Our World: Nigeria by Bunmi Emenanjo and Diana Ejaita, Barefoot Books, £7.99
Part of a delightful educational series from a brilliant inclusive publisher, this colourful, joyous board book whisks babies away to spend a day in Nigeria, learning to say hello in three languages and feasting on porridge, akara and plantain.
Monkeypig by Huw Aaron, Puffin, £7.99
What makes a real monkey? This rapturously silly picture book from the Waterstones prize winner follows Molly, a pig who blends in with her simian friends – despite head monkey Norman’s best efforts to detect the impostor.
The Lost Robot by Joe Todd-Stanton, Flying Eye, £12.99
When a little robot wakes on a rubbish dump, it knows it shouldn’t be there; but when it tries to go home, everything has changed. Is there a place for it anywhere in the world? A beautiful, heartwarming picture-book fable of repair, renewal and found family.
The Mud Princess by Beatrice Alemagna, Thames & Hudson, £12.99
Annoyed with her big brother after school, Yuki throws her keys down a maintenance hole – only to discover the twiggy-haired Mud Princess, who lives on edible anger in a strange, blobby underworld with touches of unexpected beauty. This strikingly memorable 4+ picture book vividly evokes children’s intense and complex feelings.
Where Are You, Eddie? by Michael Rosen and Gill Lewis, Walker, £12.99
In this picture book for slightly older readers (5+), Rosen revisits the territory of 2011’s Sad Book, searching for his lost son Eddie in the places they spent time together, and in memories shared by friends and family. Lewis’s loose, lively illustrations transport the reader effortlessly into a meditative state straddling “now” and “then” in this moving, generous story of grief and contemplation.
Frank the Monster by Mats Strandberg, illustrated by Sofia Falkenhem, Gecko, £8.99
Frank is scared of monsters after dark – but when he’s nipped by a dog at his birthday party and strange things start to happen, he discovers he has more in common with the night’s secret creatures than he thought. Spare, dry and elegant, with transporting two-colour illustrations, this thoughtful 7+ book is laced with just the right amount of peril.
The House With Chicken Legs Runs Away by Sophie Anderson, Usborne, £8.99
Marinka has lived all her life in a Yaga house, guiding the dead onwards through The Gate to the Stars. Now her beloved home is behaving oddly – and so is the Gate. When House pulls itself apart, Marinka and her friend Benjamin set out on a desperate journey to heal it. But is that what House really wants? Imaginative, warm and touching, this 9+ sequel to Anderson’s beloved debut deals courageously with ideas of growth and change.
Mixed: Explore and Celebrate Your Mixed Identity by Emma Slade Edmondson, Rocket Fox, £9.99
From the host of the Mixed Up podcast, with contributions from Dean Atta, Jessie Mei Li and others, this deft and thoughtful book should prove invaluable to 9+ children of mixed heritage, providing advice for exploration and acceptance, and tools to challenge intrusive questions such as the dreaded “Where are you really from?”
The Story of Art Without Men by Katy Hessel, illustrated by Ping Zhu, Puffin, £20
This distilled version of Hessel’s 2022 bestseller, with Ping Zhu’s absorbing, enticing illustrations welcoming the reader on to every page, is a superb introduction to art history and image analysis, offering a thrilling perspective shift to focus on unfairly neglected female trailblazers. Perfect for visual art fans of 9+.
A Million Tiny Missiles All at Once by Lucas Maxwell, Chicken House, £8.99
Elias is beset by fears, both in his rebellious brain and his warring parents’ home. His older brother, Bo, is almost estranged, the kids at school pick nonstop fights, and the ruthless Novia Scotia winter holds the town in an iron grip as Bo gets drawn into a dangerous crowd. Can Elias bring his family back together, winning a pizza night by telling jokes at the school talent competition? Wry, hilarious and acutely observed, this 12+ debut boasts a unique and special voice.
Piper at the Gates of Dusk by Patrick Ness, Walker, £16.99
When brothers Ben and Max encounter something terrifying near their farm on New World, the nightmare is only just beginning. Relations with the indigenous Spackle are breaking down, a hovering shape sends dreams filled with the telepathic Noise that once plagued all New World’s men, and Todd and Viola, the boys’ parents, are increasingly hostile to each other. As children begin to disappear, the ill-matched brothers must somehow find common ground in Ness’s explosive, compelling YA return to the world of the Chaos Walking trilogy.
Deathly Fates by Tesia Tsai, Electric Monkey, £9.99
As a priestess of death, Kang Siying is used to corpses. When she agrees to transport a prince’s body home, only to discover that he’s trapped between death and life, and must absorb constant qi or life-force to avoid permanently dying, Siying unwillingly agrees to help restore him fully. But the quest is more dangerous than she anticipates, and will expose deadly secrets. This slow-burning, poignant romantasy debut is laced with fascinating, atmospheric Chinese folklore.
A Song I Wrote for Charlotte by Caitlin Devlin, Harper, £8.99
Having failed to get into the Royal Academy of Music, Connie is determined to excel at her backup degree. When her flatmates drag her into student life, though, especially cheery, sociable Charlotte, the reclusive Connie discovers a different side to herself – and to Charlotte. But will the new Connie survive an agonising loss? Startlingly funny, sad and hopeful, with a splendidly forthright heroine, this coming-of-age YA romance looks tenderly at sorrow and self-discovery.