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In the Spotlight
 Children’s Books Have a Melville Moment Is there something in the water? Within four months, three picture books and one YA novel inspired by Herman Melville’s best-known works are hitting shelves. We spoke with the creators about giving young readers what may well be their first encounters with American literature’s most famous whale, its most obsessed captain, and its most obstinate office worker. more  In the News
 Literacy Orgs Funnel Children’s Books to Twin Cities Immigrant FamiliesMinnesota’s A Book of My Own and Reach Out and Read, a national organization, are working with schools and mutual aid groups to provide multilingual books to Minneapolis and St. Paul area families sheltering in place amid ICE’s incursion on the state. more
On the Scene
 Toy Fair 2026 Highlights Links Between Publishing and ToysBook publishing had a high profile in a number of ways at the 120th edition of New York International Toy Fair, held in New York City February 14–17. This year, several publishers capitalized on trends that were widespread across the show floor, including STEM kits, slime, games, calming activities, and more. more First Person
 Huda Al-Marashi on the Interfaith Education That Informed Her New Novel Huda Al-Marashi is a coauthor of the middle grade novel Grounded, which won a Walter Dean Myers Honor, and the author of the memoir First Comes Marriage: My Not-So-Typical American Love Story. She is also a fellow and mentor with the Highlights Foundation Muslim Storytellers Program. Here, she reflects on her new middle grade novel, Hail Mariam, which is inspired by her transformative experience as the only Muslim teen attending her Catholic school. more   Book News
 Sourcebooks Wonderland Honors Late Executive with New Series Ushering books through the pipeline is always a labor of love for publishers. For the team at Sourcebooks, publishing Truckosaurus by Karen Shapiro, illustrated by Rachel Foo, is much more than that. Sadly, Shapiro, IP manager for the children’s editorial group at Sourcebooks and the Wonderland imprint’s founding editorial director, died unexpectedly last January, at age 57. The book and its character are carrying on her special legacy at the company. more  Crown, Grand Central Snag Novels Revisiting Beloved Characters as AdultsTwo novels that reimagine iconic YA and children’s characters—Blair Waldorf and Nancy Drew, respectively—are in the works at Grand Central and Crown. Blair by Gossip Girl author Cecily von Ziegesar (l.) follows the socialite's return to New York City, while Nancy by E. Lockhart and Sarah Mlynowski kicks off a series in which Nancy Drew is a divorced 40-something Brooklyn mom. more Cover Notes
 How ‘Love Me Tomorrow’ by Emiko Jean Got Made We take a look at how the concept and jacket art came together for Emiko Jean's Love Me Tomorrow, a perceptive speculative rom-com. more  Q & A
 Rin-rin YuDebut author Rin-rin Yu draws on personal experiences in her contemporary middle grade novel Goodbye, French Fry. Chinese American 10-year-old Ping-Ping wishes she was named Megan—maybe then her annoying classmate would stop calling her “French Fry” due to the tofu sticks she eats at lunch. But Ping-Ping’s immigrant parents encourage her to ignore bullies and embrace their heritage. Even more pressing is the possibility that the family could relocate to Kenya for Baba’s UN job. Yu spoke with us about telling a different kind of immigration story and adjusting her writing style for fiction narratives. Q: How much of your lived experiences informed Ping-Ping’s character arc? A: All the characters in the book are based on real people and a lot of the exchanges really happened to me. When my sister was reading the book, she said, “Oh, I remember when that happened.” We’ll read reviews and she’ll say, “It’s weird, having people comment on my childhood.” more Out Next Week
 Hot Off the Presses: Week of February 23 Among the books hitting shelves next week are a picture book ode to springtime, a middle grade adventure based on Indigenous American tales, a YA fiction anthology highlighting climate change, and more. more In Brief
 In Brief: February 19, 2026Recently, an author-illustrator shared her poetic tribute to a children’s book icon, a creator donned a costume for her event, an author headed out on a book tour, and an author made her middle grade debut. more
Rights Report
