Do you Like my Pants? By Carrie Shryock

 This funny picture book about a fashionable cheetah and a cranky tiger celebrates personal style.

Have you heard the latest?
It’s a well-known fact…spots are the greatest!

Cheetah has the world’s finest pair of pants—spotted, sleek, and just his style! At least, that’s what the enthusiastic pants salesman said. Cheetah can’t wait to dance around and show off his perfect spotted pants…until he meets a tiger who insists stripes are superior. Both felines are confused: whose pants are really the cat’s meow? Could it be that the world’s finest pair of pants is…whatever suits you best?

With an energetic text and bright, dynamic art, author-illustrator Carrie Shryock has crafted the perfect picture book debut for celebrating differences and embracing what makes you feel like your fiercest self.

Pick up your copy here...

Do You Like My Pants?: Shryock, Carrie: 9798217110520: Amazon.com: Books

Carrie Shryock is an illustrator and author working in publishing, stationery, and surface design. Do You Like My Pants? is her author-illustrator debut. Carrie grew up on a farm in central Missouri, where she spent her childhood picking bouquets of wildflowers, watching thunderstorms roll across the prairie, and making so many drawings. When she’s not making art, she’s reading a book, going on long walks, and dreaming about building a cabin in the woods.

Where Wilted Flowers Bloom By Johnna Rojas Vann

 When Sandra and her family move from New York City to East Nashville for her husband’s job, she is hopeful for a fresh start. While she will deeply miss her tight-knit family and thriving career, she is desperate to leave behind the city that holds her greatest loss.

But Sandra quickly learns that moving into a new home she designed and having the freedom to be a stay-at-home mom for the first time is not what she thought it would be. Sorrow still follows her, and no new place can fix it.

When she meets her next-door neighbor, Mark, who is an elderly, widowed, retired pastor, an unlikely friendship quickly forms. His humor, spiritual wisdom, and affinity for gardening—a skill he was forced to learn when his wife passed away—brings a welcome distraction from Sandra’s suffocating grief, giving her hope for the first time since her tragic loss. Will this friendship be just what she needs to heal her broken heart? Or will unexpected news leave Sandra with even more heartache?

Pick up your copy here...

Where Wilted Flowers Bloom: A Novel: Rojas Vann, Johanna: 9780593603161: Amazon.com: Books

Johanna Rojas Vann is a professional writer whose work can be found online and within numerous publications. She is a second-generation Colombian American, with dual citizenship, and lives with her husband and children in Nashville, Tennessee.

Play it again by Georgia Clark

 When four former theater kids reunite after twenty years, forgotten crushes, unresolved tension, and fresh chemistry steal the spotlight in this charming queer ensemble rom-com.

Love always deserves an encore.

As teens, Annie, Lola, Vicky, and Dylan stole the show in a legendary gender-swapped version of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead. Two couples, one unforgettable summer—until the closing-night party tore them apart, and not all of them knew why.

Now, with lives that look nothing like they imagined, the foursome is called home by their beloved director for a one-night-only revival to save the theater and the town. Returning to Rhodes means facing everything they left behind: long-buried secrets, undeniable chemistry, and the chance to write a brand-new ending—together.

Brimming with nostalgia, wit, and small-town sparkle, Play It Again is a heartwarming story of first love, second chances, and the magic of finding your way back to the stage—and to the ones who knew you best.

Pick up your copy here.

Play It Again: A Novel (Dial Delights): Clark, Georgia: 9780593729106: Amazon.com: Books

Georgia Clark is the author of MOST WONDERFUL, ISLAND TIME, IT HAD TO BE YOU, THE BUCKET LIST, THE REGULARS, plus two YA novels, SHE'S WITH THE BAND and PARCHED. She's passionate about good jokes, queer stuff and cheese.

She’s the host/founder of the internationally popular storytelling night, Generation Women, which performs monthly at New York’s iconic Joe’s Pub. Georgia teaches romance writing, mentors up-and-coming writers, hosts weekend writers’ retreats, and creates the monthly author newsletter, Heartbeat. A native Australian, she lives in Brooklyn with her hot wife and sweet toddler.

