In One Whale's Breath, written by Jessica Kulekjian and illustrated by Cinyee Chiu. Kids Can Press, 2026. $21.99 ages 8 and up

"with ten minutes left before 
the whale's next breath ... 

a bold shark cuts through the 
water with a 
swish-swash, 
always moving 

Some sharks, such as the great white, 
must swim with their mouths open 
so that water continuously reaches 
their gills. If they stop swimming, 
they stop breathing!"

Did you know that a humpback whale can hold its breath for fifteen minutes? If you didn't, you will be astonished to learn all that it can do within that amount of time while making its way through its ocean environment. As it inhales through its blowhole, it prepares to dive. It can then swim underwater for 15 minutes, even longer when it is at rest. As it dives, it scares a school of sardines, causing them to make a rapid exit from its path. A nearby octopus breathes in and out, crabs make their way to a safe place in the sand. 

With ten minutes of breath left, it meets other sharks that cannot stay underwater as long as it does. It also passes a camouflaged sea turtle quietly in hiding until the threat is gone. Other creatures of the ocean must absorb the oxygen they need as they have no lungs or gills for breathing. Soon, there are only five minutes before the humpback must surface. Passing a kelp forest and coming near mama otters with their babies, the humpback reaches upward, where sea gulls fill the sky, to exhale, breach, and catch another breath.

"and now that time's up ... 

an EXHALE
turns into 
a leap, 
a spin
and spray, 
carried away on the wind
like a song " 

The smaller font information provided concerning each phase of the whale's underwater adventure is very helpful, giving readers a chance to learn about other denizens of the deep and how they breathe. The illustrations were created with gouache and pastel, then finished in Photoshop. They offer a clear picture of  the underwater world and the creatures found there. The importance of oxygen and breathing techniques will be of interest to anyone wanting to know more about ocean life. Back matter shares an author's note, further information, and a list of resources. 

Off The Wall: Making Stuff Together, by Molly Idle and Juana Martinez-Neal. Neal Porter Books, Holiday House. Penguin Random House. 2026. $26.99 ages 4 and up

 

"Look how dirty my hands are! 

Wait!

Let's pick up this chalk.

Let's put them on the wall! 

Our handprints look like pigtails! 

Look who we made! 

She's beautiful!"

Oh, what fun! Two dear friends write a book about friends making art together! The five kids, one dog and one cat love to make stuff and to play. As one starts a tic-tac-toe game, another joins, and then the cat shows an interest. The children include the cat in their fun, just as a leashed pup and another kitty-loving child arrive at a brisk pace. Chaos ensues. Two other participants arrive to lend their helping hands and add to the 'making stuff' event. Perhaps together they can make everything even better. They do! 

The backdrop of Brown Kraft paper gets more and more beautiful as they discover what colors look good with each other. The more they add, the more excited they get about the resulting artwork. By using everything they have at their disposal, their imaginations can run wild. And then ... an accident that changes the tone of their encounter. One group of children takes umbrage and threatens to leave with various parts of the work they have done. Such a rumble they create. 

Finally a brave and very loud voice makes itself known with the command to STOP! 

"All of this is OURS. 
Remember?"

They do remember and life becomes better again. With everyone helping, their masterpiece is the best they can make it. BRILLIANT!

Two artistic styles, skin colors Green, Chartreuse, Vermillion, Robin, and Bubblegum for the kids and orange and pink for the pets, double-page spreads that showcase movement and action, and charming dialogue between characters will have readers basking in the joy shown in the creativity shared.  Art truly is for everyone here!
                                                                                         

Indigo Hands,nwritten by Sita Singh and illustrated by Maithili Joshi. Anne Schwartz Books, Penguin Random House. 2026. $26.99 ages 7 and up

"And so we head to the studio at last. 
In front of its carved wooden doors, 
we take off our shoes
and step inside. 

I've never seen so many shades of blue! 
Hanging on the walls are fabrics the 
color of the sunny sky, of the little 
flycatcher that sings outside my 
window, of the vast ocean."

Once her eyes open, Neela is excited to realize it is the day she and her Dadu are going to her grandfather's indigo studio. It's a long walk. As they go along, they pass the indigo patch where women in colorful saris work at trimming the branches of the tamarind trees. They carry those branches to the water tanks at the farm where the leaves will be soaked: it is a process Dadu calls fermentation. 

