Weekend Reads round-up, 27 September 2026, part one

 

Meena's Saturday.

Written by Kusum Mepani.

Illustrated by Yasmeen Ismail.

Puffin Books, 2025.

Picture book.

First generation – from a family who have helped many other families migrate. So, their house is full on Saturdays – but only the girls / women do the work. And the boys / men get to eat first.

The injustice is obvious to Meena, who has been raised in a wider culture that has different expectations and gender roles.

Possible read-alikes:

• Zog and the flying doctors by Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler.
• Boys don't fry by Kimberly Lee and Charlene Chua. 
• Sarabeth's garage by Melanie Florence and Nadia Alam.
• Nisha knows best by Maryann Jacob Macias and Maithili Joshi.

 

Merlin, are you small or big? and Merlin, are you near or far?

Written and illustrated by Eva Rasano.

Translated from Italian by Ananyaa Malhotra.

Candlewick Press, 2026.

Board book.

Opposites and perspective.

Possible read-alikes:

• Are you small? and Are you big? by Mo Willems.
• Opposites by Sandra Boynton.
• Little Owl's opposites by Divya Srinivasan.
• Maisy big, Maisy small: a book of rhyming opposites by Lucy Cousins. 

A bear, a fish, and a fishy wish.

Written by Daniel Bernstrom.

Illustrated by Brandon James Scott.

Astra Publishing, 2024.

Picture book.

Rhyming text.

Will the bear eat the fish?

Will the fish escape?

Who will get their wish?

Possible read-alikes:

• A bear, a bee, and a honey tree by Daniel Bernstrom and Brandon James Scott.
• Mine! by Candace Fleming and Eric Rohmann.
• Don't eat Eustace by Lian Cho.

 

Imani's moon.

Written by JaNay Brown-Wood.

Illustrated by Hazel Mitchell.

Charlesbridge, 2014.

Picture book.

Based / inspired by Masai / Kenyan and Tanzanian culture, traditions, and mythology.

Wishes and teasing / bullying.

Possible read-alikes:

• King for a day by Rukhsana Khan and Christiane Kromer.
• The underwater moon by Sandra Dieckmann.
• Moon Mouse by Corrinne Averiss and Lorna Hill.
• Flora’s flowers by Debi Gliori.

 

Queen Victoria's bathing machine.

Written by Gloria Whelan.

Illustrated by Nancy Carpenter.

Simon & Schuster, 2014.

Sophisticated picture book.

Based on the true story of Prince Albert inventing a bathing machine, so that Queen Victoria could go swimming, without showing her body.

Possible read-alikes:

• Queen Victoria’s Christmas and Queen Victoria’s underpants by Jackie French and Bruce Whatley.
• Like a gannet by Kristen Ealand and Deb Hudson.
• Kwesi and Nana Ruby learn to swim by Kobina Commeh and Bárbara Quintino.
• You forgot your skirt, Amelia Bloomer, a very improper story by Shana Corey and Chelsey McLaren.
• Mary wears what she wants by Keith Negley.
• Nothing stopped Sophie: a story of unshakable mathematician Sophie Germain by Cheryl Bardoe and Barbara McClintock. 

I can't sleep.

Written and illustrated by Emma Farrarons.

Rocket Bird Books, 2026.

Picture book.

Why do we sleep in beds? It’s a good question. Which sparks an imaginative night time journey.

Possible read-alikes:

• Just because by Mac Barnett and Isabelle Arsenault.
• Bunnies don't like bedtime! by Jonny Leighton and Robert Starling.
• Sleep is for babies by Emily McDowall and Julia Hegetusch.
• Brown Bear can't sleep by Yijun Cai.
• A monstrous bedtime by Kerilynn Wilson.
• The great escape by Deborah Marcero.
• The Dreamies by Iona Campbell. 

Colin's grandma.

Written and illustrated by Holly Swain.

Farshore, 2025.

Picture book.

Sequel to Colin’s castle.

Colin, the vegetarian vampire, has a very traditional grandmother – who he finally stands up to. And tries to persuade her into his ways.

Possible read-alikes:

• Dick the delightful duck: (now and then, everyone has a bad day) by Kaye Umansky and Ben Mantle.
• Bear & Duck are friends by Sue deGennaro.
• Nanna Croccles by Susan Joy Lu. 

Kitty Caterpillar.

Written by Annabeth Bondor-Stone & Connor White.

Iillustrated by Brigette Barrager.

Balzer + Bray, 2026.

Picture book.

When an inside cat finds the outside.

Possible read-alikes:

• I can fly by Ruth Krauss and Mary Blair – this is more for the illustrations.
• The rare bird by Elisha Cooper.
• Greedy Cat and the chooks by Joy Cowley and Robyn Belton.
• Mildred the gallery cat by Jono Ganz.
• Inside cat by Brendan Wenzel.

 

A mouse just ate my house!

Written by Kes Gray.

Illustrated by Sebastien Braun.

Happy Yak, 2025.

Picture book.

Rhyming text.

Cut-outs.

An increasingly ridiculous far-fetched tale. Possible read-alikes:

• My dog ate the bathroom by Justin Christopher and Raymond McGrath.
• This book just ate my dog by Richard Byrne.
• Hungry Jim by Laurel Snyder and Chuck Groenink.
• Monster! Hungry! Phone! by Sean Taylor and Fred Benaglia.
• I am hungry by Michael Rosen and Robert Starling.
• Jim: who ran away from his nurse and was eaten by a lion by Hilaire Belloc.
• I just ate my friend by Heidi McKinnon.

 

The wildest thing.

Written and illustrated by Emily Winfield Martin.

Random House, 2026.

Picture book.

Embracing the wild and nature.

Possible read-alikes:

• Outside in by Deborah Underwood and Cindy Derby.
• We are all one by Britta Teckentrup.
• Wild summer by Vasanti Unka.
• The comet by Joe Todd-Stanton.