“Even the most rule-bound reader will be cheered up by these stodgy lemmings.” —Kirkus Reviews, STARRED REVIEW

“This debut picture book requires multiple reads to absorb all of the humor in the various lemmings’ conversations and activities like dressing and packing. A quirky addition.” —School Library Journal

“Colombet packs her story with vivid personalities (the earnest, wide-eyed lemmings are a collective hoot), visual jokes, and, as befits a large, opinionated community, many, many dialogue balloons. There is much to linger over and return to in these pages.” —Publishers Weekly

“Colombet’s story of friendship and embracing differences shines most in its endearing pencil illustrations, digitally colored in rustic tones. Speech bubbles scatter across scenes crowded with lemmings, resulting in an adorable and hilarious peanut gallery guaranteed to elicit giggles from little readers.” —Booklist

Parents’ Choice Recommended Award —Parents’ Choice Foundation, 2020

Julie Colombet began drawing and painting at an early age. She studied at Chaumont, France, where she discovered children’s illustrations—a universe and language that fascinated her. She has a great affection for creating characters and is the author of a number of French children’s books.

“This is the book I would hand to teen me.” —Becky Albertalli, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda

“Debut author Guillaume’s novel features funny dialogue and fresh takes on body image and personal relationships as well as a plucky heroine who slowly but surely comes into her own…. Perfect for fans of Dumplin’, a hilariously sweet yet complex romance.” —Kirkus Reviews

“This book draws obvious parallels to Julie Murphy’s Dumplin’, but Maisie and her diverse cast of friends are fresh and distinctive, as is the Australian setting…. A fun, upbeat, and tender coming-of-age story written in an engaging and lively diary format.”—School Library Journal

“Guillaume’s delightful debut deals with teenagers and their self-esteem, as Maisie’s story is relayed through her journal entries. This intimate lens will invest readers in Maisie’s journey to self-acceptance and confidence. A fun story, abounding in humor, romance, and inspiration and filled with multifaceted characters that readers will enjoy.” —Booklist

Kansas State Reading Circle Recommended Reading List (Senior High)— Kansas National Education Association, 2021

Jenna Guillaume was the editor-at-large for BuzzFeed Australia, where she wrote about very important things like pop culture, identity, feminism, social media, and Chris Hemsworth’s biceps. Previously, she spent more than half a decade in the features department of Girlfriend magazine, editing the sealed section (yes, all those questions are real), and writing about everything from bullying and body image to bad kisses and boy bands. She was also a contributor to Girlfriend Life Hacks, an essential guide to navigating a girl’s completely-awkward-but-totally-awesome teen years. You can visit her website here.

“A great book to delve into what heroes are made of. Highly recommended for elementary libraries.” —School Library Journal, STARRED REVIEW

“Magnificent endpapers… As always, Woollvin wields a simple yet stunning color palette… Bo herself is a headstrong heroine, bearing a bow, net, sword, and, most important, confidence, that young readers will enjoy. A fun and colorful gateway into the world of medieval fantasy.” —Booklist

“Bo, with her face-filling eyes, resembles Woollvin’s other fearless female protagonists; together, they seem to be rewriting the rules one fairy tale at a time.” —Publishers Weekly

“Striking…[a] winning alternative to the traditional monster-slaying adventure story.” —The Horn Book Magazine

Bethan Woollvin is a recent graduate of the Cambridge School of Art, where she won the prestigious Macmillan Children’s Book Competition with her version of Little Red Riding Hood. It was her first picture book. She lives in England. You can visit her website here.

“This ode to imagination, perseverance, and fun just may inspire young readers to do some tinkering of their own.” —Booklist

“Lively rhymes and colorful contraptions, doohickeys, and ‘thingummyjigs’ will inspire tinkerers everywhere.” —Foreword Reviews, STARRED REVIEW

“The storyline is engaging and will hold the attention of readers from start to finish, while the multicultural characters will be relatable to students. Teachers will love the message of persistence and thinking out of the box, as well as the opportunities to promote design-based thinking. The simple explanations of harnessing wind and solar energy will be easily comprehensible by young children….an engaging picture book with a positive message that will find a place in elementary school libraries.” —School Library Connection

Children’s Gallery Award (Nominee) —National Christian School Association, 2021-2022

Pip Jones spent her childhood gobbling up books and dreaming about being an author.  At nineteen, she began a career in journalism, and in 2014, she published her first book. She lives in England.