A Sprinkle of Sweet Serendipity by Rachel Linden

 Paris trained chocolatier and single mother Emmie Wynne gave up her own dreams six years ago when she returned to her Pacific Northwest coastal tourist town to run her family's struggling candy store. Now on her thirty-fourth birthday, Emmie has only one wish, to be granted the vision that every Wynne woman is given once in her lifetime—a shimmering glimpse of her true destiny. This year, when she blows out her candles, it finally comes true.

Her vision is more delectable than she could’ve imagined—her very own artisanal chocolate shop filled with decadent truffles and caramels, and her celebrity crush, Henry Summers, down on one knee. And when Henry suddenly arrives in town for the summer, offering Emmie the opportunity of a lifetime, the future in her vision suddenly seems possible.

But a rekindled connection with Jakob, her former high school best friend turned hunky, brooding tattooed baker, forces Emmie to grapple with the bittersweet realization that her destiny may not be what her heart truly longs for. As the culmination of her vision draws nearer, can Emmie find the courage to create a happiness of her own making? 

Pick up your copy here...

Amazon.com: A Sprinkle of Sweet Serendipity: 9780593816660: Linden, Rachel: Books

Rachel Mae Linden (who also writes as Rachel Linden) is a novelist and international aid worker whose adventures in over fifty countries around the world provide excellent grist for her writing. She is the author of Recipe for a Charmed Life, The Magic of Lemon Drop Pie, and several other novels. Currently Rachel lives with her family on a sweet little island near Seattle, WA where she enjoys creating stories about hope, courage and connection with a hint of romance and a touch of whimsy.

My Someone By Yuko Torii

 Thank you Penguin for my review copy of My Someone by Yuko Torii.

A heartwarming picture book about a stray dog’s journey to finding his forever home.

A little stray dog wanders the streets alone, afraid of everything he comes across—loud city noises, getting caught in the cold rain, and bigger dogs that fight for scraps. He doesn’t like it!

And he especially doesn’t like it when he gets caught by animal rescue and is forced to be cleaned and scrubbed. But everything changes when a family chooses him to take home, helping him slowly discover all the things he does like—playing fetch, eating delicious food, and being loved forever.

Pick up your copy here...

My Someone: A Pet Adoption Story: Torii, Yuko, Torii, Yuko: 9780593887271: Amazon.com: Books

No Author headshot

Yuko Torii was born in a small town near Kobe, Japan. As a child, she always dreamed of traveling and discovering a new place to call home. Her dreams became a reality when she moved to Los Angeles and received a BFA in fine arts from the Otis College of Art and Design. She then worked at Louis Vuitton as a top hand-painter and a designer of trunks, including the “Malle Mars” (Mars Trunk) now displayed in the Fondation Louis Vuitton in Paris. She also worked as a master embosser for Anya Hindmarch of London. After living in New York for many years, participating in the city’s active arts scenes, she and her husband made the move to Mexico, where she is enjoying the nation’s ancient and contemporary cultural riches, as well as the warmth of its people. Yuko is a self-proclaimed “Queen of Kittyrature,” a storyteller whose trademark characters are feline protagonists (largely inspired by her three cats, Mitternacht, Mondschein, and Parsifal), but she loves dogs just as much!

The Shop On Hidden Lane by Jayne Ann Krentz

 The Harper and the Wells families have regarded each other with deep suspicion for four generations. The Harpers have been known to offer their psychic talents for less-than-legal purposes, and the powerful Wells clan has a reputation for playing both sides of the street. But for all the years of history and distrust between them, there is a mysterious pact binding the two. They share the responsibility for protecting a long-buried and very dangerous secret.

Sophy Harper and Luke Wells are shocked to learn that her aunt and his uncle have been sleeping together—and now they are both missing. Not only that, but the last traces of them are at the scene of a murder soaked in negative paranormal energy. Clearly, someone is willing to kill to obtain the secret their families have been charged with protecting. Despite their mutual distrust, which, as far as Sophy is concerned extends to Luke’s hellhound of a dog, they both know that the terms of the pact must be honored.

Their investigation uncovers a psychic trail leading to a bizarre desert art colony where nothing is as it seems. But Luke and Sophy are concealing a few secrets, too. By a strange twist of fate, a Harper and a Wells have no choice but to trust each other and the fierce attraction that is binding them as surely as the pact between the families.

