Chrissie Writes, Vol. 30
3 picture books, 3 short chapters, 5 graphics, and a picture book pre-order duo
Hello, readers!
Greetings from the blissful first days of summer vacation! Our school year stretched longer than usual due to weather make-ups, so I’ve been enjoying a bunch of summer firsts: first day of no 4:45 am alarm, first afternoon reading in my hammock chair, first espresso tonic (guava!)… Bliss!
Despite the frenzy of year-end library things, I had a huge reading month, so I’ve got lots to share with you. Today, I’m sharing a banging blend of backlist and forthcoming releases, including: 3 picture books, 3 short chapter books, 5 graphics, and a duo of picture book pre-orders.
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The Read Aloud Test
Yes, I read each of these aloud a dozen times to hundreds of actual children, and I’d do it again. All three delivered top-shelf read-aloud experiences:
A Hungry Lion, or a Dwindling Assortment of Animals by Lucy Ruth Cummins: Look, I think thriller writers should read this book. It’s a masterclass in escalating faulty inferences, and it’s got twists on twists. Plus, the animals are really cute. (Thriller writers could use that too, right?) My second and third graders gobbled this one up with a spoon, and had wildly fabulous theories about just what that ending means…
Edwina, the Dinosaur Who Didn’t Know She Was Extinct by Mo Willems: This is an OG banger from Mo Willems, and it still hits. I also think it has one of the best character names in all of kidlit: Reginald Von Hoobie Doobie forever!! If you haven’t yet discovered this backlist gem, now is the time.
Don’t Trust Fish by Neil Sharpson: If you teach some kind of animal research project, file this away as the perfect playful companion. I read this with my fourth and fifth graders as a chaser to our mystery animal project, and it served up one of my favorite serendipitous library moments of the year. The day we read it, as one class left the library, our principal was right outside the library door… WEARING A GIANT FISH COSTUME. The entire class burst into cries of, “Don’t trust fish! Don’t trust fish!!” Perfection. (Our school mascot is a kind of fish, and my principal was wearing the mascot costume for spirit-day purposes. She was a very good sport about the outburst once we explained.) Pro tip: I’m usually Team Read the Book Yourself, but in this case, this YouTube video of author Neil Sharpson reading is fabulous.
Short Chapter Recs
The Magic Finger by Roald Dahl, narrated by Kate Winslet: this month, my family binged 7 Roald Dahl audiobooks during our drives to and from school. While I’ll forever adore The BFG and The Witches, The Magic Finger is my surprise hit of the bunch. It’s weird and dark and delicious and Kate Winslet’s narration is exceptional. Plus, when listening with kids, sometimes you just want a 26 minute audiobook instead of something that will last days and days.
Lone Wolf on Vacation by Kiah Thomas, illustrated by K-Fai Steele: There is more Lone Wolf in the world! Rejoice!!! I once described the series starter as Roy Kent on the set of Bluey, and I stand by it. This time, Roy-I-Mean-Lone-Wolf is on vacation, and the introverts among us will rejoice at the relatable hellscape of being stuck with others when traveling (in winsome, kid-friendly terms — calm down). Note: Lone Wolf Goes to the Library is also out now.
Dulcinea in the Forbidden Forest by Ole Konnecke, translated by Shelley Tanaka: Did you know that The Skull by Jon Klassen has a backlist German cousin? Because it totally does — with a James Marshall aesthetic. This has joined the ranks of my favorite spooky short chapter books (a request I get often in the library).
Get Graphic
Deeply Dave by Michael Gover: This book is packaged in a way I’ve personally never seen before: the dimensions match a standard graphic novel, but the spine is on the top. You turn the pages bottom to top, and the story unfolds vertically, the action tumbling down the page. When I encounter gimmicky packaging, I have two questions: is the book actually good, and is the packaging somehow merited by the story? In this case, big yes to both. Lately, too many graphics felt like a woeful case of “Honey, I forgot the plot,” but this baby moves. Bear with me, but this is the book I’m going to hand to kids who ask me if we have Squid Games books. (Yes, I actually get this request.) In my experience, kids with this kind of query most often haven’t seen the show they’re referring to, but are asking based on vibes. This one serves up the scary and the weird, and the octopus on the cover might be just the right wrong association to get kids to pick this up. Who knew two of my favorite graphics of the year would be sci-fi adventures?? (Here is the other.)
Max and Chaffy: Welcome to Animal Island! by Jamie Smart: I picked this one up because Jamie Smart. (He’s the author of my son’s all-time-favorite series.) This one is aimed towards a younger reader, and is perfect for your K-1st grader who wants to try comics. It reads as an adventure ASMR of sorts, with a cutesy cast of characters, soothingly predictable plot, and search-and-find features in most chapters. While my now-third-grade son was a little eye rolly about this one, he still insisted that we devour all 4 in the series and re-read them himself at bedtime. (Book 1 is out in the US now, Books 2-4 available from the UK via Blackwell’s.) This dates me as a parent, but the vibe of this series reminds me of the show Tumble Leaf.
The Fairy Tale Fixers #1: Cinderella by Deborah Underwood, illustrated by Jorge Lacera (out 8/12): Jorge Lacera is the illustrator of one of my all-time favorite not-quite-spooky-picture books, so I was thrilled to see his name on this upcoming release… And doubly thrilled when I loved it! What if Olivia Pope were a lovabel but bumbling mouse set to fix the regressive tropes in fairy tales instead of political scandals? You’d have The Fairy Tale Fixers. This one is both charming and honest — this Cinderella tells it like it is. This will be a hit both with fairy tale fanatics and with kids who want a light-hearted adventure.
Cabin Head and Tree Head by Scott Campbell (out 9/30): As of now, this is my favorite kids book of the year. It combines a bizarre setup and surprise-laden execution with gentle, soothing plotting. It also boasts my favorite blurb of the year: "Hahahahahahahaha" —Jon Klassen. I’ll pre-ordering this for my personal shelf, as well as multiples for my library. Tip: read Scott Campbell’s Hug Machine and Skulls! while you wait.
The Scarlet Ship by Claire Grimond, illustrated by Leo Verrier, translated by Rebecca Potters (out 10/7): Swashbuckling art pirates! A heist! A badass grandma! Portal fantasy! I’ll be handling this adventure to fans of Lightfall and Haru. Bonus: short, plotty, and translated from French.
Picture Book Pre-Orders
Now I See… board book quartet by Mac Barnett and Jon Klassen (4/7/26): The way I read these like a thriller to uncover the subtle and satisfying differences between each season… Also, they maybe made me cry? Say hello to my new favorite-ever board books, which I'll be buying as a baby gift from now until forever. (Yes, all four need to be read together.)
Ruthie by Esme Shapiro (out 3/17/26): I’ve been doing more advance reading on Edelweiss, and I yelped with glee when I saw a forthcoming release by Esme Shapiro. And now? I think I’ve already read a favorite picture book of 2026! Read Ooko and Carole and the Pickle-Toad while you wait.
This Month on Chrissie Writes
Book Delight Podcast
To create time for other creative pursuits, I’ve put the Book Delight podcast on summer hiatus. Stay tuned in August for a return to our regular episodes.
Happy reading,
Chrissie