News & Reviews

How Yuri Kochiyama Became a Human Rights Activist A TRUE TALE WITH A CHERRY ON TOP Red Comet Press (pub. 10.13.2026) 42 pages Ages 8 - 12 Author: Mia Wenjen Illustrator: Keith Henry Brown Character: Yuri Kochiyama Overview: "When Japanese American activist Yuri Kochiyama shook Malcolm X’s hand at a courthouse in 1963, it sparked a transformative friendship built on justice, solidarity, and hope. Postcards from Malcolm X traces Kochiyama’s remarkable journey from a small-to

The Power of Wifredo Lam's Art A TRUE TALE WITH A CHERRY ON TOP Abrams Books for Young Readers (pub. 8.25.2026) 40 pages Ages 6 - 8 Author: Margarita Engle Illustrator: Jacqueline Alcántara Character: Wifredo Lam Overview: "In a village on the tropical island of Cuba, a boy named Wifredo Lam loved to draw his surroundings―hot blue air, cool green leaves, and brilliant flowers. As he grew older, Lam paid tribute to his Cuban, West African, and Chinese heritage through his a

A TRUE TALE WITH A CHERRY ON TOP Levine Querido (pub. 4.7.2026) 48 pages Ages 4 - 8 Author: Jenn Bailey & Sherry Bushue Illustrator: Pamela Zagarenski Character: Marcel Marceau Overview: "Marcel was born in 1923 in the French city of Strasbourg. He was drawn to the flickering images of Charlie Chaplin in the movies, and he had a gift for imitating the birds around him, the people, and even the wind! But his safe, creative childhood was shattered by the advent of World War

How Stephen Sondheim Made Musical Puzzles Come Alive A TRUE TALE WITH A CHERRY ON TOP Calkins Creek (Astra Books for Young Readers) (pub. 4.21.2026) 48 pages Ages 7 - 10 Author: Erin Frankel Illustrator: Stacy Innerst Character: Stephen Sondheim Overview: "Before he became a noted lyricist and composer, Stephen Sondheim was a boy filled with curiosity—a boy who loved figuring out how things worked. After his parents’ divorce scattered the pieces of his life, he found comfo

How One Curious Woman Connected Carbon Dioxide and Climate Change A TRUE TALE WITH A CHERRY ON TOP Quill Tree Books (Harper Collins Publishers) (pub. 1.13.2026) 40 pages Ages 4 - 8 Author: Jen Bryant and illustrator: Amy June Bates Character: Pauline Baynes Overview: "From a young age, Eunice Foote’s natural curiosity led her to learn more about how the world worked. What makes milk turn to butter? Why can I see my breath when it’s cold? Why are there different kinds of

How Harriet Tubman Rescued Her Brothers A TRUE TALE WITH A CHERRY ON TOP Abrams Books for Young Readers (pub. 1.13.2026) 40 pages Ages 4 - 8 Author: Glennette Tilley Turner Illustrator: Laura Freeman Character: Harriet Tubman Overview: "Harriet Tubman was always a keen observer. She learned to use the North Star for a compass, to tell time by the stars, and to find her way by natural signs as well as any hunter could. She could navigate dense forests, locate waterways in t

The B. B. King Story A TRUE TALE WITH A CHERRY ON TOP Greenwillow Books (HarperCollins) (pub. 1.27.2026) 40 pages Ages 4 - 8 Author: Alice Faye Duncan Illustrator: Carl Joe Williams Character: B.B. King Overview: "At twelve years old, Riley B. King borrowed fifteen dollars from his boss to buy a used guitar. Before long, he was playing his music for jubilant crowds all over the world. Blues Boy chronicles B. B. King’s inspiring journey from his childhood in the Jim Crow So

A TRUE TALE WITH A CHERRY ON TOP Beach Lane Books (Simon & Schuster) (pub. 2.24.2026) 48 pages Ages 4 - 8 Author: Jane Kurtz Illustrator: Giselle Potter Character: Mary Morland Overview: "While other little girls were sipping tea perched on their chairs, Mary Morland was given the freedom to spend her time outside exploring. After her mother died, her father sent her to live with a professor who taught Mary how to examine plants, animals, rocks, and fossils. She soaked up

Audiobook Inventor Dr. Robert B Irwin and a New Way to Read A TRUE TALE WITH A CHERRY ON TOP Atheneum Books for Young Readers (Simon & Schuster) (pub. 2.24.2026) 32 pages Ages 4 - 8 Author: Jenny Lacika Illustrator: Ashanti Fortson Character: Robert B. Irwin Overview: "Robert Benjamin Irwin loves to learn and explore. But when he’s five, his eyes grow red and painful from fever, and he loses his sight. Since he can no longer see, Robert focuses instead on what he can do: d

How Hans Christian Andersen Became a Swan A TRUE TALE WITH A CHERRY ON TOP Levine Querido (pub. 3.3.2026) 32 pages Ages 4 - 8 Author: Sandra Nickel Illustrator: Calvin Nicholls Character: Hans Christian Andersen Overview: " He brought to life stories and characters that millions have loved: A one-legged tin soldier who yearned for love. A poor little match girl. A mermaid who gave up her voice for a prince. But who was Hans Christian Andersen? He was a “strange child.” An