Sara Ogilvie studied illustration and printmaking at Edinburgh College of Art. In addition to illustrating children’s books, Sara exhibits across the UK and abroad and creates images for editorial and design. She lives in England.

“Sheth’s use of language (poetry and repetition) is a singular delight. Equally charming are Ebbeler’s illustrations, which include lots of funny details, with exaggerated and elongated cartoon-style figures that make the most of the story’s humor. Delicious!” —Kirkus Reviews

“[A] dazzlingly illustrated new fairy tale… the images burst with engaging movement….a nice lesson on friendship and forgiveness.” —Booklist

“Lyrical… Sheth spins a yarn about greed and forgiveness in well-paced, poetic narration accompanied by Ebbeler’s expressive acrylic illustrations.” —Publishers Weekly

Children’s Gallery Award (Nominee) —National Christian School Association, 2021-2022

Kashmira Sheth was born in India with Guajarati as her mother tongue, and began learning English in fifth grade. She had lived in Bhavnagar and Mumbai before moving to United States when she was seventeen to attend Iowa State University, where she received a BS in microbiology. Before becoming an author Kashmira had many different jobs, including running a dance school and choreographing and performing Indian dances, working in a bakery, and working as a food microbiologist. She is the author of several picture books, chapter books, and middle grade and young adult novels. Taking inspiration from her own life and experiences, much of Kashmira’s work centers on Indian culture and features Indian and Indian-American characters. You can visit  her website here.

Jeffrey Ebbeler, a graduate of Art Academy of Cincinnati, has been creating art for children for almost a decade. His books include Snow Day for Mouse, April Fool, Phyllis, and Jingle Bells. He lives in Ohio. You can visit his website here.

Cathryn Sill, a graduate of Western Carolina University, was an elementary school teacher for thirty years. She lives in North Carolina.

John Sill holds a BS in wildlife biology from North Carolina State University. Combining his knowledge of wildlife and artistic skill, John has achieved an impressive reputation as a wildlife artist and received several awards. He lives in North Carolina. You can visit his website here.

“A completely satisfying package… It’s impossible not to warm to herpetology after reading aloud poems… Meganck’s wry cartoons amplify the humor. The backmatter, strong as the main text, serves young readers well but will also spur teachers interested in multidisciplinary units on to new heights… Child readers and educators will find themselves enthralled by short, punchy poems and the science behind them.” —Kirkus Reviews, STARRED REVIEW

“Using the same format as Superlative Birds (2019) and Leaf Litter Critters (2018), which never gets old, Bulion pairs jaunty poems with science notes…. The thorough yet equally spirited science notes complement the poems… Once again, Bulion awes—and ewws—readers with facts disguised as fun.”—Booklist, STARRED REVIEW

“Delightful… The joyful poems beg to be read aloud… The jaunty illustrations amplify the text’s humor….a fun and informative addition for nature lovers.” —School Library Journal

Notable Poetry Books and Verse Novels List —National Council of Teachers of English, 2021

Eureka! Nonfiction Children’s Book Award Silver Honor —California Reading Association, 2020

Leslie Bulion is the author of several children’s books, including Uncharted Waters, The Trouble With Rules, and Fatuma’s New Cloth, winner of the African Studies Association’s 2002 Children’s Africana Books. She lives in Connecticut. You can visit  her website here.

Designer and illustrator Robert Meganck is a professor of illustration, graphic design, digital imaging, and color theory at Virginia Commonwealth University.  He received a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from the Center for Creative Studies in Detroit, MI and an MFA from Cranbrook Academy of Art in Bloomfield Hills, MI.  He has received over 300 regional, national, and international awards for illustration and graphic design work. He lives in Virginia.