Pick up your copy here...

The Shop on Hidden Lane: Krentz, Jayne Ann: 9798217187348: Amazon.com: Books

The author of over 50 New York Times bestsellers, JAYNE ANN KRENTZ writes romantic-suspense in three different worlds: Contemporary (as Jayne Ann Krentz), historical (as Amanda Quick) and futuristic (as Jayne Castle). There are over 35 million copies of her books in print.

Thriller fans oh my goodness. I tore through this book so fast. A must read.

What Medicine Can Do by Gabrielle Balkan

 An accessible, informative, and humorous introduction to the power of medicine for young readers.

Uh-oh—Raccoon feels blerg and ick. Read along as he and his friends do symptoms checks, get examined, get diagnoses, and each, in turn, get the medicine they need. Readers will learn that medicine can make you feel more comfortable, help you heal, help prevent you from getting sick, and more. Written by nonfiction maven Gabrielle Balkan, and vetted by both a pediatrician and a nurse practitioner, this conversationally informative text incorporates comfort and humor, in partnership with Alberto Lot’s emotive, comical character art. A truly enjoyable read that will leave readers better equipped for their next germy experience!

Pick up your copy here....

What Medicine Can Do: Balkan, Gabrielle, Lot, Alberto: 9798217051243: Amazon.com: Books

Hello! I am Gabrielle Balkan--it's true!

I absolutely adore and am inspired by books and children and education and so have spent some 20 years writing and editing and brainstorming books for readers ages 0 - 12.

I grew up in Indianapolis, Indiana and now live in Germantown, New York with my husband, twin girls, and orange cat.

I am also the author of The Dog Rules by CoCo LaRue.

You can visit me at www.GabrielleBalkan.com and www.facebook.com/gabrielle.balkan

Dolly Paron's Billy the Kid Dances His Heart Out

 Billy the Kid has done it all. He's moved to Nashville, he's formed a band, and he's rocked from coast to coast. But there's one thing Billy hasn't done...dance on stage. Dancing makes him nervous. And dancing in front of an audience? No way.

That all changes when Billy and his band nab an exciting gig as the opening act for Dolly Parton's Doggy Dance Pawty. Now, Billy is roping his friends into dance lessons. On the first day, he watches dogs whirl and twirl. But one dancer stands out: his dance teacher, Bella, who is as graceful as she is beautiful, with her auburn curls and a voice as sweet as pie.

Soon, Billy is trying to win Bella's attention. But that's difficult when he's stumbling through dance moves and tripping over his paws. Can Billy nail the dance routine and catch Bella's eye, all before the big dance pawty? 

Pick up your copy here...

Amazon.com: Dolly Parton's Billy the Kid Dances His Heart Out: 9780593755020: Parton, Dolly, Perl, Erica S., Haley, MacKenzie: Books

Dolly Parton is a singer, songwriter, actress, producer, businesswoman, and philanthropist. The composer of over 3,000 songs, she has sold over 100 million records worldwide, and given away millions of books to children through her nonprofit, Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library.

Remain by Nicholas Sparks with M. Night Shyamalan

 

A one-of-a-kind novel that grapples with the supernatural mysteries of life, death, and human connection—an unprecedented collaboration between the globally bestselling author of love stories like The Notebook and the renowned writer and director of blockbuster thrillers like The Sixth Sense

COMING SOON AS A MAJOR MOTION PICTURE DIRECTED BY M. NIGHT SHYAMALAN AND STARRING JAKE GYLLENHAAL AND PHOEBE DYNEVOR

The stunning hardcover of Remain features a premium dust jacket, beautiful endpapers, and a deluxe case stamped with replica images of the authors’ signatures! These stamped “signatures” are reproduced in gold foil.

When New York architect Tate Donovan arrives in Cape Cod to design his best friend’s summer home, he is hoping to make a fresh start. Recently discharged from an upscale psychiatric facility where he was treated for acute depression, he is still wrestling with the pain of losing his beloved sister. Sylvia’s deathbed revelation—that she can see spirits who are still tethered to the living world, a gift that runs in their family—sits uneasily with Tate, who struggles to believe in more than what reason can explain. But when he takes up residence at a historic bed-and-breakfast on the Cape, he encounters a beautiful young woman named Wren who will challenge every assumption he has about his logical and controlled world.

