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MISTER IN THE STARS

Name: MISTER IN THE STARS
Author: Devon Rohana
ISBN: 9780593897034

by Devon Rohana ; illustrated by G. Brian Karas ‧ RELEASE DATE: Sept. 8, 2026

Beautiful, sad, direct, and brave.

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A child struggles to articulate her grief.

Like most youngsters, Melanie has very particular notions about the world, and she names everything according to her understanding. Her mother, frequently in nightclothes, is Pajama, her little sister is Baby (her sister’s nose is Honk), and her big brother is Mister. Melanie finds satisfaction in identification and is particularly happy in her family’s company, gazing at Twinklers (stars) with Mister and playing video games on Happy Days (weekends). When Mister gets sick, the silence is deafening. Mom imparts the news to Melanie, and a wordless panel sequence of confused gazes follows. No words can capture her worry, but Melanie tries. Doctor visits are Science Experiments; Mister’s cancer, the Bad Worst Meanie. After Mister dies, Karas presents a blank, gray two-page spread. Melanie attempts to express her feelings; she starts to sense her brother in the breeze, in sunlight, and in the stars, and she finds new names for him in her surroundings. Rohana considers a profoundly difficult experience from a child’s perspective, embracing sense-based experiences and emotional logic rather than attempting to encapsulate grief. With that in mind, it’s probably best previewed by a caregiver before read-aloud and will find its most appropriate audience in readers confronting loss. Calm hues, expressive brown-skinned faces, and intentional interplay of activity and stillness make an eloquent, memorable visual impact.

Beautiful, sad, direct, and brave. (Picture book. 4-8)

Pub Date: Sept. 8, 2026

ISBN: 9780593897034

Page Count: 40

Publisher: Anne Schwartz/Random

Review Posted Online: June 15, 2026

Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2026

Categories:

CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES | CHILDREN'S FAMILY

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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

Categories:

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

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

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

- BOOK REVIEW
THE BISON AND THE BUTTERFLY
by Alice Hemming ; illustrated by Nancy Leschnikoff

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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)