World Kid Lit Month 2026: Explorer Challenger: 0-6: A Language Spoken by a Friend

  

The fluffy futon.

Written and illustrated by Yuichi Kasano.

Translated from Japanese by Cathy Hirano.

Gecko Press, 2026.

Picture book.

Originally published by Fukuinkan Shoten Publishers, Inc., Tokyo, Japan, in 2000 under the title of Under the sun on the fluffy futon.

Grandma spreads her newly washed futon to dry in the sun. The futon is so soft and smells so clean! The cat can't resist nestling down for a snooze. Instead of chasing it away, Grandma settles in alongside, soon followed by the hen and her chicks, a little boy, the dog, the goat, and the pig family. . . . Soon the whole household is taking a nap! Until Grandma starts to find the futon so comfy that no one else can fit.

A fun and cute read. I’ve heard from translators that translating sounds is hard. That emergency service vehicles, and animals, make different sounds in different languages. I wonder how this translator handled them.

World Kid Lit Month 2026: Explorer Challenger: 0-6: Asia

 

Our nipa hut: a story in the Philippines.

Written by Rachell Abalos; illustrated by Gabriela Larios.

Barefoot Books, 2024.

Picture book.

Yelena and Papa take care of their traditional Filipino dwelling - their nipa hut - and it takes care of them. But when a tropical storm roars towards the Philippines, their preparation will be put to the test. Gripping narrative will keep young readers glued to the pages as Yelena, Papa and the nipa hut work together as a family to withstand the storm.

The importance of traditions and community, and the impact of climate change.

The author based the story of her childhood experiences. She now lives in the USA.

The illustrator is from El Salvador, and now lives in the UK.

World Kid Lit Month 2026: Explorer Challenger: 13-18: Africa

 

Our beautiful darkness.

Written by Ondjaki.

Illustrated by António Jorge Gonçalves.

Translated from the Portuguese by Lyn Miller-Lachmann.

Enchanted Lion Books, 2024.

During a blackout in a war-torn Angola, two teenagers explore their deepest emotions as they share personal stories and dreams in the intimacy of the darkness.

A tiny taonga (treasure), with flashes of intensity and emotion – like the flickering shadows and lights on the wall.

World Kid Lit Month 2026: Explorer Challenger: 13-18: The Americas

  

Amazona.

Written and illustrated by Canizales.

Translated from Spanish by Sofía Huitrón Martínez.

Graphic Universe, 2022.

Andrea, a young Indigenous Colombian woman, has returned to the land she calls home. Only nineteen years old, she comes to mourn her lost child, carrying a box in her arms. And she comes with another mission. Andrea has hidden a camera upon herself. If she can capture evidence of the illegal mining that displaced her family, it will mark the first step toward reclaiming their land.

War, grief, protest, Indigenous rights, sexual assault, displacement – so much going on in such a slim volume – but one that packs a bunch.

World Kid Lit Month 2026: Explorer Challenger: 7-12: Oceania

 

My first ikura.

Written by Qiane Matata-Sipu.  

Illustrated by Isobel Te Aho-White.

Taku ikura tuatahi

Nā Qiane Matata-Sipu. 

Nā Stacey Morrison i whakamaori. 

Nā Isobel Joy Te Aho-White i waituhi. 

QIANE+co, 2025.  

Sophisticated picture book.

A gentle and powerful story that reclaims the sacredness of a girl’s first ikura (period) through a Māori lens — celebrating connection, ceremony and whakapapa. Rooted in te ao Māori, My First Ikura and the reo Māori translation Taku Ikura Tuatahi is a beautifully illustrated children’s book that follows a young girl’s first period, guided by the support of her whānau. More than a story of physical change, it celebrates womanhood as a sacred rite of passage. First of its kind in Aotearoa, it addresses first menstruation through a Māori cultural framework. Culturally affirming, it emphasises ceremony, family support and ancestral wisdom — it also includes a specially written karakia for families to learn together. Beautifully produced, with premium finishes and lush, full-colour illustrations using traditional earth pigments (kōkōwai). Created by recognised Māori creatives: Builds trust and demand from readers seeking authentic Indigenous voices. Education-friendly: Supports conversations in kura, classrooms and at home about periods, wellbeing and identity.

