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A DRESS FOR THE MOON

Name: A DRESS FOR THE MOON
Author: Linda Wolfsgruber
ISBN: 9781778404016

From the Aldana Libros series

by Linda Wolfsgruber ; illustrated by Linda Wolfsgruber ; translated by Shelley Tanaka ‧ RELEASE DATE: Sept. 22, 2026

Truly luminous.

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In this Austrian import, dressing a waxing and waning moon poses a challenge for a tailor.

Inspired by the luminous light of the moon, people go out for walks in their fanciest frocks. Gazing down in awe at their fabulous fashion, the Moon wants a beautiful dress, too. A tailor eagerly agrees to help. After taking measurements and toiling away in his studio (draped in vibrant floral and paisley patterns that also adorn the endpapers), he presents the dress to the moon, only to find that it no longer fits: The once full moon is now a half moon! As the lunar cycle continues, the frustrated tailor must make numerous alterations. Eventually, the tailor and the moon come to an important realization: We all shine brightest when being ourselves. Wolfsgruber has produced a truly original tale that reminds young readers to see the inherent value in themselves and others. Relying on a stark palette of blacks, tans, and pastels, Wolfsgruber’s stunning collage art adds whimsy and humor, mixing homey settings with some truly enchanting details (the moon’s glow is depicted using sparkly gray felt; to make his way to the far-off moon, the tailor drives or walks along roads made up of measuring tape). The text is full of repetition, with a buoyant flow, making this a natural read-aloud choice.

Truly luminous. (Picture book. 4-8)

Pub Date: Sept. 22, 2026

ISBN: 9781778404016

Page Count: 32

Publisher: Greystone Kids

Review Posted Online: June 15, 2026

Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2026

Categories:

CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES

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DESERT FLOWERS
by Jairo Buitrago ; illustrated by Manuel Monroy ; translated by Elisa Amado

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THE BOY, THE FATHER, AND THE BEAR
by Per Gustavsson ; translated by Eva Apelqvist ; illustrated by Per Gustavsson

- BOOK REVIEW
ON THE SMALL HILL WHERE THE GIRLS TAKE OFF THEIR SHOES
by Jairo Buitrago ; illustrated by Linda Wolfsgruber ; translated by Elisa Amado

- BOOK REVIEW
MUDDY
by Griffin Ondaatje ; illustrated by Linda Wolfsgruber

- BOOK REVIEW
I AM NOT LITTLE RED RIDING HOOD
by Alessandro Lecis ; illustrated by Linda Wolfsgruber

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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

- 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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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)