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IT'S ALMOST TIME FOR…EASTER!

Name: IT'S ALMOST TIME FOR…EASTER!
Author: Maisha Oso
ISBN: 9781665980104

From the It's Almost Time For… series

by Maisha Oso ; illustrated by Tom Knight ‧ RELEASE DATE: Jan. 20, 2026

A silly holiday romp in celebration of togetherness.

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Family traditions lead up to a cheery Easter celebration.

A young tot with light skin, pigtails, and round pink glasses gets ready as the holiday approaches. First it’s time to hard-boil the eggs: “Go super slow, or else… oh no! / Watch out before they crack!” Then the youngster dyes and decorates the eggs before joining a group of other kids in an egg hunt. The protagonist also ices a bunny-themed cake and, with several others, marvels at a basket of treats. (Tiny bunny paw prints on the surrounding ground hint at the mysterious benefactor’s identity.) Then it’s time to don fancy frocks and gather for a feast—wait, are we celebrating Thanksgiving?! An out-of-place turkey, who, along with the various bunnies, has been involved in the preparations, pops up, surrounded by gourds. “Nooooo…” But that just may be Oso and Knight’s next collaboration. Readers will appreciate the absurdity and will happily shout out the right answer: “It’s almost time for…Easter!” The staccato rhyme bounces the narrative forward in quick bunny hops (“It’s time to find a fancy outfit! / Dress your very best. / Select your clothes. Now strike a pose. / Fantastic! I’m impressed!”), with springtime pastels highlighting butterflies, flowers, and, of course, rabbits. Diverse family friends round out the mealtime gathering.

A silly holiday romp in celebration of togetherness. (Picture book. 3-6)

Pub Date: Jan. 20, 2026

ISBN: 9781665980104

Page Count: 32

Publisher: McElderry

Review Posted Online: Sept. 13, 2025

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 2025

Categories:

CHILDREN'S CONCEPTS | CHILDREN'S HOLIDAYS & CELEBRATIONS

- BOOK REVIEW
VENUS WASHINGTON AND THE LASAGNA DRAMA
by Maisha Oso ; illustrated by Courtney Lovett

- BOOK REVIEW
IT'S ALMOST TIME FOR…HALLOWEEN!
by Maisha Oso ; illustrated by Tom Knight

- BOOK REVIEW
MY HAIR IS A BOOK
by Maisha Oso ; illustrated by London Ladd

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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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YOUR BABY'S FIRST WORD WILL BE DADA

by Jimmy Fallon ; illustrated by Miguel Ordóñez ‧ RELEASE DATE: June 9, 2015

Plotless and pointless, the book clearly exists only because its celebrity author wrote it.

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A succession of animal dads do their best to teach their young to say “Dada” in this picture-book vehicle for Fallon.

A grumpy bull says, “DADA!”; his calf moos back. A sad-looking ram insists, “DADA!”; his lamb baas back. A duck, a bee, a dog, a rabbit, a cat, a mouse, a donkey, a pig, a frog, a rooster, and a horse all fail similarly, spread by spread. A final two-spread sequence finds all of the animals arrayed across the pages, dads on the verso and children on the recto. All the text prior to this point has been either iterations of “Dada” or animal sounds in dialogue bubbles; here, narrative text states, “Now everybody get in line, let’s say it together one more time….” Upon the turn of the page, the animal dads gaze round-eyed as their young across the gutter all cry, “DADA!” (except the duckling, who says, “quack”). Ordóñez's illustrations have a bland, digital look, compositions hardly varying with the characters, although the pastel-colored backgrounds change. The punch line fails from a design standpoint, as the sudden, single-bubble chorus of “DADA” appears to be emanating from background features rather than the baby animals’ mouths (only some of which, on close inspection, appear to be open). It also fails to be funny.

Plotless and pointless, the book clearly exists only because its celebrity author wrote it. (Picture book. 3-5)