade.
• Coming home to Country by Bronwyn Bancroft.
• Going down home with daddy by Kelly Starling Lyons and Daniel Minter.
• A day with Yayah by Nicola I. Campbell and Julie Flett.

 

The wonderful stranges.

Written by Melanie Koster.

Illustrated by Monica Koster.

David Bateman Ltd., 2025.

Aotearoa.

Picture book.

Rhyming text.

Flooding – judgemental / stuck-in-the-mud villagers are rescued by the new strange strangers who have moved nearby. Renewable energy – strong, but not in-your-face, environmental message.

Possible read-alikes: 

• The fire wombat by Jackie French and Danny Snell.
• Mouse & Giraffe by Kelly DiPucchio and Jen Corace.
• Koala ark by Stephen Michael King.  
• Once upon a time in the woods by Anthony Browne.
• Room for more by Michelle Kadarusman and Maggie Zeng. 
• Bruce's big storm by Ryan T. Higgins.  
• The tomorrow book by Jackie French and Sue DeGennaro.

Weekend reads roundup: 16 May 2026, part three

 

Missing.

Created by Kōwhai Studio.

Illustrated by Eli Vaughan.

Kōwhai Studio, 2026.

Board book.

Aotearoa.

Lantern Festival in Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland.

A bit meh. Heading towards earnest territory.

• Ducks! by Deborah Underwood and T. L. McBeth. 
• Where is the green sheep? by Mem Fox and Judy Horacek.
• Winnie-the-Pooh: a wander in the wood.

 

Mama Shamsi at the bazaar.

Written by Mojdeh Hassani and Samira Iravani.

Illustrated by Maya Fidawi.

Dial Books for Young Readers, 2022.

Picture book.

Samira is excited to go to the bazaar with her grandmother for the first time, but finds the bustling market to be intimidating, until Mama Shamsi helps her find a way to feel safe.

Neurodiverse representation. Loving grandparent. A gentle read.

Possible read-alikes:

• Tiny worlds by Brittany Cicchese.
• The space between by Clare Helen Welsh and Fiona Lumbers.
• A cup of quiet by Nikki Grimes and Cathy Ann Johnson.
• Bessie's bees by George Kirk and Ana Gómez.

 

Colin's castle.

Written and illustrated by Holly Swain.

Farshore, 2024.

Picture book.

My notes very helpfully say “duck.”

So, there’s a vegetarian vampire whose new home – a castle – is invaded by Duck.

Possible read-alikes:

• Knight Owl and Early Bird by Christopher Denise.
• Mother Goose Bruce by Ryan T. Higgins.
• The Kerfuffle by Clotilde Perrin, translated by Daniel Hahn.
• There's a bear on my chair by Ross Collins.

 

Negative cat.

Written and illustrated by Sophie Blackall.

Nancy Paulsen Books, 2021.

Reading and shelter cat adoption. The cat isn’t a typical cat – a ‘negative cat’ – but he loves being read to, which helps his human improve his reading ability.

Possible read-alikes:

• Boo loves books by Kaye Baillie and Tracie Grimwood.
• "Let's get a pup!" said Kate by Bob Graham.
• I am a wolf by Kelly Leigh Miller.
• This is the dog by Maura Finn and Nina Rycroft.

 

Love birds.

Written by Jane Yolen.

Illustrated by Anna Wilson.

Cameron Kids, 2022.

Friendship founded through a shared love of birds.

Possible read-alikes:

• Daisy by Jessixa Bagley.
• The word collector by Peter Hamilton Reynolds.
• Millie Fleur's poison garden by Christy Mandin.
• Jayden noticed by Carolyn Crimi and Shamar Knight-Justice.

  

Beware The Blue Bazzoo.

Written by Karl Newson.

Illustrated by Andrea Stegmaier.

Happy Yak, 2025.

Picture book.

Rhyming text.

Published as Beware the Blue Bagoo in 2023. 

Assumptions and rumours. 

Possible read-alikes: 

• The cafe at the edge of the woods by Mikey Please.
• The Bewilderbeast by Josh Pyke and Binny Talib.
• Beware, beware the drop bear! by Heath McKenzie.
• The grizzled grist does not exist! by Juliette MacIver and Sarah Davis
• The pirates are coming! by John Condon and Matt Hunt.

 

Henry's little sister.

