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WHEN THE DARK CLOUDS COME

Name: WHEN THE DARK CLOUDS COME
Author: Danielle Ridolfi
ISBN: 9780063413344

by Danielle Ridolfi ; illustrated by Danielle Ridolfi ‧ RELEASE DATE: Oct. 28, 2025

A visually striking but ultimately discomfiting tale.

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A child endures a stormy night.

Illustrator and picture-book scholar Ridolfi’s debut opens outdoors “on a hot summer day when the sun goes dim” as a long-haired, tan-skinned child watches as clouds roll in, grasses sway, and leaves rustle. When raindrops fall, the little one, protected under an oversize purple plaid umbrella and wearing polka-dot boots, walks alongside other umbrella holders as “sidewalks disappear into dark wet shadows.” Before lightning flashes and thunder rolls, the adventurer returns home safely and snuggles into bed. The next morning’s “warm new day” reminds readers that “when the dark clouds come, the sun is never far behind.” Ridolfi has digitally composed striking illustrations in mixed-media collages of diverse patterns and various textures. Darkness haunts most of the pages—balanced with brighter patches of flowers, hanging laundry, and a quilted comforter—until the final two spreads are awash in sunlight. With a background as a clinical psychologist, Ridolfi highlights the child’s independent self-reliance, but that solitariness feels more lonely than empowering, abandoning the youngster to a scurrying mouse, a curious cat, and whispering shadows. The choice not to include ready comforts—a glowing night light, a gentle hand—as well as layouts that depict the child and the home as tiny and vulnerable, will leave many young readers feeling more unsettled than soothed.

A visually striking but ultimately discomfiting tale. (Picture book. 4-8)

Pub Date: Oct. 28, 2025

ISBN: 9780063413344

Page Count: 32

Publisher: Quill Tree Books/HarperCollins

Review Posted Online: Aug. 2, 2025

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2025

Categories:

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

- BOOK REVIEW
WE CAN HEAR WITHOUT EARS
by Lisa Westberg Peters ; illustrated by Danielle Ridolfi

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LITTLE BLUE TRUCK LOST AND FOUND

From the Little Blue Truck series

by Alice Schertle ; illustrated by Jill McElmurry ‧ RELEASE DATE: Aug. 18, 2026

Fun times, fond friends, and a festive farmyard setting—little ones will be charmed.

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Beep! Beep! Beep! Toad and Little Blue Truck get ready for a hayride.

After the titular vehicle is loaded with hay, Toad is nowhere to be found. “Beep! Beep! Beep! Where are you, Toad?” asks Little Blue Truck. All the barnyard animals look for him. Sheep searches the meadow. Goose and Duck check the pond. Others pitch in, too, but Toad seems to have disappeared…until Hen hears snoring coming from the pile of hay in the back of Little Blue Truck. Although the text’s scansion is imperfect in places (adults may want to pre-read to ensure a smooth read-aloud), the bouncy meter and rhyming text nevertheless capture the energy of the search and the farmyard community’s concern for Toad’s safety, making this a solid storytime choice. Eye-catching illustrations with rich, fully saturated colors balance the right level of detail while still highlighting the animal that is the focus of each verse. By introducing one farm animal at a time, Schertle also helps the youngest readers begin to identify barnyard animals by name and understand their unique farm homes. Traditional animal sounds are part of the text, and listeners will add them to their vocabulary. It all ends with the promised hayride, bringing the tale to a joyous ending.

Fun times, fond friends, and a festive farmyard setting—little ones will be charmed. (Picture book. 4-7)

Pub Date: Aug. 18, 2026

ISBN: 9780063436121

Page Count: 32

Publisher: Clarion/HarperCollins

Review Posted Online: July 20, 2026

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2026

Categories:

CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES | CHILDREN'S TRANSPORTATION

- BOOK REVIEW
LITTLE BLUE TRUCK AND RACER RED
by Alice Schertle ; illustrated by Jill McElmurry

- BOOK REVIEW
LITTLE BLUE TRUCK MAKES A FRIEND
by Alice Schertle ; illustrated by Jill McElmurry

- BOOK REVIEW
TIME FOR SCHOOL, LITTLE BLUE TRUCK
by Alice Schertle ; illustrated by John Joseph

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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)