September 2021 - New Children's Book Releases

Below is a current look at the new release books we anticipate having in store this month. If you'd like to hop on over to our books to see what's in stock and make a purchase, you can do that here, or if you would like a title that is out of stock or not in our store, send us an email and we would be happy to help you out. 

Curious about Crocodiles

Written by Owen Davey.

Release Date: September 7, 2021

The seventh entry in illustrator Owen Davey’s award-winning “About Animals” series, this one focuses on all different crocs, gators, caimans, and gharials, depicted in Davey’s signature design-oriented, colorful, minimalist style.

The seventh entry in illustrator Owen Davey’s award-winning “About Animals” series, this one focuses on all different crocs, gators, caimans, and gharials, depicted in Davey’s signature design-oriented, colorful, minimalist style.  

We Are Grateful: Otsaliheliga

Written by Traci Sorell and Frané Lessac.

Release Date: September 7, 2021

The Cherokee community is grateful for blessings and challenges that each season brings. This is modern Native American life as told by an enrolled citizen of the Cherokee Nation.

The word otsaliheliga (oh-jah-LEE-hay-lee-gah) is used by members of the Cherokee Nation to express gratitude. Beginning in the fall with the new year and ending in summer, follow a full Cherokee year of celebrations and experiences. Written by a citizen of the Cherokee Nation, this look at one group of Native Americans is appended with a glossary and the complete Cherokee syllabary, originally created by Sequoyah.  

My 52 Lists Project: Journaling Inspiration for Kids!

Created by Moorea Seal.

Release date: September 7, 2021

Create 52 lists, one for every week of the year, in this fun and easy guided journal for kids 8-12 to express themselves, practice writing, and reap the mental health benefits of journaling—from the author of the bestselling 52 Lists series.

Kids can express themselves, explore interests and hobbies, and learn more about themselves with each list! This beautiful, easy-entry hardcover guided journal can be started anytime, and can either be a safe space for kids to fill out on their own, or can be done with a loved one to spark great conversations. With these simple listing prompts (you don’t even have to write complete sentences!), kids will have fun practicing writing skills and building social/emotional intelligence.

Sample prompts include:
  •  List the things you want to do this year
  •  List the people you want to be like
  •  List everything you love to do outdoors
  •  List what you would spend 100 dollars on, just for you
  •  List the things you want to be known for

Includes 52 prompts, photography and illustrations, sturdy paper, sparkly metallic-foil accents, and a sticker sheet! 

My Heart Flies Open

Written by Omileye Achikeobi-Lewis.

Release date: September 7, 2021

Written and illustrated by Omileye Achikeobi-Lewis, My Heart Flies Open is an inclusive, empowering, and uplifting picture book for girls of color about yoga, meditation, and coming home to self-love. All children will be charmed by this book.

In every situation I can blossom. Breathing in and breathing out, I know…I AM PEACEFUL.

Beautifully and brightly illustrated, My Heart Flies Open takes readers on a yoga journey of mindful reflection, self-discovery, and self-love. Starting with Easy Pose (“I AM LOVE”) and moving through Mountain Pose (“I AM STILLNESS”), Triangle Pose (“I AM ME”), and more, My Heart Flies Open guides young readers through a grounding sequence of 15 yoga poses and affirmations.

More than just another yoga or mindfulness book, My Heart Flies Open transports young readers to a magical world where they learn to overcome negative emotions and move dynamically through their feelings—shining bright and connecting to the peace, laughter, love, grounding, and spirit that live inside all along.

With every yoga pose, each breath in, and each breath out, My Heart Flies Open brings young readers home to themselves: they are life, love, joy, and kindness; bold, fierce, peaceful, and whole. Written for children, and especially girls of color, ages 4 - 8. 

My Two Border Towns

Written by David Bowles

Release date: September 14, 2021

A picture book debut by an award-winning author about a boy’s life on the U.S.-Mexico border, visiting his favorite places on The Other Side with his father, spending time with family and friends, and sharing in the responsibility of community care.