Written and illustrated by Jo Weaver.

Hodder Children's Books, 2023.

Picture book.

Baby elephants! Lost baby elephants ☹. Loving big brother! Found baby elephants 😊.

Possible read-alikes:

• The great unicorn escape by Diane Ewen.
• Being a cat: a tail of curiosity by Maria Gianferrari and Pete Oswald.
• Little and big by Anne Gutman, and Georg Hallensleben, translated from French by Jill Davis.
• I can't sleep by Emma Farrarons.
• Mabel and the big wide world by Paul Stewart and Jane Porter.

 

Confetti and the rainbow garden.

Written by Shane Jenek AKA Courtney Act.

Illustrated by Dylan Finney.

Pantera Press, 2025.

Australian.

Picture book.

Flowers. Grandmother. Family. Cousins. Fairies. Finding yourself. Acceptance of differences. And, alas, shades of twee.

Possible read-alikes:

• Prunella by Beth Ferry and Claire Keane.
• Skipping to Sammy's beat by Coral Vass and Blithe Fielden.
• The wildest thing by Emily Winfield Martin.
• I am me: a book of authenticity by Susan Verde and Peter H. Reynolds. 

Lonely Bird

Lonely Bird’s dream.

Written and illustrated by Ruth Whiting.

Candlewick Press, 2023 / 2024.

Picture book.

I lovely Lonely Bird – such a beautiful and gentle being. Lonely Bird is so creative – both the books, and the character.

Possible read-alikes:

• Unflappable by Matthew Ward and Scott Magoon.
• Milo and Twig by Liz Brizzi.
• Nelly: the very different bird by Alex Macdonald. 

Weekend reads roundup: 16 May 2026, part two

Are you a banana?

Written and illustrated by Robert Starling.

Pat-a-Cake, 2025.

Board book.

Flaps.

A riot of a read.

Possible read-alikes:

• Banana, banana, banana! by Sarah Finan.
• Yellow is a banana by John Himmelman.
• Are you a frog? by Robert Starling.
• Pairs in the garden by Smriti Prasadam-Halls and Lorna Scobie.
• Tractors have wings!: a vehicles book with cutouts by Becky Davies and Gareth Lucas.
• Dinosaur surprise! by Rebecca Gardyn Levington and Teresa Bellon.
• Guess who's getting dressed by Smriti Halls and Marta Altés. 

Lost: stories of people, places, and things lost throughout history.

Written by Tom Adams.

Illustrated by Daniela Martín Del Campo.

Dorling Kindersley Limited, 2026.

Illustrated nonfiction.

Pirates, pharaohs, places, and people – an interesting collection of ‘lost’ things.

Possible read-alikes:

• Lost tombs and treasure by Linda Barghoorn.
• Historium by Jo Nelson and Richard Wilkinson.
• Amazing treasures: 100+ objects and places that will boggle your mind by David Long and Muti.
• This day in history for kids: 1,001 remarkable moments & fascinating facts by Dan Bova and Russell Shaw.
• Hidden wonders: discover our planet's best-kept secrets by Nicole Maggi and Kate Baker.

 

The grumpy ghost upstairs.

Written and illustrated by Mamiko Shiotani.

Translated from the Japanese by Polly Lawson.

Floris Books, 2025.

Picture book.

Translation.

Uncertainty and being scared of new situations and people.

Possible read-alikes:

• Gustavo the shy ghost by Flavia Z. Drago.
• The coziest place on the moon by Maria Popova and Sarah Jacoby.
• There's a ghost in this house by Oliver Jeffers.
• Hardly haunted by Jessie Sima.
• The little ghost who was a quilt by Riel Nason and Byron Eggenschwiler.
• Aggie and the ghost by Matthew Forsythe.
• How to make friends with a ghost by Rebecca Green.

Penny & Pip.

Written by Candace Fleming.

Illustrated by Eric Rohmann.

Atheneum Books for Young Readers, 2023.

Picture book.

A dream! Going to the museum and ending up adopting a dinosaur!

Possible read-alikes:

• One cool friend by Toni Buzzeo and David Small.
• Have you seen my invisible dinosaur? by Helen Yoon.
• Penelope Rex and the problem with pets by Ryan T. Higgins.
• Leo's Lobo by Melissa Cristina Márquez and Maria Gabriela Gama. 