What an absolutely stunning book. Such positivity and support. 

Dragging out the knowledge I half-remember from the introductory anthropology paper I took (in *mumble* 1990!) - and the essay I wrote about menstruation customs - this approach is very rare. 

World Kid Lit Month 2026: Explorer Challenger: 0-6: Asia

 

How we share cake.

Written and illustrated by Kim Hyo-eun.

Translated from Korean by Deborah Smith.

Scribe Publications, 2024.

Picture book.

Original Korean edition published by Munhakdongne Publishing Corp.

Making sure you get your rightful share in a family of five siblings is never easy. Everything must be carefully calculated and precisely measured to make sure no one misses out. How we share cake is an exploration of the timeless struggle for fairness and justice among brothers and sisters.

Slices of cake – and Korean life – are shared in this recognisable family situation.

World Kid Lit Month 2026: Explorer Challenger: 7-12: Europe

 

Who Will Make the Snow?

Written by Taras Prokhasko.

Illustrated by Marjana Proshasko.

Translated from Ukrainian by Boris Dralyuk and Jennifer Croft.

Elsewhere, 2023.

The two newest moles in the forest learn to dig themselves out of their comfort zones and experience the boundless, unpredictable world around them – a Social Emotional Learning adventure. Twin moles, Purr and Craw, are born on the first day of spring. The newest members of their woodland world, they’re curious about everything. What is swimming? Why does mother speak French as she makes pancakes? What does father scrawl in his notebook? Do animals live in the sea? Why do grownups eat smelly cheese? How do we get better when we're sick? What happens when we die? As they start to grow up, every day is filled with another adventure as they explore the peculiar characters that surround them in the forest. Home is always waiting for them, filled with the clacking of father’s typewriter, the sound of mother playing her upright bass, and the smells of quince jam and medicinal moss brews. During their adventures outside the home, they learn that the world is sometimes scarier, stranger and more dangerous than it seemed from the pocket of their father’s coat. Each new encounter leaves Purr and Craw a little braver and wiser and with a few extra friends. Beautifully illustrated with scenes of mischief and discovery by Marjana Prohasko, Who Will Make the Snow? reminds us that the world is always larger and more wonderful than we can see from our own corner of the woods.

An early chapter book. Very cute, however many tasks are assigned based on gender stereotypes. 

World Kid Lit Month 2026: Explorer Challenger: 0-6: Bilingual Picture Book

  

Kende! Kende! Kende!

Written by Kirsten Cappy and Yaya Gentille.

Illustrated by Rahana Dariah.

Child's Play Inc., 2024.

Text in English and French and some words in Lingala. Picture book.

A multilingual story of love and learning, joy and journey. Inspired by the families throughout Central Africa who are forced to leave their homes, this is an honest but hopeful own-voice narrative about displacement, migration, and finding a new home. Having fled their village as conflict approaches, Mamá, Papá, Lolie, and Nico live in a refugee camp until they are chosen for resettlement in North America. Their new city is a go, go, go of new challenges, but also a return to love and learning, joy and journey. A text woven from three languages (English, French and words in Lingala) celebrates multilingual speakers and the resilience of refugees.

Journeys told through the number of wheels on vehicles. The things that stand out as different, including women driving and doing physical activities.

The first language is French while in Africa, then swaps to English when the family is resettled. The Lingala words are in bold and in capitals, with script similar to handwriting.

World Kid Lit Month 2026: Explorer Challenger: 0-6: Africa

 

I'll see you in Ijebu.

Written by Bunmi Emenanjo.

Illustrated by Diana Ejaita.

Barefoot Books, 2024.

Picture book.

A Catholic girl growing up in the bustling city of Lagos, Nigeria takes a trip to spend a week with her Muslim extended family in the countryside town of Ijebu to celebrate Eid al-Adha. Her days in Ijebu are filled with celebrations, traditions and special time connecting with family. Breathtaking illustration and poetic writing draws the reader into the sensory experience of celebrating Eid in Nigeria, while detailed endmatter includes information about Nigeria and Eid al-Adha, recipe for Nigerian puff puff and more.