“Sheth’s clear and distinctive narratorial voice effortlessly leads readers through the intricacies of Nina’s quirky, innocent world…. The children’s Indian heritage is cleverly woven into the storyline, infusing their lives without eclipsing their American identities.” —Kirkus Reviews

“As in the previous book, Nina’s appealing first-person narrative includes lists, which she uses to organize her thoughts, and definitions of words that interest her, but it’s her lively personality and refreshing candor that will endear her to readers.” —Booklist

Parents’ Choice Recommended Award —Parents’ Choice Foundation, 2020

Kashmira Sheth was born in India with Guajarati as her mother tongue, and began learning English in fifth grade. She had lived in Bhavnagar and Mumbai before moving to United States when she was seventeen to attend Iowa State University, where she received a BS in microbiology. Before becoming an author Kashmira had many different jobs, including running a dance school and choreographing and performing Indian dances, working in a bakery, and working as a food microbiologist. She is the author of several picture books, chapter books, and middle grade and young adult novels. Taking inspiration from her own life and experiences, much of Kashmira’s work centers on Indian culture and features Indian and Indian-American characters. You can visit  her website here.

Jenn Kocsmierksy is a watercolor artist and picture book illustrator. She was adopted from Seoul, South Korea and grew up in rural New Hampshire. Now, as a mom and artist, Jenn hopes to promote relatable childhood experiences featuring diverse characters. She was the recipient of the 2018 We Need Diverse Books Mentorship for Illustration and the 2016–2017 Walter Dean Meyers Grant. She lives in New York with her two children and a ginormous goldfish named Joey. You can visit her website here.

“Meyers invests all her characters with lots of personality… Beginning readers will like the spacious typeset and thought bubbles that clue readers in to King’s thinking. This is a great story to help emerging readers strengthen their comprehension skills, and caregivers can easily discuss what young readers already know and what they are discovering along the way to piece together for a final conclusion… Entertaining reading for the newest generation of detectives.” —Kirkus Reviews

“Meyers’s illustrations invite opportunities for the developing reader to investigate alongside King and Kayla, and provide support and intrigue as the case progresses. The text also invites playful read-alouds… This newest addition to the Kayla and King series continues the good work of the sleuthing duo, offering readers an opportunity to test their mystery-solving skills and laugh along the way.” —The Horn Book Magazine

Dori Hillestad Butler is the author of over fifty works of fiction and nonfiction for young readers. She has also published stories for children in magazines such as Highlights for Children, Cricket, Spider, Children’s Digest, and Child Life. Butler is the children’s book review columnist for the Cedar Rapids Gazette. She lives in Washington. You can visit her website here.

Nancy Meyers is a graphic designer and illustrator and the proud owner of Sullivan, golden-doodle extraordinaire! She lives in Minnesota. You can visit her website here.

“This circular story has the ring of an Indian folk tale. Its art strikingly contrasts the warm bright colors of silks and spices with the lush turquoise of peacock feathers.” —The New York Times

“Zia expertly code-switches between Indian language-inspired slang and standard English, rendering the narratorial voice pleasantly distinct…. The author’s use of the rule of threes…strikes a beautifully balanced storyline that is predictable yet surprising. The pictures accompanying the text are full of color and motion, depicting a lush, rural landscape and perfectly supporting the quick-moving protagonist. Three cheers for this feisty girl of color and her big imagination.” —Kirkus Reviews

“The musicality of the prose, dotted with Hindi expressions, lends a folkloric tone to this whimsical tale. The illustrations are lush and cheerful, countering the idea that the loss of the feather is to be mourned. A surprise ending will have readers predicting the sequel to this just-for-fun story.” —Booklist

“Buoyant…a prime candidate for reading aloud.” —Publishers Weekly

Parents’ Choice Silver Honor —Parents’ Choice Foundation, 2020

Farhana Zia spent her early years in Hyderabad, India. A retired elementary school teacher, her stories blend humor and tradition, memories and contemporary moments. She is the author of the novels The Garden of My Imaan and Child of Spring and the picture books Hot Hot Roti for Dada-ji and Lali’s Feather. She lives in Massachusetts and enjoys reading, writing and making French macarons.

Stephanie Fizer Coleman is an illustrator and freelance designer. She has created the art for many children’s books and loves drawing animals. For her 100 Days project in 2018, she drew one hundred birds, one day at a time. You can visit her website here.