Emilia Wishing, written by Belen Medina and illustrated by Magdalena Mora. Random House Studio, Penguin Random House. 2026. $24.99 ages 4 and up

 

"She waits month after month
until her mother has enough 
to pay, 

imagining wearing her 
new clothes just like the 
other girls."

Emilia is filled with wishes, mostly concerning material things. Sugar cereal would be a treat compared to the toasted tortillas she has each morning. She would love to live in a new house, have a new car rather than their old truck, and even a bed of her own. Alas! It is not to be. 

When her mother takes her to a thrift store to find new clothes for school, Emilia wishes they were at the 'fancy mall' on the other side of town. They carefully search the rows of clothing; Emilia is excited to model what they find. Her mother 'whittles down' their purchase to what she can afford. Taking them to the layaway desk hurts Emilia's heart; nothing goes home with the family. 

The wait until her mama has the money to pay is endless. Each day as they wait, Emilia watches her mother work, work, work from morning until night to buy what the family needs. Poor mama, always tired. When the wait is finally over, the family piles into the truck once more. Mama can make the final payment; she beams with a happiness Emilia has never noticed. Finally, her mama can spin and dance in the one beautiful blue dress she has chosen for herself.  

Ms. Mora's artwork that blends pencil, charcoal, watercolor and ink is rich in color and gratitude. Emotions are evident and enhanced by the colors chosen to portray family life, as well as the different life imagined. This celebration of a hardworking mother's love for her children and their needs is powerful; it is also a hard look at poverty and its heartache.                                                                                 

Mountainous, written and illustrated by Julia Kuo. Greystone Kids, 2026. $24.95 ages 4 and up

 

"But mountains move 
and change, just like you. 

What if you could be like a
mountain, just for a moment? 

Mountains may appear still, but they are
constantly moving in big and small ways.
Over the years, all mountains will rise and then fall."

In this second book in Ms. Kuo's I Am Nature series, she explores the beauty and majesty of mountains which may seem always still to observers. In describing them, she uses her accompanying illustrations to show a child growing up. At first, as mother and child ride a train, they view a mountain in the distance which appears to be standing still. In additional scientific text, mountains are described for readers as 'the tops of our world as we know it'. 

A turn of the page shows a growing child who moves and changes, just as mountains are also moving in 'big and small ways'. Using parallel text to capture the child's growth, while also asking readers to imagine themselves as the mountains displayed in stunning digital illustrations from page to page, offers a chance to learn the science of the mountains as they change in many of the same ways children do.

"Or wiggle and shake
with groans and shouts!

Some mountains sit on the edges of tectonic
plates, or pieces of the earth's crust. These plates 
can shift and bump against each other, causing 
earthquakes of all sizes.'"

This book is a clear and careful look at mountains from around the world. In backmatter, the author charts 13 of them that include Mount Everest, the Matterhorn, Mount Fuji, and Mount Saint Helens. Their heights are shown at the left edge of the spread, and a note is added to explain many have more than one name, reflecting their Indigenous and colonial histories. Thumbnail sketches of each mountain mentioned encourage readers to go back on a search to find them in the book's pages.

I shall certainly look forward to the third book in this admirable series. 

Night Treasure, written by Allison Wortche and illustrated by Alison Farrell. Alfred A. Knopf, Penguin Random House. 2026. $24.99 ages 3 and up

 

"Now
outside Quinn's window
it was night
and the rain was gone. 
When Daddy came in for a bedtime hug, 
Quinn said, Tomorrow we'll go on a 
treasure hunt. 

Daddy peeked out the window and said, 
How about 
now?"

A rainy day ruined Quinn's plans for being outside. While Daddy was busy at his work, she spent the day inside pretending to be on a treasure hunt. It did little to distract her as the treasures were few and the house too familiar. As night fell, the rain stopped. Clad in his pajamas, Daddy offered a bedtime hug, and Quinn shared a wish for tomorrow. 