Family, traditions, and love. A beautiful depiction of how followers of two different religious traditions can celebrate and support each other.

World Kid Lit Month 2026: Explorer Challenger: 7-12: A Language with a Non-Latin Script

 

The village beyond the mist.

Written by Sachiko Kashiwaba.

Illustrated by Miho Satake.

Translated from Japanese by Avery Fischer Udagawa.

Restless Books, 2025.

A mountain town that's not on any map, a messy bookstore with infinite doors, and a spoiled prince under a forgetful wizard's curse... this summer might hold more than Lina bargained for! When a gust of wind carries off her umbrella, it leads Lina down a secret path between the trees to a strange and incredible world. In the hidden village of Misty Valley, centaurs roam the cobblestone streets and gnomes visit shops stuffed with spellbooks and enchanted desserts. All magic has a dark side, though, and sometimes even sorcerers need a human's helping hand.

For the younger age group – more 12 to 14 years.

Ethereal and mystical.

World Kid Lit Month 2026: Explorer Challenger: 13-18: Asia

 

The girl and the goddess: a modern myth. 

Written and illustrated by by Nikita Gill.

Ebury Press, 2020.

Novel in verse.

Let her be a little less human, a little more divine.

Give her heart armour so it doesn't break as easily as mine.

One girl's wild journey of strength, beauty and growth as she discovers who she really is. Lyrical wonder, spiritual revelation and revolution meet with epic mythical landscapes in this deeply intimate coming-of-age story, one that teaches us all, no matter how small we feel, to become the masters of our own destiny. Meet Paro. A girl with a strong will, a full heart and much to learn. Born into a family reeling from the ruptures of Partition, follow her as she crosses the precarious lines between childhood, teenage discovery and realising her adult self. Nikita Gill's masterful poetry and beautiful illustrations conjure up jasmine-scented voices and smiles inhabited by ancestor's souls, rain dancing in a new city and the painful caverns in our hearts. We are taken on a journey of deity wisdom, fragmented family, and love lost and gained. We see power in belief, healing from trauma and hope after conflict. Undercurrents of the Trimurti, the Creator, the Preserver and the Destroyer, run deep, as Paro must confront fear, desire and the darkest parts of herself in the search for meaning and, ultimately, empowerment. Navigating different cultures, religions and identities, The Girl and the Goddess is a mesmerising poetic tale of where we come from, how we grow and how we become who we are.

Powerful, a book to think about and absorb.

A verse novel, which takes less time than a traditional novel – but, it is so deep it takes time to come to terms with everything. 

World Kid Lit Month 2026: Explorer Challenger: 0-6: Asia

The line.

Written by Swapna Haddow. Illustrated by Farah Shah.

Scholastic, 2026. Picture book.

A powerful story about Partition, with a hopeful message at its heart. "I would draw lines that would lasso us to our neighbours and keep us close for all time. I would draw lines that made us feel safe together." When a line divides the country of India, a little girl and her family are forced to leave their home. On her journey, the girl thinks about what she would do differently if she was in charge of a line with so much power. She would draw lines that brought people together, despite their differences. Her lines would make people friends. Her lines would make the world a better place. Bringing together award-winning Indian author, Swapna Haddow, with British-Pakistani illustrator, Farah Shah, representing both sides of Partition The hopeful message of the story and warmth of the illustrations handle the subject matter with care, suitable for a young audience. Based around a historic event, but with important themes that are still very relevant today Includes a spread at the back of the book with facts about the Partition of India.

How we see lines – are they separators, or connectors. There are a number of recent books about The Partition – perhaps because it is coming up to the 80^th anniversary.

Written while Swapna was the University of Otago College of Education/Creative New Zealand Children’s Writer in Residence. 

#WorldKidLitMonth

World Kid Lit Month 2026: Explorer Challenger: 7-12: Asia

The line they drew through us.

Written by Hiba Noor Khan.

Andersen Press, 2025.

Fiction.