Nora notices.

Written and illustrated by Tegan Moss.

Little Book Press, 2025

Picture book.

A world of imagination when you go out with Nora.

Possible read-alikes:

• Nothing ever happens on a gray day by Grant Snider.
• We go slow by Mariahadessa Ekere Tallie and Aaron Becker.
• Tiny by Laura Stitzel.
• Tiny worlds by Brittany Cicchese. 
• The spaces in between by Jaspreet Kaur and Manjit Thapp.
• Look by Gabi Snyder and Samantha Cotterill.
• The bridges by Tom Percival.
• The Think-Ups! by Claire Alexander.
• Slowly, slowly by Toni Yuly. 

The bin monster.

Written and illustrated by Annabelle Hale.

Affirm Press, 2025.

Picture book.

Australian.

What is causing the disaster of bin day?

Possible read-alikes:

• Winner winner, bin chicken dinner by Kate and Jol Temple, and Ronojoy Ghosh.
• Rajah Street by Myo Yim.
• The Gang by Michel Streich.
• The bear out there by Jess Hannigan.
• The monster in the lake by Leo Timmers, translated by Bill Nagelkerke. 

Great Elizabethans: HM Queen Elizabeth II & 25 amazing Britons from her reign.

Written by Imogen Russell Williams.

Illustrated by Sara Mulvanny.

Nosy Crow, 2022.

Illustrated nonfiction.

A diverse group of the famous, and not-so-famous. There are activists and athletes, scientists and storytellers.

Possible read-alikes:

• Kia kaha: a storybook of Māori who changed the world by Stacey Morrison, Ngāi Tahu, Te Arawa; and Jeremy Sherlock, Tainui, Ngāti Awa.
• Dare to be different: inspirational words from people who changed the world by Ben Brooks and Quinton Winter.
• Talking history by Joan Haig, Joan Lennon, and André Ducci.
• Little people, big dreams treasury: 50 stories of brilliant dreamers by María Isabel Sánchez Vegara. 

The forever bear.

Written by Lu Fraser.

Illustrated by Pippa Curnick.

Bloomsbury Children's Books, 2025.

Picture book.

Teddy bears are magic.

Possible read-alikes:

• Bear is a bear by Jonathan Stutzman and Dan Santat.
• The Winter wish by Helen Mortimer and Rachael Dean.
• The Library of Bears by Cat Rabbit.
• Abdullah's bear needs a name! by Yasmin Hanif and Sophie Benmouyal.
• Freddy the not-Teddy by Kristen Schroeder and Hilary Jean Tapper.
• The witchling's wish by Lu Fraser and Sarah Massini.
• Invasion of the unicorns by David Biedrzycki. 

Yellow is a banana.

Written and illustrated by John Himmelman.

Abrams Appleseed, 2025.

Picture book.

An argument about colour and perception.

Possible read-alikes:

• Red is not angry, blue is not sad by Alicia Acosta, Luis Amavisca, and Anuska Allepuz.
• One world, many colours by Ben Lerwill and Alette Straathof.
• Are your stars like my stars? by Leslie Helakoski and Heidi Woodward Sheffield.
• They say blue by Jillian Tamaki.
• Let's look at colours by Marion Deuchars. 

Iron Robin.  

Written by Rose Tremain.

Illustrated by Richard Jones.

Puffin Books, 2023.

Picture book.

A lovely book – but I’m not sure of the appeal to children.

Possible read-alikes:

• Ruby's birds by Mya Thompson and Claudia Dávila.
• The magic feather by Julia Donaldson and Catherine Rayner.
• The Boy and the Moonimal by Debi Gliori.
• Wren's nest by Heidi E.Y. Stemple and Eugenia Nobati.
• Grandpa and the kingfisher by Anna Wilson & Sarah Massini. 

Weekend reads roundup: 16 May 2026, part one

 

Now I see autumn.

Written by Mac Barnett.

Illustrated by Jon Klassen.

Simon & Schuster, 2026.

Board book.

I’ve now read all the books in this series – and I’m ashamed of how long it took for me to pick up it’s all the same text in each one. The magic in these books is Jon Klassen’s illustrations.

Possible read-alikes:

• Cat's seasons by Airlie Anderson.
• A cat book of seasons by Nicoletta Costa.
• When autumn comes by Ekaterina Trukhan.
• Autumn by Gerda Muller. 