 Calista Brill at First Second has acquired world rights to Unauthorized Bread: A Radicalized Graphic Novel by Cory Doctorow (l.) and adapted and illustrated by J.R. Doyle (c.) and Blue Delliquanti (r.). The YA graphic novel tells the story of Salima, a refugee whose subsidized housing is designed to stripmine the people who live there, from the toasters that only accept "authorized bread" to the refrigerators that only permit authorized groceries. Benjamin Wilgus will also edit; publication is set for 2027. Russell Galen at Scovil Galen Glosh represented Doctorow, George Rohac at Organized Havoc represented Doyle, and Jennifer Linnan at Linnan Literary Management represented Delliquanti.  Whitney Leopard at Ink Pop has bought Ceus by Peterson Ceus (l.) Carlos Moreno (c.), and Wakaiki (r.), autobiographical manga that follows famed rhythmic gymnast Peterson Ceus as he challenges gender norms to compete in the sport he loves. Jordan Blanco will edit; the first volume's publication is slated for fall 2027. Anton Heully at Mediatoon Foreign Rights sold world English rights.  Dana Chidiac while at Dial acquired world rights to Kiss the Boy by Adib Khorram (l.) in his graphic novel debut, illustrated by debut illustrator Ria Martinez, a romantic tale of soul-binding love between a half-human, half-merfolk boy and the handsome, all-too-human stranger whose life is accidentally interwoven with his. Ellen Cormier will edit; publication is scheduled for spring 2027. Molly O'Neill represented the author, and the illustrator represented themself.  Bria Ragin at Delacorte Romance has bought, in an exclusive submission, Blur the Lines by Kanitha P., her debut YA Formula 1 romance in which the daughter of a team principal spends a gap year traveling with her father's F1 team and begins to see her childhood best friend—a hot rookie driver—in a whole new light. Publication is planned for fall 2027; Saskia Leach at Kate Nash Literary negotiated the deal for world rights.  Kate Farrell at Henry Holt has acquired world rights to novelist and journalist Amir Ahmadi Arian's YA debut, The Season of Wild Poppies. As Iraqi forces infiltrate his hometown of Ahvaz, 15-year-old Yashar makes a shocking discovery—he believes that his parents had a child before him who has never been discussed. Stranger yet, this older sibling could still be alive and the reason that the family hasn't fled the frontlines of a new war. Publication is set for spring 2027; Jim McCarthy at Dystel, Goderich & Bourret brokered the deal.  Tiara Kittrell at Putnam has bought, in an exclusive submission, Paper Ghosts by Samantha Chong (Prodigal Tiger), a Malaysian YA fantasy about a paper effigy maker who buries herself in her mundane work as a soul guide to cope with the aftermath of the ghost realm terrorizing her world a year prior, only to be yanked out of her comfort zone when she is attacked by a vengeful ghost, and must overcome her fear of the art of death rituals to prevent the rise of the undead. Publication is slated for spring 2028; Larissa Melo Pienkowski at Azantian Literary Agency sold North American rights.  Lydia Gregovic at Delacorte Press has acquired Cold Blood by Aashna Avachat, a whodunit mystery in which an aspiring journalist is recruited to solve the murder of a wealthy patriarch of a reclusive family—before it happens. Publication is scheduled for fall 2027; Laurel Symonds at KT Literary negotiated the deal for world English rights.  Michelle Lee at Dial has acquired world English rights to Words Fail, a middle grade novel by Brittany J. Thurman, told through a series of journal entries, letters, and texts, in which 12-year-old Colton J. Bailey navigates a new hyperlexia diagnosis and uncovers his father's private struggles with literacy. Publication is set for spring 2027; Marietta B. Zacker at Gallt & Zacker Literary Agency negotiated the deal.  Calista Brill at First Second has bought Lenna & Caterpillar by Laura Knetzger, a middle grade graphic novel about a young priestess and her cat-insect hybrid companion who travel on a quest. Publication is scheduled for 2028; Maria Vicente at P.S. Literary Agency sold world English rights.  Suzy Capozzi at Union Square Kids has acquired world rights to The Alpacas Are Aliens!, the first book in the Freaky Farm middle grade series by Dusti Bowling (l.) (Holding On for Dear Life) and Lindsay Currie (The Mystery of Locked Rooms). In this trilogy pitched for fans of The Last Kids on Earth, a group of quirky animals on an idyllic farm find their world turned upside down when they experience a spooky alien invasion. Publication will begin in 2028; Shannon Hassan at Marsal Lyon Literary Agency brokered the six-figure deal.  Kate Fletcher at Candlewick has bought Nina, the Inventor: Helping Chip Fly, the debut graphic novel by Melisa Fernández Nitsche. This young graphic novel with STEM themes features Nina, who's new in town and must use her invention skills to assist an injured bird named Chip and makes some new friends in the process. Publication is slated for 2028; Chad W. Beckerman at the CAT Agency sold world rights.  Katie Carella at Scholastic Branches has acquired world rights to The Strange Stories of Sam Bunch by Jen MacGregor (l.), illustrated by Forrest Burdett, an illustrated early chapter book series about nine-year-old Sam Bunch and his new friend, Maxine, who bravely investigate odder than odd occurrences at their weird and wacky apartment complex. Publication will begin in 2027; Saba Sulaiman at Talcott Notch Literary Services represented the author, and Jennifer Rofé at Andrea Brown Literary Agency represented the illustrator in the four-book deal.  