Three best friends are born on the same day under miraculous circumstances. But by their twelfth birthday, Jahan, Ravi and Lakshmi's lives are about to change forever. The British announce Indian independence and draw lines of Partition that tear apart the country, and the friends. One of them flees, one of them disappears, and the other is left wondering, could a miracle bring them back together?

Heart-breaking. Touches of the mystical.

Stories of British genocide / cruelty / horrific behaviour are embedded into the story.

My caveat is the introduction, which makes it seem as though Bangladesh was created at the same time as the Partition in 1947. Which, to me, feels like a negation of the trauma and horror of the Liberation War of 1971 – and all that led up to it. 

World Kid Lit Month 2026: Explorer Challenger: 0-6: Oceania

Pukapuka.

Written and illustrated by Vasanti Unka.

Nā Justin Kereama ngā kōrero i whakamāori [Translated into te reo Māori by Justin Kereama.]

Beatnik Publishing in association with Ngā Pātaka Kōrero o Tāmaki Makaurau [Auckland Council Libraries], 2025.

Picture book.

A family’s delightful journey across town and into a place which is fun, restful, informative, musical and absorbing in turn. A very special treat for library lovers, young and old alike, from one of Aotearoa’s best-loved author/illustrators. 

A glorious story and celebration of libraries and books.

Like The Goodbye Tree, this book shows the multicultural reality of a colonised land. 

#WorldKidLitMonth

World Kid Lit Month

 

It's that time of year! 

Time when I start planning my reading for #WorldKidLitMonth! 

Are you ready to join me? 

Visit the World Kid Lit Month website for booklists, resources, ideas... so many valuable resources! 

Weekend reads roundup: 10 May 2026, part three

I say ooh you say aah.

Written and illustrated by John Kane.

Templar Publishing, 2018.

Picture book.

Interactive.

It’s like those tests when you have to say the colour of the letters, rather than the content of the word…

Possible read-alikes:

• This is a ball by Beck and Matt Stanton.
• Pants by Giles Andreae and Nick Sharratt.
• This book is pants! by John Kane.
• The wrong book by Nick Bland.

 

Busy feet.

Written by Marcia Berneger.

Illustrated by Susanna Chapman.

Starry Forest, 2023.

Picture book.

Rhyming text.

A great book to act out. Includes some opposites.

Possible read-alikes:

• All the wonderful ways to move by Laura Baker and Sandra de la Prada.
• 1, 2, 3, do the robot by Michelle Robinson and Rosalind Beardshaw.
• Elephants cannot dance! by Mo Willems.
• Jump! by Tatsuhide Matsuoka, translated by Cathy Hirano.

 

Give him my heart / Debi Gliori.

Bloomsbury Children's Books, 1998.

Picture book.

Christmas.

A very Christian Christmas, based on “In the BleakMidwinter” by Christina Rossetti. 

Possible read-alikes:

• The little drummer boy by Ezra Jack Keats; Katherine Davis, Henry Onorati and Harry Simeone.
• The Nativity illustrated by Julie Vivas.
• Room for a little one: a Christmas tale by Martin Waddell and Jason Cockroft.
• Silent night by Lara Hawthorne.
• Refuge by Anne Booth and Sam Usher.
• Hettie's Christmas gift by Bernice Screech and Rita Parkinson.
• Cowshed Christmas by Joy Cowley and Gavin Bishop.

 

A gallery of cats.

Written and illustrated by Ruth Brown.

Scallywag Press Ltd, 2019.

Picture book.

Match the cat with the art.

Possible read-alikes:

• Mildred the gallery cat by Jono Ganz.
• Meowsterpieces by Jenn Bailey and Nyangsongi.
• Cat nap by Brian Lies.

 

The bear out there.

Written and illustrated by Jess Hannigan.

Quill Tree Books, 2025.

Sophisticated picture book.

A take on Goldilocks.

