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ZENGUIN

Name: ZENGUIN
Author: Danna Smith
ISBN: 9781523528660

by Danna Smith ; illustrated by Sydney Hanson ‧ RELEASE DATE: Jan. 6, 2026

An adorable counter to anxiety, featuring easy exercises and charming Antarctic animals.

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Amid a vast polar terrain, a small penguin becomes overstimulated.

Starting from the very first page (in which a group of the flightless birds slumber in an adorable heap), this book aims to hit readers right in the feels. Penguin (made easy to spot by a heart-shaped patch of chest feathers) loves his pals, though they are very, very noisy. They squawk, while his aptly named baby sister, Pip, emits a “pip.” Their many wintry activities are fun but equally loud (“thump,” “crack,” “whoosh”), and the stress sometimes makes Penguin’s heart pound. Angry and frustrated, Penguin asks his non-penguin friends how they “feel zen.” Blue Whale relies on deep breathing; Seal loves yoga; Gull enjoys gardening. Penguin tries all these practices and soon finds the external stressors balanced by his “calm and quiet inside.” When he hears someone crying out for help, he applies what he has learned to untangle Pip, a knitter, from the purple yarn that colorfully symbolizes the struggle with outside irritants. And Penguin earns his new name: Zenguin. Instructions for “finding calm” in four specific, practical ways (belly breathing, drawing, finger play, and hugging oneself) end the book. The simple story is well paced, accessible, and engaging, and the darling gray-and-white penguins, with warm orange beaks and toes, who look like living stuffies, are sweet fluffballs.

An adorable counter to anxiety, featuring easy exercises and charming Antarctic animals. (Picture book. 3-7)

Pub Date: Jan. 6, 2026

ISBN: 9781523528660

Page Count: 32

Publisher: Workman

Review Posted Online: March 9, 2026

Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2026

Categories:

CHILDREN'S ANIMALS | CHILDREN'S CONCEPTS | CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES

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PEEK-A-BOO HAIKU
by Danna Smith ; illustrated by Teagan White

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THE THANK YOU BOOK
by Danna Smith ; illustrated by Juliana Perdomo

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ROOFTOP GARDEN
by Danna Smith ; illustrated by Pati Aguilera ; Read by Holly Turton

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IT'S MY BIRD-DAY!

From the Pigeon series

by Mo Willems ; illustrated by Mo Willems ‧ RELEASE DATE: March 31, 2026

Familiarity breeds a birthday for the ages in this party worth attending.

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Don’t let the Pigeon ruin his own special day!

Anyone who has ever encountered the title character in any of his books—whether his first, Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus (2003), or one of its many sequels—will understand that the bird’s innate self-love drives his every interaction. Little wonder, then, that he’s thrilled about his own “bird-day.” He has the hat. He has his “FANCY PLUMAGE.” And, best of all, he will get to blow out a candle “on my bird-day hot dog!” As he revels in the knowledge that this day is all for him, comeuppance is lurking. Someone has already blown out the bird-day candle—and eaten half the hot dog. It turns out that the Pigeon’s frenemy, the Duckling, has the same bird-day—as do a slew of newly hatched chicks. The Pigeon’s obligatory eight-panel freakout ensues. “What am I—invisible? I just want to be seen,” he whimpers, and when he receives some much-needed reassurance, he settles down and willingly shares his special day. While the switch from unapologetic narcissism to mature acceptance happens in the record-breaking span of two pages, the book is as enchanting as the Pigeon’s earlier outings. Even as it walks in the footsteps of its predecessors, there’s no denying the fun to be had.

Familiarity breeds a birthday for the ages in this party worth attending. (Picture book. 3-6)

Pub Date: March 31, 2026

ISBN: 9781454999621

Page Count: 40

Publisher: Union Square Kids

Review Posted Online: Nov. 22, 2025

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2026

Categories:

CHILDREN'S ANIMALS | CHILDREN'S HOLIDAYS & CELEBRATIONS

- BOOK REVIEW
THE MONSTER AND PUPPET SHOW!
by Mo Willems & Kate Micucci ; illustrated by Mo Willems & Kate Micucci

- BOOK REVIEW
THE PIGEON WON'T COUNT TO 10!
by Mo Willems ; illustrated by Mo Willems

- BOOK REVIEW
WILL THE PIGEON GRADUATE?
by Mo Willems ; illustrated by Mo Willems

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CHICKA CHICKA PEEP PEEP

From the Chicka Chicka Book series

by Julien Chung ; illustrated by Julien Chung ‧ RELEASE DATE: Jan. 20, 2026

A sweet, springtime-themed reworking of a beloved tale.

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The classic picture book Chicka Chicka Boom Boom (1989) gets a makeover for Easter as the letters of the alphabet locate and decorate eggs.

The mission is simple: “Chicka chicka peek peek. / Everybody seek seek! / Find all the eggs / in the pretty pink tree.” The letters are making their way up the flowering tree in search of the hidden eggs when a “SNEEZE!” scatters everyone and the eggs fall and crack. Luckily, a bunny hops by with a haul of new ones, which the letters then paint and bedazzle, eventually sharing the newly decorated eggs with a group of bunnies. This picture book is a successfully Easter-fied version of the original: The letters go up; the letters fall down. Truly, though, that’s all the preschool crowd needs. Chung’s illustrations are simple and familiar, a direct echo of Chicka Chicka Boom Boom. The letters appear in colorful, bold, block form. The book has few added details, just focal images like the tree and its pink flowers, the colorful eggs, tufts of grass, and some friendly rabbits. The alphabet appears in order (both upper- and lowercase letters) at the book’s open and close. The rhyming text follows the iconic cadence of the source material, making for a worthy read-aloud that will keep little hands turning pages.

A sweet, springtime-themed reworking of a beloved tale. (Picture book. 3-5)