Tate and Wren find themselves forging an immediate connection, one that neither has ever experienced before. But Tate gradually discovers that below the surface of Wren’s idyllic small-town life, hatred, jealousy, and greed are festering, threatening their fragile relationship just as it begins to blossom. Tate realizes that in order to free Wren from an increasingly desperate fate, he will need to unearth the truth about her past before time runs out . . . a quest that will make him doubt whether we can ever believe the stories we tell about ourselves, and the laws that govern our existence. Love—while transformative—can sometimes be frightening.

A story about the power of transcendent emotion, Remain asks us all: Can love set us free not only from our greatest sorrows, but even from the boundaries of life and death?

Pick up your copy here...

Remain: A Supernatural Love Story: Sparks, Nicholas, Shyamalan, M. Night: 9798217154043: Amazon.com: Books

Nicholas Sparks is one of the world’s most beloved storytellers. All of his books have been New York Times bestsellers, with over 130 million copies sold worldwide, in more than 50 languages, including over 92 million copies in the United States alone.

Eleven of Nicholas Sparks's novels—The Choice, The Longest Ride, The Best of Me, Safe Haven, The Lucky One, The Last Song, Dear John, Nights in Rodanthe, The Notebook, A Walk to Remember, and Message in a Bottle—have been adapted into major motion pictures. The Notebook has also been adapted into a Broadway musical, featuring music and lyrics by Ingrid Michaelson.

Henry is an Artist by Justin Worsley

 Henry is a dedicated artist, a master sculptor, and . . . a dog. Each day on his walks to the park, he leaves his new "art" for people to admire. But his sculptures keep getting tossed in the garbage without even being noticed! That is until, one day, when someone quite unexpected falls in love with his work and at last Henry has his moment to shine.

This tongue-in-cheek and truly unique picture book about creativity, perseverence, and, well, poop, is a hilarious ode to undiscovered artists everywhere.

Pick up your copy here...

Henry Is an Artist: Worsley, Justin, Worsley, Justin: 9780593695043: Amazon.com: Books

Justin is an author/illustrator from the UK, he grew up in the English Lake District and graduated from The University of Northumberland with a degree in Design for Industry. Before becoming a picture book maker he worked as a toy designer in London, Hong Kong, New York and Barcelona. He currently works from his home studio on the edge of the South Downs in Lewes, East Sussex.

Justin graduated in 2023 with a distinction from the MA Children’s Book Illustration course at Anglia Ruskin University. His primary medium of choice is paint and he gets excited by the sometimes unexpected results that fluid materials produce. He strives for simplicity in his image making, combining this with texture and energy through mark making. His playful style is influenced by his experience of toy design and a love of creating characters, both human and animal.

Justin was the winner of the Sebastian Walker Award 2023 and the Batsford Prize for children’s illustration 2022.

Ablaze by Jessica lawson

 Deanne loved being outdoors.

With her family, she spent summers sailing the Salton Sea and backpacking the Sierra Nevada Mountains. As she grew older, her love of nature only grew. So when the heat rose each fire season and the blazes burned near and far, she noticed. Deanne knew she had to do her part in fighting the fires. She spent years on woodland crews, clearing brush and branches that could make the fire spread, and on hotshot crews where she fought faster fires and took bigger risks, spending weeks in one-hundred-degree heat working twenty-four-hour shifts. But what Deanne really wanted was to be a smokejumper, to jump from planes and parachute into dangerous wildfires that no truck could ever reach. To be the first line of defense. The only problem? There had never been a female smokejumper before.

With lyrical text from Jessica Lawson and striking illustrations from Sarah Gonzales, Ablaze tells the story of Deanne Shulman’s groundbreaking work with the United States Forest Service as she fought against unfair rules and blazed the way for women in firefighting.

Pick up your copy here...