Neela does not understand where the beautiful blue comes from. Dadu explains oxidation which is the second part of the process. As they eat the lunch Dadu has brought along, they listen to the men singing and watch them work. After a nap, Neela and her grandfather press on to the studio where she sees the many wondrous shades of blue hanging all around them. It's time to get started creating Neela's own indigo cloth. It takes time again; the end result is magical. 

With indigo hands, the two show patience. Dadu tells his granddaughter about all the people around the world who grow indigo as they have done. When the cloth is finally ready to carry, it is time to make their way home after a very exciting day. It is a gift for her baby brother, given knowing that one day Neela will introduce him to dipping his hands in a pot of indigo as she has done. 

This is an important cultural tradition in Neela's family. That is evident as her grandfather leads her (and the book's readers) through every step of the process. Told from a child's perspective shows the importance of being introduced to an age-old tradition. Digital artwork does real justice to the many facets of the work done to create the depth and beauty of the lasting blue color. Backmatter includes an author's note, facts about indigo and its history, a glossary and a list of resources for further reading. 
                                                                                   

The First Cat in Space Ate Pizza, by Mac Barnett and Shawn Harris. Harper, 2022. $16.99 ages 8 and up

 

"The navigation on this thing is busted.

First Cat, can you make any sense of 
that map?

MEOW.

Then I'll just have to point this 
thing upward and hope we pop
past the Land of Frost."

This hilarious graphic novel is the book Chelsea chose for our book club read this month. She read it quickly and suggested I do the same. I had read about this series; I had not seen any of the four books. Start with the first was a grand idea. To say it's as funny as the title suggests is testament to this collaboration between Mac Barnett and Shawn Harris, close friends and equally keen on humor and crazy antics for their young readers. 

When rats from another galaxy begin to eat the moon, scientists launch a cyber cat to protect our closest celestial neighbor. This First Cat in Space is destined to deal the rats. A toenail-clipping robot (LOZ 4000) is a stowaway and the cat's companion for the mission. The Moon Queen greets the two and joins them on their quest. Their mission to deal with the Rat King takes them through a crazy mix of geography that includes a frozen wasteland, wild seas, and forest. The fast pace is captured perfectly by Shawn Harris as he creates compelling characters who move from one improbable place to the next. In full color, the art is as entertaining and hilarious as Mac Barnett's madcap plot. 

One question is constant: despite the many obstacles placed in the way, will the cat tasked with ridding the moon of the Rat King and his minions ever get to taste a slice of pizza? 

An expanded version of their Live Cartoons that were released on Instagram during the pandemic, the quirky humor and wonderful artwork up that hilarity in graphic novel form and has fans who eagerly read each new adventure. To add to the fun of discovering this first cat in space, visit www.thefirstcatinspace.com to see about joining the official FIRST CAT FAN CLUB. 

Be on the lookout for The First Cat in Space and the Soup of Doom, The First Cat in Space and the Wrath of the Paperclip, and The First Cat in Space and the Baby Pirate's Revenge.  

Coming this fall: The First Cat in Space Activity Book.  

Twelve Daring Grays: A Whale Migration Adventure. Written by Nora Nickum and illustrated by Elly MacKay. Candlewick Press, Penguin Random House. 20236. $24.99 ages 5 and up

"And then the tide turns. 
Eight feet of water. 
Seven feet. 
The twelve long to eat more,
but the mudflat will soon be dry, 
and any lingering whales, stranded. 

They abandon the feast 
just in time."

It's February and more than 20,000 gray whales are ready to begin a northern journey from southern California to their feeding grounds in the Arctic. It takes two long months, and as they travel their blubber is depleted to the point where many cannot continue. It is the most amazing thing that twelve of the whales veer from the traditional route taken, leaving the others in order to head east toward the Salish Sea. Why? 

The mud banks of the Salish Sea are rife with millions of nourishing ghost shrimp. The daring challenge lies in the whales needing to move into the shallow waters when the tide comes in. Not wanting to end up stranded there, they move quickly, eat as much as they possibly can, and leave just as quickly when the tide waters recede. 

"The water recedes,
revealing evidence
that their daring plan worked. 