Rather than wait, Daddy suggested they head out into the dark, moonlit night. Still in their pajamas, the two put on their boots and warm jackets and set off. Warm light from nearby houses and streetlights helped to light their way in the dark. Everything seemed so much bigger as they explored dark corners and imagined the many animals in the woods they passed. They trudged on with treasure in mind. Quinn led the way past bushes, fences, old walls, berries and pine cones. They hurried forward until they came to the tall oak tree. Thanks to the rain, Quinn and Daddy found the treasure they were seeking ... wet ground covered with hundreds of acorns. 

"It felt like no one else had ever
been awake so late
    wandered so far
            made such a discovery
                         (especially in pj's)." 

Retracing their steps, they returned home, pockets filled with treasure and hearts full from being on a nighttime adventure with someone you love. 

Frog Face, written and illustrated by Blythe Russon. Ten Speed Young Readers, Penguin Random House. 2026. $26.99 ages 4 and up

 

"The thing was, Frog just had a frowny face.
It'd been that way since she was an itty, bitty 
little egg. There was nothing she could do 
about it. 

"I am not grouchy," said Frog. 
And she set off again."

How delighted she is when Frog awakens one morning. It's a rainy day, she's home and happy, and she has all that she needs. Or does she? When she finds her cupboard empty and herself in need of snacks, she heads out on a search, all the while hoping that she will not encounter any of her neighbors as she goes. Instead, she peeks out to see a plethora of them right outside her door. Not to be deterred, Frog pops out. 

Thus begins her encounters with many. Butterfly is concerned with Frog's long face. This happens too often. Comments are regularly made about the way Frog's face looks. Naturally frowny, Frog tries to reassure the others that she is happy and content. Every creature feels the need to comment on what they see when they look at her: long face, no smile, a need to cheer up, have some fun, relax, let loose. When she has had ENOUGH, Frog splashes into a nearby pond in frustration. 

A rotten mood settles over Frog, leaving her with no appetite for the food she out to find. Sugarbird stops to see how Frog is doing; Frog lets the bird have it. Sugarbird explains her concern for her friend, and Frog apologizes. A silly joke breaks the ice and sends the two into fits of laughter, then leads to a shared snack and a heartfelt compliment. 

""By the way, Frog ... 

I love your face exactly the way it is." 

Isn't that what true friends do? 

Amusing artwork puts emphasis on every emotion felt. The weather changes, the facial expressions of each creature with an opinion, and the dramatic movement across the pages will hold interest as the story is read, and then read again. 

Marian's Big Dig, written by Laura Bontje and illustrated by Scot Ritchie. Groundwood, 2026. $22.99 ages 4 and up

 

"Mom held Marian's discovery up to the light.
"I'm not sure about that, sweetie."
Marian's mom knew a lot about rocks. But 
Marian knew a lot about determination. She 
needed to talk to a fossil expert."

Scot Ritchie always does a commendable job of bringing a sense of discovery to the books he has been tasked to illustrate. Case in point: the endpapers will have interested readers immediately considering the child protagonist and her sustained interest in dinosaurs and discovery. The opening illustration shows her pushing a wheelbarrow filled to the brim with a large tarped object. Her companion cat is riding shotgun. Only now, on the title page, are we witness to further evidence that Marian is intrigued by dinosaurs. 

Marian's mother is a collector of rocks, and has passed her passion on to her daughter who curates her own collection. She has one spot on her shelf for the 'best one of all'. At recess one day, she makes an unexpected discovery. It is a tiny fossil, and it is in a big boulder which she can not move, no matter how hard she tries. Right beside that boulder, she finds something even better ... a dinosaur tooth! Or is it? Marian's mother is not so sure; so, Marian searches for a fossil expert. 

She starts with a letter to Wendy Sloboda, asking her advice about the rock she has found. Wendy responds saying she can not be sure about it until she actually sees it. Marian is not willing to send it to Wendy. Thus begins her search for more fossils, starting in her own backyard. When she finds what she is looking for, her parents lend their support to a further search. Trying to piece together every found object is quite the task. Her tiny rock becomes part of a much larger 'dinosaur'. I wish you could see it. 

""What's it called?" someone asked.
Marian gazed up at the marvelous creature. |
Her dinosaur stared proudly back. 
"I was thinking ... Marianodon."
It really was her best discovery yet."