Early one Saturday morning, a boy prepares for a trip to The Other Side/El Otro Lado. It’s close—just down the street from his school—and it’s a twin of where he lives. To get there, his father drives their truck along the Rio Grande and over a bridge, where they’re greeted by a giant statue of an eagle. Their outings always include a meal at their favorite restaurant, a visit with Tío Mateo at his jewelry store, a cold treat from the paletero, and a pharmacy pickup. On their final and most important stop, they check in with friends seeking asylum and drop off much-needed supplies.

My Two Border Towns by David Bowles, with stunning watercolor illustrations by Erika Meza, is the loving story of a father and son’s weekend ritual, a demonstration of community care, and a tribute to the fluidity, complexity, and vibrancy of life on the U.S.-Mexico border. 

Change Sings

Written by Amanda Gorman

Release date: September 21, 2021

A lyrical picture book debut from presidential inaugural poet Amanda Gorman and #1 New York Times bestselling illustrator Loren Long

“I can hear change hummingIn its loudest, proudest song.
I don’t fear change coming,
And so I sing along.”

In this stirring, much-anticipated picture book by presidential inaugural poet and activist Amanda Gorman, anything is possible when our voices join together. As a young girl leads a cast of characters on a musical journey, they learn that they have the power to make changes—big or small—in the world, in their communities, and in most importantly, in themselves. 

With lyrical text and rhythmic illustrations that build to a dazzling crescendo by #1 New York Times bestselling illustrator Loren Long, Change Sings is a triumphant call to action for everyone to use their abilities to make a difference.

Where is Everyone?

Written by Tom Schamp

Release date: September 21, 2021

Discover how this celebrated illustrator turns everyday objects inside out in marvelously zany ways in his latest lift-the-flap board book.

A toaster, a refrigerator, a sink, a bed, a car. Most kids can recognize these and other things that are part of their everyday lives. Leave it to Tom Schamp to imagine a different way of seeing them. As kids pore over these brightly colored and highly detailed pictures they’ll be delighted to discover a monkey on a surfboard and an elephant in a bowler hat— all inhabiting the same shapes they recognize in their homes. Each whimsical illustration offers a chance to explore, discuss, and giggle at the unexpected. Every page will encourage kids to think creatively and differently about the world around them and the possibilities that lie hidden in the things we see every day.

Blast Off

Written by Linda C. Cain

Release date: September 21, 2021

An inspiring story about a young Black girl who wants to be an astronaut, written years before Black astronauts were sent into space. This remarkable picture book has been out of print for decades, until now.

First published in 1973, a year after the final Apollo mission, when American astronauts were exclusively white and male, Blast Off is the story of a young African American girl with a vision and a mission.

Regina Williams wants to be an astronaut. One day she’s drawing a picture of a rocket ship on the sidewalk when her friends come by and start to tease her. “You’ll never be an astronaut,” they say.

In reply, she builds her own spaceship with old boxes, pipes, and cans. Before long she’s in space, her eyes wide with wonder at the smallness of the blue-green Earth, the blackness of space, the stars and satellites. When she comes back down to earth, her friends don’t believe her, but she knows her dream is real.

An inspiring story of interstellar space travel with illustrations by the legendary Diane and Leo Dillon.

Three Ways to Be Brave

Written by Karla Clark

Release date: September 28, 2021

Three stories of triumph combine to empower young readers to look inward for strength and create their own definition of bravery.

Told in gentle, rhyming couplets, this collection of stories presents relatable moments of unease and the strength found in conquering fears. A roaring nighttime thunderstorm, the first day of preschool, and a doctor’s visit, in turn, encourage young readers to forge their own paths of strength in times of distress. Illustrated in rich, emotional scenes that depict vignettes of daily life, this book provides comfort and empowerment for resilience and resolution.