Possible read-alikes:

• Goldilocks and the three crocodiles by Michael Rosen and David Melling.
• The three bears: sort of Yvonne Morrison and Donovan Bixley.
• The quacken by Justin Colón and Pablo Pino.  
• Horrible bear! by Ame Dyckman and Zachariah OHora.
• Goldilocks and the three dinosaurs as retold by Mo Willems.
• It's the bear! by Jez Alborough.
• Goldilocks and just one bear by Leigh Hodgkinson.
• Who's afraid of the big bad book? by Lauren Child 
• Stop! That's not my story! by Smriti Halls and Erika Meza. 

The big journey.

Written by Michael Rosen.

Illustrated by Daniel Egnéus.

Bloomsbury Children's Books, 2026.

Picture book.

A journey to a new home, which also involves a form of loss as they leave behind family and friends.

Possible read-alikes:

• The big dreaming by Michael Rosen and Daniel Egnéus.
• The space between by Clare Helen Welsh and Fiona Lumbers.
• Out of nowhere by Chris Naylor-Ballesteros.
• A song of the seasons by Yibing Deng.
• Someday by Stephanie Stansbie and Frances Ives.

 

Where's my teddy bear?

Written and illustrated by Rocio Bonilla.

Translated from the Catalan by Edicions Bromera.

Albatros, 2025.

Translation. Board book.

A hunt for a missing bear – where the reader can see, but the character just can’t.

Possible read-alikes:

• Tiny bear goes missing by Manka Kasha.
• Time for bed by Estrela Lourenço.
• The Very Noisy Baby by Alison Lester.
• We're going on a teddy hunt by Martha Mumford and Cherie Zamazing.
• Hello, sleep!: turn the wheel and become a bedtime superstar! by Ania Simeone and Happy Yak.
• You choose bedtime by Nick Sharratt and Pippa Goodhart.
• Good night belly button by Lucie Brunellière.
• Tickle my ears by Jörg Mühle. 

Bluey and Bingo's book of bugs: a push-and-pull book.

Ladybird Books, 2026.

Board book.

Tabs, wheels, and bars make this a fun play book.

Possible read-alikes:

• Backyard bugs by Helen Milroy.
• A good place by Lucy Cousins.
• The very hungry caterpillar's bug hunt: explore a world of minibeasts! by Eric Carle.
• Buzz like a bee! by Guilherme Karsten.
• Bug hotel: a lift-the-flap book of discovery by Libby Walden and Clover Robin. 
• Creepy crawlies: a colourful peek-through adventure by Laura Hambleton.
• Little snail's book of bugs by Yuval Zommer.
• Spot and say bugs: my first lift-the-flap by Moesha Kellaway, Alice, and Kirsty Tizzard.

 

The eyeball alphabet book.

Written by Jerry Pallotta.

Illustrated by Shennen Bersani.

Charlesbridge, 2021.

Illustrated nonfiction.

Animal eyes and eye idioms.

Possible read-alikes:

• Look book by Dan Marshall.
• Alphabot adventures by Lauren Briére.
• My amazing animal alphabet alliteration book by Rachael Robertson.
• The invisible alphabet by Joshua David Stein and Ron Barrett.
• Eye spy: wild ways animals see the world by Guillaume Duprat.
• Eye to eye: how animals see the world by Steve Jenkins. 
• Blink! by Doe Boyle and Adèle Leyris.

 

Tiny worlds.

Written and illustrated by Brittany Cicchese.

Candlewick Press, 2026.

Picture book.

The value of noticing the little things.

A story of different perspectives.

Possible read-alikes:

• Solo by Neil Clark.
• Our pebbles by Jarvis.
• Jayden noticed by Carolyn Crimi and Shamar Knight-Justice.
• Tiny by Laura Stitzel.
• The paper piano by Rachel Ip and Natelle Quek.
• Grandma's purse by Vanessa Brantley-Newton.
• Joy by Corrine Averiss and Isabelle Follath.

Weekend reads roundup: 10 May 2026, part two

Weekend reads roundup: 10 May 2026, part two

 

Torla & Smorla and the deeper than average hole.

Written by Kes Gray.

Illustrated by Chris Jevons.

Happy Yak, 2025.

Picture book.

The ‘sequel’ to Torla & Smorla and the lower than average cloud.

A fun exploration of averages and norms.

