A bookseller's guide to five upcoming books to gift the kiddos in your life.
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I am living the bookworm dream! I am so fortunate to work in a bookstore with the most wonderful coworkers of all time, and I get to talk with customers about books all day. I also get Advanced Reader Copies, known as ARCs in physical, digital, and audiobook format. These ARCs cover all genres, including kids books. Here are some near-future releases to look forward to if you are have an upcoming kiddo birthday or want to start your holiday shopping early.
A Very Dinosaur Christmas by Adam Wallace (Released Sept. 3, 2024)
We all know that dinosaur kids grow up to be dragon adults, so start your kiddo off on their fantasy journey early! This is the third book in the series by Adam Wallace, and it is an excellent option to gift a child and create a new Christmas tradition. Along with a fun, pop-art style featuring retro color choices, this book explores how kids can resolve problems when their best-laid plans are thrown off course- in this case, by clumsy dinos just trying to take part in festive traditions.
The Spark in Me by Miguel Tanco (Released Sept. 10, 2024)
A great option for the future scientist in your life. Tanco's book explores curiosity and finding one's passion. A young girl has questions like could she be faster than her own echo? or how strong would she need to be to launch another kid into orbit from a teeter-totter? These seemingly silly question can be answered when the young girl discovers physics. As she uses her new scientific skills to answer the questions, she discovers that answering them leads her to her "spark," or what she enjoys putting her time towards. Complete with a cute post-story collection of drawings from the young girl's physics journal and whimsical illustrations of her imaginative questions, this book knocks it out of the park!
Pickles the Piddlin' Pup by Kim Walker (Sept. 17, 2024)
Part devious dog hijinks, part potty training silliness, this book would be a good choice for kiddos with new pets or parents looking to augment their toilet training books with a comical, inclusive additional read. Pickles can't seem to get the hang of potty training, and thus has accidents. While he seems unfazed, his moms and fellow pet siblings are at their wit's end. Can Pickles learn to better understand his accidents and give his moms a break?
Iggy who Breathes Fire by Carrie Kruck (Oct. 8, 2024)
This was my favorite book out of the recent ARC drop. This book is a giant allegory for acceptance of one's identity- whatever that may be. Iggy can breathe fire, and her parents, doctors, and other adult figures in her life try to "cure" her of her affliction. She finally puts her foot down and talks with her parents about the fact that she likes who she is- fire-breath and all. When others disagree with her parent's acceptance, the incredible message of "well then who cares what they think" is conveyed, which I found to be INCREDIBLY REFRESHING. A very sweet, very cute, very insightful read for kiddos.
Impossible Possums by Justin Colón (Oct. 22, 2024)
For the trouble-making little gremlins in your life. I read this and was immediately imagining a Pinky and the Brain-esque TV show with this possum mad scientist. Our villainous possum is lonely, and thus sets out to create a possum-making machine to get himself some friends. When the machine malfunctions, the possum gets way more than they bargained for- like silly pandas and scheming penguins. This book champions a fun approach to conveying the message of "make sure you read the instructions," coupled with "eventually, you will find the perfect friends for you, even if it takes a couple mistakes."
Any of these kids books looking like a good choice for the younglings in your life? Comment below with which ones look best to you!
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