Ablaze: The Story of America's First Female Smokejumper: Lawson, Jessica, Gonzales, Sarah: 9780593463659: Amazon.com: Books

Jessica Lawson enjoys living in Pennsylvania, where she and her family spend weekend hours exploring backroads and searching for old stone houses. She likes pizza. A lot.

She is the author of The Actual & Truthful Adventures of Becky Thatcher, a book that Publishers Weekly called “a delightfully clever debut” in a starred review, and Nooks & Crannies, a Junior Library Guild Selection and recipient of three starred reviews. Her latest middle grade novel, Waiting for Augusta, is also a Junior Library Guild Selection. Her books are published by Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers.

She fell in love with storytelling at an early age, and is a sucker for Roald Dahl, Maurice Sendak, Linda Sue Park, RL LaFevers, Charles Dickens, Karen Cushman, Barbara Park, Amy Tan, Maryrose Wood, Barbara Cooney, Anne Ursu, Christopher Paul Curtis, Gail Carson Levine, Rita Williams-Garcia, Arnold Lobel, Isabel Allende, Sharon Creech, Eva Ibbotson, Shannon Hale, Maeve Binchy and many, many, many other wonderful authors and illustrators.

She writes middle grade fiction, lots of to-do lists, and songs about lost socks.

Nellie's Big Splash by Cori Doerrfeld

 When Nellie the sea turtle hatched, she was on a beach surrounded by lots of her brothers and sisters. Soon all the other turtles joyfully ran into the ocean and swam away, but Nellie? She was too scared. The ocean was loud, it was deep, and it was unknown. She stayed on the safe, dry sand instead.

But when night starts to fall and it gets too dark and cold for a tiny little sea turtle on land, Nellie realizes that if she looked past the scary crashing waves, there's actually a whole world out there, just waiting for her to jump in.

Pick up your copy here...

Nellie's Big Splash: Doerrfeld, Cori: 9780593856291: Amazon.com: Books

Cori received a B.A. in studio art from St. Olaf College, as well as her Post Baccalaureate in illustration from the Minneapolis College of Art and Design. To date, she has illustrated numerous titles including several self-authored titles. Cori lives in Minneapolis, Minnesota and is married to comic book artist Tyler Page. Together they have two storytellers in the making-their daughter, Charli and their son, Leo. Cori is currently represented by Rachel Orr at Prospect Agency. www.prospectagency.com Discover more of Cori's work at her own site. www.coridoerrfeld.com

Animals of the National Parks

 

America's national parks are some of the most magical places in the world, and home to a diverse array of creatures, both well known and more unusual. From American Bison (which are also the largest mammals in the parks) to flying squirrels (which can glide the length of a football field) to Xeme (which take two full years to grow their adult feathers), this picture book takes children on an enchanting alphabetical adventure through the natural world.

The book features fascinating facts about each animal, including information on where they can be found. A passport page to record visits and an illustrated map of all the national parks will encourage children and their families to make the most of every trip. With beautifully evocative art that's nostalgic yet contemporary, this is a special gift for outdoor and national park lovers of all ages.

Pick up your copy here...

Amazon.com: Animals of the National Parks: An Alphabet Book: 9780593837344: Fifty-Nine Parks: Books

Fifty-Nine Parks is a beloved and renowned art collective that believes public lands and the art of printmaking are worth preserving. They are known for their original poster art, which celebrates America’s national parks and features the work of prominent artists from all around the world. Fifty-Nine Parks donates proceeds of its poster sales to the National Park Service and the series is archived by the Library of Congress. This book was created in collaboration with Fifty-Nine Parks and New York Times bestselling illustrator Kim Smith.

It Simply Can't Be Bedtime by Pamela Paul

 

Bedtime routines get a jolt of silliness and creativity when a dad and daughter face off in this timeless scenario.

When dad says it’s bedtime and his daughter strongly disagrees, her stuffy hilariously comes to her defense.

Lady Pigsworth is quick to point out the many ongoing projects that just can’t be abandoned, the danger of sleeping in a butterfly costume, the alarming spinach stuck in the girl's teeth, and more. Each over-the-top declaration of why it can’t possibly be bedtime yet leads the group through common bedtime routines in animated and heartwarming scenes—until Lady Pigsworth’s demands reach questionable heights, even to the little girl, so she takes matters into her own hands to get both of them into bed.