Possible read-alikes:

• Mouse & Giraffe by Kelly DiPucchio and Jen Corace.
• Giraffe is too tall for this book by DK Ryland.
• Sam and Dave dig a hole by Mac Barnett and Jon Klassen.
• Hill & Hole by Kyle Mewburn and Vasanti Unka.
• What goes up by Paula Bowles. 

Luigi, the spider who wanted to be a kitten.

Written by Michelle Knudsen.

Illustrated by Kevin Hawkes.

Walker Books, 2024.

Picture book.

Mistaken identity and friendship. Just sweet and perfect.

And spider!

Possible read-alikes:

• Sylvie by Jean Reidy and Lucy Ruth Cummins.
• Spiro by Anna McGregor.
• Aaaarrgghh, spider! by Lydia Monks.
• The man who didn't like animals by Deborah Underwood and LeUyen Pham.
• Spider by Bang on the Door.
• Lulu is a rhinoceros by Jason Flom, Allison Flom, and Sophie Corrigan. 

Look baby look: outside: a lift-the-flap baby's catalogue.

Written and illustrated by Louise Lockhart.

Nosy Crow, 2026.

Board book.

Rhyming text.

Lift the flap.

Possible read-alikes:

• First 100 words by Roald Dahl and Quentin Blake.
• Titiro = Look by Gavin Bishop.
• At home by Matthew Oldham and Tony Neal.
• Baby's first words by Christiane Engel, Stella Blackstone, and Sunny Scribens.

Volcanoes.

Written by Nell Cross Beckerman.

Illustrated by Kalen Chock.

Orchard Books. 2024.

Picture book nonfiction.

Poetic language.

Possible read-alikes:

• Rangitoto: te toka tu moana = the rock standing in the ocean by Maria Gill and Heather Arnold.
• Volcano by Claire Saxby and Jess Racklyeft. 
• Home by Isabelle Simler, translated by Vineet Lal.
• Jumper: a day in the life of a backyard jumping spider by Jessica Lanan.
• The power of volcanoes by Tamsin Mather, David Pyle, and Daniel Long. 
• Stranded!: a mostly true story from Iceland by Ævar Þór Benediktsson and Anne Wilson. 

World kitchen: family recipes from around the world

Written by Abigail Wheatley.

Illustrated by Chaaya Prabhat.

Usborne, 2023.

Illustrated nonfiction.

Possible read-alikes:

• 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.
• Soup's on around the world by Denyse Waissbluth and Chelsea O'Byrne.
• Our favourite food: taste 20 delicious dishes from around the world by Valerie Wilding and Åsa Gilland.
• Lunch at 10 Pomegranate Street: a collection of recipes to share by Felicita Sala.
• A taste of the world: what people eat and how they celebrate around the globe by Beth Walrond, translated by Laure Afchain.

 

Marvellous maps: the world as you have never seen it before.

Written by Simon Kuestenmacher.

Illustrated by Margarida Esteves.

Welbeck Editions, 2022.

Illustrated nonfiction.

Not your standard collection of maps.

Possible read-alikes:

• What's where on Earth? history atlas: history as you've never seen it before by consultants: Reg Grant, Philip Parker; illustrators: Adam Benton, Stuart Jackson-Carter, Arran Lewis. 
• Maps of the world: an illustrated children's atlas of adventure, culture, and discovery by Enrico Lavagno and Sacco and Vallarino.
• Me on the map by Joan Sweeney and Qin Leng.
• The world is a cat playing with Australia: and 39 other amazing maps by Simon Kuestenmacher and Margarida Esteves.
• Maptastic!: reimagine the world, one map at a time by Rebecca Fry, Clive Gifford, Ben Morgan, Isabel Thomas, Justine Willis. 

This is our first Christmas.

Written by Francesco Sedita.

Illustrated by Magenta Fox.

Viking, 2025.

Picture book.

A gentle and sweet story.

Possible read-alikes:

• How many sleeps till Christmas? by Mark Sperring and Sebastian Braun.
• All the firsts by Toni D'alia and Sian Wheatcroft.
• Our gorgeous baby by Smriti Halls and Eve Coy.
• That Christmas by Richard Curtis and Rebecca Cobb. 