Wild places: the life of naturalist David Attenborough.

Written by Hayley Rocco.

Illustrated by John Rocco.

G.P. Putnam's Sons, 2023.

Illustrated nonfiction / biography.

Just what it says on the tin.

Possible read-alikes:

• Wild planet: the life and wisdom of Sir David Attenborough by Hayley Rocco and John Rocco.
• Wild life: the extraordinary adventures of Sir David Attenborough by Leisa Stewart-Sharpe and Helen Shoesmith.
• A gift of dust: how Saharan plumes feed the planet by Martha Brockenbrough.
• Wangari's trees of peace: a true story from Africa by Jeanette Winter.
• Planting stories: the life of librarian and storyteller Pura Belpré by Anika Aldamuy Denise and Paola Escobar.
• We are water protectors by Carole Lindstrom and Michaela Goade.

 

I do not like stories.

Written by Andrew Larsen.

Illustrated by Carey Sookocheff.

Owlkids Books, 2020.

Picture book.

I’m with the protagonist – I, too, would rather be at home with my cat/s.

Possible read-alikes:

• That's not Stella by Donna Fredin.
• Just one more story by Perry Emerson and Sean Julian.
• Everywhere with you by Carlie Sorosiak and Devon Holzwarth. 

 

All from a walnut.

Written by Ammi-Joan Paquette.

Illustrated by Felicita Sala.

Abrams Books for Young Readers, 2022.

Sophisticated picture book.

A poignant story of tradition, generational knowledge, immigration, love, and grief. Life cycles, life lessons, and death.

Possible read-alikes:  

• Nell plants a tree by Anne Wynter and Daniel Miyares.
• This is the tree we planted by Kate McMullan and Alison Friend.
• Wren's nest by Heidi E.Y. Stemple and Eugenia Nobati.
• Grandpa is here by Tanya Rosie and Chuck Groenink.
• The oak tree by Julia Donaldson and Victoria Sandoy.
• More than a tree by Sarah Kurpiel.
• Grandpa Green by Lane Smith.        
• Birdsong by Julie Flett.
• The garden we share by Zoë Tucker and Julianna Swaney. 

Clara and the birds.

Written and illustrated by Emma Simpson.

Milky Way Picture Books, 2024.

Sophisticated picture book.

A story of shyness and needing solitude – and not fitting in.

Possible read-alikes:

• Solo by Neil Clark.
• The coziest place on the moon by Maria Popova and Sarah Jacoby.
• Agatha May and the anglerfish by Nora Morrison, Jessie Ann Foley, and Mika Song.
• The grumpy ghost upstairs by Mamiko Shiotani; translated by Polly Lawson.
• Everything in its place: a story of books and belonging by Pauline David-Sax and Charnelle Pinkney Barlow.
• Daisy by Jessixa Bagley.
• Bird Boy by Matthew Burgess and Shahrzad Maydani.

 

The whale and the snapper = Tohorā me te Tāmure.

By Jo Van Dam, Ariana Stevens, and Richard Hoit.

Scholastic New Zealand, 2026.

Aotearoa

Picture book.

Bilingual.

Rhyming.

Retelling of the Lion and Mouse by Aesop.

Possible read-alikes:

• The lion & the mouse by Jerry Pinkney.
• Sharky McShark and the teensy wee crab by Alison Murray.
• Aesop's fables introduced by Marcus Sedgwick, translated by S. A. Handford, illustrated by Brian Robb.
• The lion and the mouse by Amanda Wood and Nataraj Noj. 

Kekeno, curious explorer.

Written by Katie Furze.

Illustrated by Ned Barraud.

Scholastic New Zealand, 2026.

Aotearoa.

Picture book nonfiction.

Katie Furze is doing a fine line in picture book nonfiction featuring endemic creatures of Aotearoa New Zealand.
Possible read-alikes:

• Narwhal: the Arctic unicorn by Justin Anderson and Jo Weaver.
• Elizabeth, queen of the seas by Lynne Cox and Brian Floca.
• Inky's amazing escape: how a very smart octopus found his way home by Sy Montgomery and Amy Schimler-Safford. 

You're in my heart.

Written and illustrated by Sawyer Cloud.

Tate Publishing, 2026.