Thousands of pits in the mud - 
whale-size bite marks."

They stay for days, eating whenever the tide rises. After a few weeks, they are ready to push on to the cold Arctic feeding grounds. They will stay until the end of summer when they have enough new blubber for their return to the warmth of the California Baja, just in time to welcome new calves. Will those calves make the same trip one day? 

Elly MacKay's luminous artwork is as beautiful as ever: 'The photographs are scenes created with paper, ink, wire, colored filters, and light.' Each spread captures the reader's attention and allows them to travel alongside these magnificent creatures through gorgeous ocean waters. It is a remarkable journey!

Back matter adds fascinating facts concerning the gray whales and the researchers with Cascadia Research Collective who discovered the daring side trips taken to make their full migration possible each year. An invitation to DIVE DEEPER includes places to find more information. 
                                                                                

Whale, That Was Unexpected, written by Casey Lyall and illustrated by Kathryn Durst. tundra, Penguin Random House. 2026. $24.99 ages 4 and up

"Well, how about that.

There was only one 
thing for Maude to do:

throw a goodbye party."

Maude and her trusty canine companion Claude climb aboard her appropriately named 'trusty little boat' head out to sea every morning. Well prepared and sure she has seen all there is to see, they have a big surprise in store. Readers know it at the first turn of the page when a dark whale shape covers the bottom half of the full spread. As bad luck would have it, the whale opens its humongous jaw and swallows their boating vessel and its occupants in one large gulp. Maude and Claude make the decision to stay plenty cool in the face of disaster, and begin to make a plan for a farewell party. 

"Farewell Maude. 

                   Farewell Claude." 

Maybe not fancy enough. They check with their audience to ensure the eulogy to them is worthy of their long, adventurous lives. The tone changes as all three (including the boat) are honored, and end up sharing the belly with all manner of sea life. Each one swallowed must be added to the list of farewells, including a goat in a boat. That happens just before the whale whooooshes in yet another mouthful ... seal and puffin. 

Their farewell chant is finally ready to be sung for the final time. Everyone joins in. Their fate seems sealed as they sit sedately in their boat in the belly of the whale. An emergency flare is lit to decorate the last sandwich, causing the whale to SNEEZE, and sending the boat back to sea. As Maude, Claude and their new friend Goat head for home, readers are left to wonder what tomorrow may bring. Fortunately, they are left with a clue! 

A mix of gouache, charcoal and digital media ensure the enjoyment for this story is lifted to new levels. The images provide an engaging backdrop for the deadpan comedy of Maude and Claude as they deal with the salty pickle they find themselves in. Readers and listeners will giggle at the repetition and the dialogue that makes them a part of every scene.  It's a tale left to read again next year when my family returns. They have named it a 'keeper', and for many good reasons.     
                                                                                       

         

Emily Saw A Door, written by Mel Rosenberg and illustrated by Orit Magia. Random House Studio, Penguin Random House. 2026. $24.99 ages 4 and up

"Knock, 
        knock, knock

"Welcome. Come in! 

A door that really wants me, thought Emily. 

"This door is for tigers, crocodiles, and
snakes. Which species are you?"
"Oh, I'm a girl named Emily."
"Wonderful. The animals haven't eaten
their lunch.""                   

When Emily sees a door, she knocks. The voice behind the door asks to know who is there. Emily explains and asks to come in. Unfortunately, the door is only for those who are blue. Though Emily's eyes are blue, that is not good enough to allow entry. 

Emily doesn't give up. She knocks on another door. She does her best to get in, is told there is a key under the non-existent mat. Obviously, this a door for liars. Emily moves on again. Next time, she must climb a tiring set of stairs to get to the next door. This door is only open to those willing to climb endless stairs; Emily needs there to be a top. 

The following door offers a warm and hearty welcome. Emily is delighted until she is told it's for tigers, crocodiles, and snakes. Is she one of those? She is not. However, it is lunch time for the animals. Emily quickly departs. In that rush to get to the next door, Emily meets yet another obstacle. The final door is not any more welcoming, causing Emily to just carry on. With no door in sight, Emily stops to draw her own door, and walks right in. When someone stops to knock on her door, Emily is quick to invite him inside! 

What might your own 'just right' door look like?