I did see a Yeti!

Written and illustrated by Alex Willmore.

Farshore, 2025.

Picture book.

Sequel to I did see a mammoth! Seeing something doesn’t mean everyone believes you.

Possible read-alikes:

• Dragons are real! by Holly Hatam.
• Buttercup the bigfoot by Douglas Rees and Isabel Muñoz.
• Yetis don't exist by Kate Thompson and Loretta Schauer.
• The grizzled grist does not exist! by Juliette MacIver and Sarah Davis.

 

Capybara disco dreams.

Written by Frances Stickley.

Illustrated by Nikki Dyson.

Simon & Schuster, 2026.

Picture book.

Rhyming text.

Dance like nobody is watching.

Possible read-alikes: 

• Craft Roach by Rachel Burke and Daniel Gray-Barnett.
• Bhangra boogie by Hena Khan and Sandhya Prabhat.
• Elephants cannot dance! by Mo Willems.
• How do you dance? by Thyra Heder.
• Luna loves dance by Joseph Coelho and Fiona Lumbers.
• Giraffes can't dance by Giles Andreae and Guy Parker-Rees.
• Free to be fabulous! by David McMullin and Robbie Cathro.
• We will rock our classmates by Ryan T. Higgins.
• You can do it, Bert! by Ole Könnecke, translated by Catherine Chidgey. 

The only astronaut.

Written by Mahak Jain.

Illustrated by Andrea Stegmaier.

Kids Can Press, 2023.

Picture book.

Imaginative play. Learning to play with someone else, who has their own imagination.

Possible read-alikes:

• There's a beach in my bedroom by Kevin Jonas, Danielle Jonas, and Courtney Dawson.
• Fiona builds a fairy house by Kristen Dickson and Celia Krampien.
• Agatha May and the anglerfish by Nora Morrison, Jessie Ann Foley, and Mika Song.
• Silver linings by Fiona Woodcock.
• I’m a frog by Mo Willems. 

Weekend reads roundup: 10 May 2026, part one

 

I'm a cloud.

Written and illustrated by Tjitske Kamphuis.

Godwin Books/Henry Holt and Company, 2025.

Picture book nonfiction.

Science.

Wonderful introduction to clouds.

Possible read-alikes:

• The cloud book  by Tomie de Paola.
• Partly cloudy by Deborah Freedman.
• When Cloud became a cloud by Rob Hodgson.
• Yucky weather by B G Barnstormer,  Heather LeMay, and Charlotte L. Taylor.
• What are clouds? by Katie Daynes and Marta Álvarez Miguéns.

 

 

 

This is happy!

Written by Anna Ross.

Illustrated by Debi Gliori.

Otter-Barry Books, 2024.

Picture book.

Finding happiness and joy – and centring yourself.

Possible read-alikes:

• Augustus and his smile by Catherine Rayner.
• The little book of joy by His Holiness the Dalai Lama & Archbishop Desmond Tutu, with Douglas Abrams and Rachel Neumann, illustrated by Raphael López.
• Happy all over by Emma Quay.
• A good day by Kevin Henkes.
• I am happy by Michael Rosen and Robert Starling.
• Tiny good things by Gabrielle Tozer and Sophie Beer.
• The little things by Penny Harrison and Hannah Sommerville.

 

The good little mermaid's guide to bedtime.

Written by Eija Sumner.

Illustrated by Nici Gregory.

Tundra, 2024.

Picture book.

Doesn’t every well-behaved person (or mermaid) wish they weren’t? At least sometimes.

Possible read-alikes:

• Mermaids are the worst! by Alex Willan.
• Big bad dragon club by Beach.
• I am a wolf by Kelly Leigh Miller.

 

 

The best kind of mooncake.

Written and illustrated by Pearl AuYeung.

Page Street Kids, 2022.

Picture book.

Kindness and community.

Possible read-alikes:

• Lily's Hong Kong honey cake by Erica Lyons and Bonnie Pang.
• Mooncakes mean family by Benson Shum.
• Thanking the moon: celebrating the Mid-Autumn Moon Festival by Grace Lin.
• Zahra's blessing: a Ramadan story by Shirin Shamsi and Manal Mirza.