She doesn't stop there. 

Final pages discuss what a fossil is, and lists real-life kid scientists who have been adding to scientific discovery since 1811: Mary Anning, Ruth Mason, Wendy Sloboda, Diego Suarez, Lily Wilder, Julian Caners. Along with a list for further reading, those names will be enough to have interested readers do a deep dive into learning more about dinosaurs and other fossils. 

Bompa's Intertidal Adventure, written by David Suzuki and Sarika Cullis-Suzuki with Tanya Lloyd Kyi. Illustrations by Qin Leng. Greystone Kids, 2026. $24.95 ages 4 qnd up

"It doesn't stay a secret for long. Kaoru
can't wait. "We're going to the intertidal 
zone!"

By the time they park their bikes, they're 
out of breath. But Nakina tugs at Bompa's 
sleeves.

"Why are we in such a hurry?" he pants. 

"Did you forget? Nakina asks. "Low tide 
is RIGHT NOW!"

It's the last day of summer and twins Nakina and Kaoru are patiently waiting for an adventure with their Bompa. Their grandfather is a scientist and they love to learn from him. Finally, Bompa arrives on his new e-bike, and the three are off to explore another special place. On this final day, they have made the plan; so far, it's been a secret. 

They are taking Bompa to the intertidal zone, and they are pumped to show him low tide! They are walking on the bottom of the ocean, after all. They know they will find interesting things; maybe they will have to stay longer with their grandfather to study them. First up is a snail shell, which suddenly moves on. It turns out that the shell is inhabited by a hermit crab. It has adapted to find itself a new home. 

Bompa explains that adaptation happens when animals 'grow and change over time, so they perfectly suit their environments'. The three are soon off again; this time they find a tide pool where limpets and sculpins, and even a plainfin midshipman hides. There is so much to learn. Luckily, the children are equipped with a magnifying glass, a notebook, and a keen curiosity for exploration. Bompa's explanations for what they are seeing provide the answers they need as they continue their exploration. 

Bompa helps them understand the impact of climate change that comes with loss of habitat and pollution. Kaoru listens intently and suggests that the twins might be able to inspire change when they return to school. As much as the twins have changed up until now, Bompa says they will continue to make a difference throughout their lifetime. It is a very encouraging end to their final expedition with Bompa.  

This is the second book in the Nature Adventures with Bompa series, featuring David Suzuki and his grandchildren. Back matter includes a list of ways people can protect the intertidal zone, a Shoreline Search and Find puzzle using illustrations from the story, further Intertidal Facts, and a close-up look at a baby crab, limpets, a sculpin, and a holdfast seaweed.                                                             

                                                                                        

We Used to Be Friends, written by Marcy Campbell and illustrated by Aimee Sicuro. Candlewick Press, Penguin Random House. 2026. $24.99 ages 4 and up

 

"Sometimes when I feel this way, I make 
myself even sadder. It's like my brain wants
to pile up every sad thing on top of each 
other at once. 

It reminds me of when I have a mosquito bite,
and Dad says to quit scratching, but I can't. 

It feels good. 

Until it doesn't."

Losing a friend for whatever reason, or reasons, is never easy. Yet, it happens. The two girls whose story is told here, were best friends for a long time. They had fights sometimes; then made up, or forgot to be mad at each other. When the fighting got really bad, the friendship ended. It happens. 

It's hard to get over the mad the narrator feels; and she's also sad. Once, they had fun together. Now, she plays with other kids, and avoids looking for her friend when she passes her house. Her dad tries to reassure her when he says that friendships occasionally end. Now, the two choose different activities, while still seeing each other at school. 

"I don't know if we will be 
best friends again. 

Or sometimes friends.

Or not friends at all."

I would love to be there for the conversations that this book inspires. It offers a different take on friendships, and how they work or don't. For those kids who have experienced the loss of a friend under similar circumstances, this book allows them to think more deeply about what happened and to talk about their feelings. Shifting emotions are captured in mixed-media art that explores the changes friendship can bring. It may make some kids feel less alone.