Dreamy illustrations and the hilarious Lady Pigsworth make for a perfect read-aloud that will leave any kid content to shut their eyes, at least for a little bit.

Pick up your copy here....                                                                                                                                It Simply Can't Be Bedtime: Paul, Pamela, Salerno, Steven: 9780593532164: Amazon.com: Books

No author headshot available

PAMELA PAUL is an Opinion columnist at the New York Times and the former editor of The New York Times Book Review. She is the author of eight adult books and Rectangle Time, a book for children. Prior to joining The New York Times, she was a contributor to Time and The Economist, and her work has appeared in The Atlantic, The Washington Post, and Vogue.

Bless the Earth by June Cotner

 A beautifully illustrated collection of poems and prayers to help children develop an appreciation for the natural world

WINNER OF THE NORTHERN LIGHTS AWARD

Bless the Earth, our faithful friend,
her mountain range and river bend,
her forest green and canopy,
the hidden world of bended trees.

Bless the Earth shows the miracle of our planet Earth through beautiful imagery and delightful poetry, calling all people, young and old, to care for our wonderful world. This sweet and welcoming anthology for children ages 3-7 knits together our common humanity and the natural world in an engaging way that is simple for young readers to understand.

Bless the Earth contains approximately sixty selections of original as well as classic poems, divided into five chapters each:

• Dreams for My World
• Earth and Sky
• All Creatures, Big and Small
• Seasons
• Caring for Our World

Bless the Earth calls us again and again to understand how important it is to care for our world, respect our neighbors—humans, plants, and animals alike—and reimagine a world that is healthy and whole.

Pick up your copy here....

Bless the Earth: A Collection of Poetry for Children to Celebrate and Care for Our World: Cotner, June, Ling, Nancy Tupper, Song, Keum Jin: 9780593577660: Amazon.com: Books

Nancy Tupper Ling is the winner of the prestigious Writer’s Digest Grand Prize and the Pat Parnell Poetry Award. She draws her inspiration from the multicultural background of her family and the interwoven fabric of familial culture which is, on the surface, seemingly every day. Her latest books are Hearts In My Pocket (Union Square Kids), Bless the Earth with coauthor, June Cotner (Penguin/Convergent) and One Perfect Plan: The Bible's Big Story in Tiny Poems (Penguin/Waterbrook). For Every Little Thing: Poems and Prayers to Celebrate the Day (Eerdmans) was a Junior Library Guild Gold Selection and winner of the Northern Lights Mindfulness Award. Her other books include The Yin-Yang Sisters and the Dragon Frightful (Penguin), Family Celebrations (Andrews McMeel), My Sister, Alicia May (Pleasant Street Press), Double Happiness (Chronicle Books), The Story I’ll Tell (Lee & Low Books). Ling is the founder of Fine Line Poets and she loves to bring poetry into the classroom.

June Cotner is a publishing consultant and the author of 37 books, including the bestselling GRACES and HOUSE BLESSINGS. Collectively, her books have sold more than one million copies and have earned praise in many national publications including USA Today, Better Homes & Gardens, Woman's Day, and Family Circle. June has appeared on national television and radio programs as well as local television including "New Day Northwest" and "AM Northwest." June is a graduate of the University of California at Berkeley. Through Book Proposal Services, she evaluates nonfiction book proposals and analyzes concepts for books. See "Consulting" at www.JuneCotner.com. Her books have been published by major houses including Random House, HarperCollins, and Hachette. She has also enjoyed working with mid-size publishers such as Andrews McMeel and Chronicle Books. Her newest book is HEY! IT'S YOUR DAY: Inspirational Quotes and Affirmations to Live By (Jan 2021).

Quotation: "Creativity, for me, involves connections. As an anthologist, I love finding the perfect quote for a specific book. As a publishing consultant, I greatly enjoy helping clients create the best possible proposals to secure excellent advances."

Fun tidbit: June has always loved playing with creative ideas, including starting the first "dormie" powder puff football game at U.C. Berkeley, I ETA PI, that competed against sorority teams and went on to become "a football dynasty," as reported in the San Francisco Chronicle.

Visit her website at www.JuneCotner.com