Maggie Rosenthal at Viking has bought world rights to Alpha and Elijah, a picture book by Alpha Nkuranga (l.) and Jordan Scott (c.), illustrated by Gracey Zhang (r.). Forced to flee their home in Rwanda, Alpha and her younger brother Elijah brave a long and arduous journey to safety, relying on creative distractions—and each other—to keep their spirits up. Publication is planned for fall 2027; Chris Casuccio and Hilary McMahon at Westwood Creative Artists represented the authors, respectively, and Hannah Mann at Writers House represented the illustrator.  Sydnee Monday at Kokila has acquired world rights to The Marvelous Magic of Ellen E. Armstrong by B. Sharise Moore (l.), illustrated by Charis Jackson Barrios, a picture book about the first Black woman magician in the world to run her own traveling show. Publication is slated for spring 2027; Laurie Mclean at Fuse Literary represented the author, and Chad W. Beckerman at the CAT Agency represented the illustrator.  Jennifer Stokes at Owlkids has bought world rights to In Baba's Tiny Kitchen by Loretta Garbutt (l.), illustrated by Stacey Chomiak, a picture book about Baba's cozy kitchen, where Ukrainian borscht simmers on the stove and pierogies sizzle in butter—but rumbling tummies must wait until Dido comes in from doing farm chores. Publication is set for spring 2027; the author represented herself, and Claire Draper at Au Literary Management represented the illustrator.  Julia McCarthy at Atheneum has acquired The Bear on the Hill, a picture book by Abigail Rajunov, a holiday story in which a standoffish bear lives alone in luxury until a playful mouse makes him question his life choices. Publication is scheduled for fall 2027; Aliza R. Hoover at the CAT Agency brokered the deal for world rights.  Jody Mosley at Chronicle Books has bought world rights to author-illustrator Violet Tobacco's debut board book series, This Is to That, which invites young readers to make holiday comparisons with modern analogies, for publication in 2027 and 2028. Emily Fernandez at the Bright Agency did the two-book deal.  Lisa Rosinsky at Barefoot Books has acquired Barefoot Books Constellations: Stories in the Stars by Anne Jankeliowitch (l.), illustrated by Sarah Andreacchio, which explores the Greek myths behind 15 of the best-known constellations in this guidebook to stargazing. Erin Lueck will also edit; publication is planned for fall 2026. Alexandra Di Marco at La Martinière sold world English rights.  Rebekah Lovato Piatte at Collective Book Studio has bought One Pizza to Go!, a debut picture book by Lisa Rao (l.), illustrated by Carole Chevalier, which follows a cast of characters on a pizza-fueled adventure that celebrates sharing, community, and the simple magic of a favorite food. Publication is set for February 2027, timed for National Pizza Day on February 9; the author and illustrator were unagented.  Michele McAvoy at The Little Press has acquired world rights to My Dad Invented the Smile: The True Story Behind the Iconic Yellow Smiley Face by Sarah VanDam (l.), illustrated by Joe Romano, a picture book about Harvey Ball, the Massachusetts graphic designer who, in 1963, created the bright yellow smile that would eventually circle the globe. Publication is scheduled for fall 2027; the author and illustrator represented themselves. IN THE MEDIA
FEATURED REVIEWS
  DadChristian Robinson. Macmillan/Balzer + Bray, $19.99 (48p) ISBN 978-1-250-39704-1 Dedicated to “caregivers who give what they never got,” Robinson’s animal-centric ode to fathers moves with a realistically nuanced portrayal of parents as people. Narration unfolds through opposition: “Dad is here now” reads text accompanying a frog escorting tadpoles upon its back; “Dad had to go away” follows as two wide-eyed owlets gaze at an adult in flight. While a seahorse models a tender father-child moment, a shark and other animals touch on the way a dad sometimes “lets you down,/ and makes mistakes.” Even amid the examples’ push-and-pull, an underlying message of steadying care reassures, “Dad is with you,/ even when he’s not.” more  Nice WorkNicholas Day, illus. by Hala Tahboub. Random House Studio, $18.99 (40p) ISBN 978-0-5938-0629-6 When their parents say there’s no such thing as a marshmallow tree, the book’s young narrator chooses a peach tree to plant, described in everyday eloquence. But the bucketed bare-root plant that arrives falls far short of those vivid expectations. “Nice work,” the narrator says with classic kid sarcasm.” As the tree matures, growing largely underground, big changes—a neighbor’s move, a birthday—teach the child that life is full of fluctuation. more  | ||||