Picture book.

Rhyming text.

Missing family while away.

Note: creator lives in Madagascar.

Possible read-alikes:

• All the love in the world by Louise Fedele and Ana Toro.
• Where three oceans meet by Rajani LaRocca and Archana Sreenivasan.
• Ivanhoe Swift left home at six by Jane Godwin and A. Yi.
• The day the crayons made friends by Drew Daywalt and Oliver Jeffers.
• I'm not sleepy by Raahat Kaduji.
• I send you a hug by Anne Booth and Åsa Gilland.
• Mina's magic malong by Eva Wong Nava, June Ho, and Novita Elisa. 

Curly Cat. The Acrobat.

Written by Jennifer Somervell.

Illustrated by Zerika van Jaarsveld.

Landing Lights Press, 2025.

Picture book.

Aotearoa New Zealand.

A bit meh. A cat who wants to be an acrobat, and is discouraged by friends.

Possible read-alikes:

• Jeff goes wild by Angie Rozelaar.
• Another by Christian Robinson.
• Not a cat: a memoir by Winter Miller and Danica Novgorodoff.  

Welcome to our table.

Written by Laura Mucha and Ed Smith.

Illustrated by Harriet Lynas.

Nosy Crow, 2023.

Illustrated nonfiction.

Food traditions from around the world.

Possible read-alikes:

• Our favourite food: taste 20 delicious dishes from around the world by Valerie Wilding and Åsa Gilland.
• World of food by Sandra Lawrence and Violeta Noy.
• History is delicious by Joshua Lurie and Laura Foy.
• Chews your own tasty adventure: a cooking journey where YOU get to choose the ingredients!: vegetarian recipes from around the world by Dr Sai Pathmanathan and Lucia Vinti. 

Weekend reads roundup: 10 May 2026, part four

No, I'm a... shark!

Written by Mike Henson.

Illustrated by Ana Gomez.

Happy Yak, 2026.

Picture book.

The perfect answer to “What do you want to be when you grown up?”

Possible read-alikes:

• No, I'm a... flamingo! by Catharine Robertson and Ana Gomez.
• I'd rather be a shark by Laura Bunting and Philip Bunting.
• Hack and Whack by Francesca Simon.
• No, David! by David Shannon.
• When I grow up by Tim Minchin and Steve Antony.

 

This letter says I love you.

Written by Lucy Rowland.

Illustrated by Sharon Rentta.

Includes a letter by Matilda Handy.

Scholastic, 2025.

Sophisticated picture book.

Based on a real thing. A young girl writes letters to her late grandmother.

Possible read-alikes:

• Sylvester's letter by Matthew Burgess and Josh Cochran.
• Sora's seashells by Helena Ku Rhee, Stella Lim, and Ji-Hyuk Kim.
• Mum's jumper by Jayde Perkin.
• Fox and the mystery letter by Alex G. Griffiths.
• Dear Mr. G by Christine Evans and Gracey Zhang. 

What will my story be?

Written and illustrated by Nidhi Chanani.

Viking, 2021.

Picture book.

A wonderful group of aunties inspire a young girl to imagine her future.

Possible read-alikes:

• What will you be? by Yamile Saied Mâendez and Kate Alizadeh.
• I promise by LeBron James and Nina Mata.
• What are you waiting for? by Marcy Campbell and Shelley Johannes.
• The story house by Vikki Conley and Jennifer Falkner.
• The whale child by Elizabeth Pulford and Jane Smith.
• Mae among the stars by Roda Ahmed and Stasia Burrington.

 

We are all one.

Written and illustrated by Britta Teckentrup.

Little Tiger, 2026.

Picture book.

Peek-through pages.

Connection to nature.

Possible read-alikes:

• I am the universe by Vasanti Unka.
• A river running through you by Amy-Jane Beer and Elin Manon.
• My friend Earth by Patricia MacLachlan and Francesca Sanna.
• Nature knows by Yvette Farmer and Chloe Jasmin Harris.
• Earthspeak = Boodjar Wangkiny by Sean McCann and Jade Goodwin.
• Nature trail by Benjamin Zephaniah and Nila Aye.
• The stuff of stars by Marion Dane Bauer and Ekua Holmes. 

Storm.

Written by Claire Saxby.

Illustrated by Jess Racklyeft.

