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TEENY AND TILLY

Name: TEENY AND TILLY
Author: Beanie Feldstein
ISBN: 9798217039265

From the Teeny and Tilly series

by Beanie Feldstein ; illustrated by Laura Watkins ‧ RELEASE DATE: May 19, 2026

A feel-good friendship tale that sees children—big and small—exactly as they are.

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Actor Feldstein’s debut picture book tackles the anxiety of starting fresh with warmth and genuine understanding of how young people navigate difference.

Teeny (short for Valentina) arrives at Lion Elementary with her stomach in knots, haunted by memories of her old school, where she was teased about her small stature. But meeting a new pal—tall, gentle Tilly (short for Matilda, “the only thing I’ve ever been short for”)—eases her transition. Watkins’ digitally painted illustrations employ soft, glowing washes that beautifully capture Teeny’s emotional journey—from coral-pink vignettes that depict her fretting to golden, open spreads that show her bonding with Tilly. The artwork uses vertical composition cleverly: Teeny, a small, brown-haired child with enormous expressive eyes, is often shown looking up as others tower over her, while lanky Tilly crouches down to meet her gaze. Watkins’ custom brushwork creates texture and movement, particularly in a whimsical lesson on onomatopoeia (“BOING!” “CLASH!” “SPLASH!”) that fizzes with energy. The classroom, filled with racially diverse students clad in jewel-toned clothing and buttery yellow walls, feels inclusive and inviting. Both girls have llama-themed clothing or accessories—a detail that sparks their connection. The tale wraps up quickly, and the message is straightforward; Feldstein captures authentic childhood fears about visibility and acceptance, making for an affirming choice for discussions about kindness, nicknames, and celebrating differences. Teeny and Tilly are both pale-skinned.

A feel-good friendship tale that sees children—big and small—exactly as they are. (Picture book. 4-8)

Pub Date: May 19, 2026

ISBN: 9798217039265

Page Count: 32

Publisher: Philomel

Review Posted Online: Jan. 19, 2026

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2026

Categories:

CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES

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THE PUMPKIN THIEF

From the Leaf Thief series

by Alice Hemming ; illustrated by Nicola Slater ‧ RELEASE DATE: July 28, 2026

More fun antics to satisfy returning fans and snag new ones.

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Not even the arrival of autumn can cool down this impetuous squirrel.

Although Squirrel is skeptical about Bird’s vegetable patch (“Nothing is HAPPENING!”), Bird does produce five (count them) lovely pumpkins. Squirrel picks out a favorite: “The enormous orange one.” Bird hints that Squirrel might want to help out; Squirrel sets out to fetch some work gloves and returns to find only four pumpkins. The frequently distracted Squirrel notices more gourds disappearing and leaps to the conclusion that a thief is near. And where’s Bird?! Has Squirrel’s pal also been taken? Diligently detecting, Squirrel finds clues—peck marks, footprints, and more—and produces a sketch of the suspect. As readers will guess, each clue turns out to point to one of Squirrel and Bird’s friends. Turns out Bird was delivering pumpkins to their pals while saving the big one to give to “my very best friend,” Squirrel. But why does Squirrel haul it up a tree? “So the Pumpkin Thief can’t find it, of course!” A page of pumpkin facts provides the learning component common to all titles in this series. Once more, readers will enjoy the pleasure of prediction and repetition, Squirrel’s silly persistence, Bird’s generosity, and the vibrant color illustrations, balancing orange with green.

More fun antics to satisfy returning fans and snag new ones. (Picture book. 4-8)

Pub Date: July 28, 2026

ISBN: 9781464268076

Page Count: 32

Publisher: Sourcebooks Jabberwocky

Review Posted Online: Aug. 11, 2026

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 2026

Categories:

CHILDREN'S ANIMALS | CHILDREN'S SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY | CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES

- BOOK REVIEW
THE SUN THIEF
by Alice Hemming ; illustrated by Nicola Slater

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THE SNOW THIEF
by Alice Hemming ; illustrated by Nicola Slater

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THE BISON AND THE BUTTERFLY
by Alice Hemming ; illustrated by Nancy Leschnikoff

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ON THE FIRST DAY OF KINDERGARTEN

by Tish Rabe ; illustrated by Laura Hughes ‧ RELEASE DATE: June 21, 2016

While this is a fairly bland treatment compared to Deborah Lee Rose and Carey Armstrong-Ellis’ The Twelve Days of...

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Rabe follows a young girl through her first 12 days of kindergarten in this book based on the familiar Christmas carol.

The typical firsts of school are here: riding the bus, making friends, sliding on the playground slide, counting, sorting shapes, laughing at lunch, painting, singing, reading, running, jumping rope, and going on a field trip. While the days are given ordinal numbers, the song skips the cardinal numbers in the verses, and the rhythm is sometimes off: “On the second day of kindergarten / I thought it was so cool / making lots of friends / and riding the bus to my school!” The narrator is a white brunette who wears either a tunic or a dress each day, making her pretty easy to differentiate from her classmates, a nice mix in terms of race; two students even sport glasses. The children in the ink, paint, and collage digital spreads show a variety of emotions, but most are happy to be at school, and the surroundings will be familiar to those who have made an orientation visit to their own schools.

While this is a fairly bland treatment compared to Deborah Lee Rose and Carey Armstrong-Ellis’ The Twelve Days of Kindergarten (2003), it basically gets the job done. (Picture book. 4-7)