Big Bear is coming!: hear, smell, see, run!

Written and illustrated by Anuska Allepuz.

Walker Books, 2026.

Picture book.

Who can that be? Big bear!?!!

A cute story that uses all the little bears’ senses.

Possible read-alikes:

• I hear the snow, I smell the sea by Janice Milusich and Christopher Raschka.
• Mama in the moon by Doreen Cronin and Brian Cronin.
• We're going to find the monster! by Malorie Blackman and Dapo Adeola.
• Where's my teddy? by Jez Alborough.
• The Dudgeon is coming by Lynley Dodd.
• Watch out! Big Bro’s coming! by Jez Alborough.
• I’m coming to get you by Tony Ross. 

Downpour: splish! splash! ker-splash!

Written by Yūko Ōhnari.

Illustrated by Kōshirō Hata.

Translated from Japanese by Emily Balistrieri.

Red Comet Press, 2025. Picture book.

Brilliant onomatopoeic story of rain and play.

Possible read-alikes:

• Rain by Cynthia Rylant and Lisa Congdon.   
• Pitter pattern by Joyce Hesselberth.
• The wetter the better by Emma Vere-Jones and Lisa Allen.
• When Isaac hears the rain by Julie Thompson and Leah Giles.
• Puddling! by Emma Perry and Claire Alexander.   
• Rain! by Linda Ashman and Christian Robinson.
• The rain train by Elena de Roo and Brian Lovelock.
• Red rubber boot day by Mary Lyn Ray and Lauren Stringer.
• Goodnight sounds by Debbie S. Miller and Michelle Jing Chan.
• In the meadow by Yukiko Katō and Komako Sakai. 

How to be a cat.

Written and illustrated by Nikki McClure.

Abrams Appleseed, 2013.

Picture book.

Simple words and pared down colour palette (black, white, blue).

Possible read-alikes:

• How to be a cat by Juliette MacIver and Carla Martell.
• Cat's seasons by Airlie Anderson.
• Joy by Yasmeen Ismail and Jenni Desmond.
• Kitten's first full moon by Kevin Henkes.
• Hello little ones by Amandine Piu.
• A book of loves by Cynthia Rylant.
• What a small cat needs by Natalia Shaloshvili and Lena Traer.

 

Where are you, Eddie?

Written by Michael Rosen.

Illustrated by Gill Smith.

Walker Books, 2026.

Sophisticated picture book.

Michael Rosen’s son, Eddie, died a few years ago – and this is a quiet meditation of life without Eddie, and how he is still present in the world.

Possible read-alikes:

• Michael Rosen's sad book by Michael Rosen and Quentin Blake.
• Where are you, Brontë? by Tomie DePaola and Barbara McClintock.
• The hug blanket by Chris Gurney and Lael Chisholm. 

Sugar in milk.

Written by Thrity Umrigar.

Illustrated by Khoa Le.

RP Kids, 2020.

Picture book.

Immigration. Acceptance. Folktale retelling. Refugees.

Possible read-alikes:

• Saving the butterfly: a story about refugees by Helen Cooper and Gill Smith.
• The carpet: an Afghan family story by Dezh Azaad and Nan Cao.
• A different pond by Bao Phi and Thi Bui.
• Wishes by Mu̕ọ̕n Thị Văn and Victo Ngai.
• What will my story be? by Nidhi Chanani.
• Watercress by Andrea Wang and Jason Chin. 

Mr. Fox's game of "No!"

Written by David LaRochelle.

Illustrated by Mike Wohnoutka.

Candlewick Press, 2024.

Picture book.

An interactive story.

Possible read-alikes:

• The book with no pictures by B.J. Novak.
• Donut touch! by Seb Davey and Alex Willmore.
• Boop! by Bea Birdsong and Linzie Hunter.
• Come on out! by Alberto Lot.
• A delicious story by Barney Saltzberg.
• I say OH, you say NO by John Kane.
• Rupert the Mouse presents Be quiet! by Ryan T. Higgins.