Allen & Unwin, 2026.

Picture book.

Wild weather with the build-up of a storm.

Possible read-alikes:

• To catch a cloud by Elena De Roo and Hannah Peck.
• Yucky weather by B G Barnstormer and Heather LeMay.
• Meet the weather by Caryl Hart and Bethan Woollvin.
• Wonder why by Lisa Varchol Perron and Nik Henderson.
• Safe at last by Richard Jones.
• Storm by Jane Bunn, Zanni Louise, and Dasha Riley. 

Welcome, Uncle Nowruz!: a Persian New Year's story.

Written and illustrated by Rashin Kheiriyeh.

NorthSouth Books Inc, 2026.

Picture book.

Based on a Persian tale of waiting for spring – and Nowruz / New Year.

Possible read-alikes:

• Celebrate Nowruz!: a Persian New Year holiday to honor spring by Zohreh Ghahremani and Susie Ghahremani.
• Happy Songkran day!: the Thai New Year celebration by Dow Phumiruk.
• Welcoming the Lunar New Year by Lara Lee and Natelle Quek.
• Let's celebrate Matariki by Abel Junior Tutagalevao and Rebecca Gibbs.
• Tāwhirimātea: a song for Matariki by June Pitman-Hayes, Kat Quin, and Ngaere Roberts.

 

Solo.

Written and illustrated by Neil Clark.

Rocket Bird Books, 2026.

Picture book.

When your outside is shy, but your inside is full to bursting.

Possible read-alikes:

• Tiny worlds by Brittany Cicchese.
• Agatha May and the anglerfish by Nora Morrison, Jessie Ann Foley, and Mika Song.
• Wallflowers by Mackenzie Joy.
• Sometimes it's nice to be alone by Amy Hest and Philip Stead.  
• A place just for me by Loredana Baldinucci and Melinda Berti, translated by Monica Meneghetti.
• A quiet girl by Peter Carnavas.
• Too much!: an overwhelming day by Jolene Gutiérrez and Angel Chang.
• A friend for Henry by Jenn Bailey and Mika Song.
• Meesha makes friends by Tom Percival. 

Bracelets for Bina's brothers.

Written by Rajani LaRocca.

Illustrated by Chaaya Prabhat.

Charlesbridge, 2021.

Picture book.

Maths, patterns, problem solving – and a special holiday for siblings. A great mix!

Possible read-alikes:

• Raashi's Rakhis: a new celebration of Raksha Bandhan by Sheetal Sheth.
• Festival of colors by Kabir Sehgal, Surishtha Sehgal, and Vashti Harrison.
• The last marshmallow by Grace Lin.
• Sari sisters by Anitha Rao-Robinson andAnoosha Syed.
• Pitter pattern by Joyce Hesselberth. 

Do you see the tiger?

Written by Philip Ardagh.

Illustrated by David Melling.

Candlewick Press, 2025.

Picture book.

Is there really a tiger on the train?

Possible read-alikes:

• A lion in the meadow by Margaret Mahy and Jenny Williams.
• Milo imagines the world by Matt De Le Peña and Christian Robinson.
• There's a tiger in the garden by Lizzy Stewart.
• Momo sees the sea by Avani Dwivedi.
• How do you hide a hippo? by Rebecca Grant and Jedda Robaard.
• The grizzled grist does not exist! by Juliette MacIver and Sarah Davis. 

Poems to save the world with.

Chosen and illustrated by Chris Riddell.

Macmillan, 2020.

Poetry.

Part of a series, which includes: Poems to live your life by ad Poems to fall in love with.

Possible read-alikes:

• I like this poem: a classic anthology to treasure edited by Kaye Webb; illustrated by Antony Maitland.
• Pick and mix poetry: children's verse chosen by Julia Donaldson; illustrated by Becky Thorns.
• The big amazing poetry book: 52 weeks of poetry from 52 brilliant poets chosen by Gaby Morgan; and illustrated by Chris Riddell; foreword by Roger McGough.
• A poet for every day of the year edited by Allie Esiri.
• A world full of poems selected by Sylvia M. Vardell; illustrated by Sonny Ross.  
• Fire burn, cauldron bubble: magical poems chosen by Paul Cookson; illustrated by Eilidh Muldoon.
• Flights of fancy: stories, pictures and inspiration from ten Children's Laureates.