Preorder Party! - MARCH -

Books to look forward to, and backlist titles for while you wait!

This time, I’m sharing a selection of picture through middle grade books — all coming out in March — that you may want to preorder or put on hold at the library. (How much fun is it to be the first one to check out a library book?!) Are there other books coming out next month? Absolutely. But I’m in the business of culling through what looks like a party (and I’m SURE I’m missing some bangers!), and I also include backlist titles to read as you prep. If there’s a book on your list that’s not on mine, please add it in the comments.

As always, I’m excited for you to feel encouraged and inspired to make your own party from what I share here. Use the backlist titles to prep, have conversations, and build excitement for what’s to come, but do it in your own way. These aren’t homework assignments.

Please rememember that all my Bookshop links are affiliate links. First and foremost, I want you to use your local libraries and independent bookstores. BUT! If you choose to buy online, I am grateful for your support. I know shipping times are longer, but it’s worth it.

Oh, and unless signed with a —CD, all quotes are directly from the publishers! I’ll work up to getting advanced copies or NetGalley access of all the books I feature, but we aren’t there… yet.

OK, enough chatting: here we go with joy! connection! and anticipation! for March. (April will be in your inboxes closer to the beginning of March, I promise.)

LOOPS (Jashar Awan) | Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, March 3 | Picture Book

Move over tired “congratulations” books; Jashar Awan has given us the next best book to give anyone trying something new or facing a transition. It’s an ode to learning to tie big kid shoes. Buy it for the child learning to tie his shoes, of course, or the child going into kindergarten or graduating from anything and everything — or for the parents of a newborn. With a touch of The Monster at the End of This Book, Awan’s energetic yet simple signature style cannot do anything but make you smile and cheer. I can’t wait for you to read this one. —CD

Backlist titles:

• Any of Jashar Awan’s books!

• JABARI JUMPS (Gaia Cornwall)

• THE MONSTER AT THE END OF THIS BOOK (SESAME STREET) (Jon Stone, Michael Smollin)

  

NO, NO, NO | Noemi Vola | Tra Publishing, March 24 | Picture Book

Right in the middle of whatever Spider is doing—brushing his teeth, reading a book, or watching a storm—he thinks of Frog. The strange thing is, Frog isn’t even nice. On the contrary, she’s quite rude. She never suggests going for a walk, never cares if anyone is hot or cold, and, most of all, she always says NO. And she there are all kinds of NOs… Spider keeps all these NOs tangled in his web, but when a storm sweeps everything away, it brings a new friend who helps him discover the value of YES.

Backlist titles:

• THE UNFORGETTABLE PARTY (Noemi Vola)

• THE LITTLE ENGINE THAT COULD (Watty Piper)

  

WELCOME TO THE RABBIT RESIDENCE (Haluka Nohana) | Chronicle Books, March 3 | Picture Book

Come and stay in this seek-and-find picture book where more than twenty rabbit residents are waiting to welcome you to their adorable apartment building!

The Rabbit Residence is a five-story apartment building with twenty-five homes inside. That means this one picture book actually has over twenty-five stories, each featuring delightful rabbit residents. Today, a new rabbit family is moving in, which is the start of a whole new story . . .

• WELCOME TO THE PENGUIN CRUISE (Haluka Nohana)

• THE HOUSE WITH 100 STORIES (Toshio Iwai)

• CARS AND TRUCKS AND THINGS THAT GO (Richard Scarry)

THE FUTURE BOOK (Mac Barnett and Shawn Harris) | Knopf Books for Young Readers, March 3 | Picture Book

Every other book was written in the past. But this book? This book was written in the future.
Do you want to know what the future is like? Turn the pages to get a glimpse at the world of tomorrow and its unexpected words, strange social customs, and mind-blowing colors!

Backlist titles:

• A POLAR BEAR IN THE SNOW (Mac Barnett and Shawn Harris)

• THE TEENY WEENY UNICORN (Shawn Harris)

• WE ARE DEFINITELY HUMAN (X. Fang)

IT’S MY BIRD-DAY! (Mo Willems) | Union Square Kids, March 31 | Picture Book

From #1 New York Times bestselling, award-winning author and illustrator Mo Willems, comes the highly anticipated annual event, The Pigeon’s BIRD-DAY!

The Pigeon has the hat. And the hot dog cake! He is ready for the presents! But ... do YOU think The Pigeon can handle his BIG bird-day surprise!?!

Get ready for a very special birthday celebration from three-time Caldecott honoree Mo Willems.

• As many Mo Willems books as you can read!

RUTHIE (Esme Shapiro) | Tundra Books, March 17 | Picture Book

In this delightful companion book to Ooko that stands all on its own, Esmé Shapiro tells Ruthie’s side of this topsy-turvy story -- and a hilarious, heartfelt tale about breaking free of and longing for home.

Backlist titles:

• OOKO (Esme Shapiro)

• GASTON (Kelly DiPucchio and Christian Robinson)

• ANTOINETTE (Kelly DiPucchio and Christian Robinson)

Fia Hosein Finds Her Beat (The Kids in Mrs. Z’s Class) (Tracey Baptiste) | Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, March 10 | Chapter Book

Meet the kids in Mrs. Z's wacky and wonderful third grade class! Fia Hosein loves life in Peppermint Falls, but when she notices her Trinidadian accent beginning to fade, she hits a few bumps in the road while regaining her voice.

The Kids in Mrs. Z's Class is an innovative series where every book is written by a different all-star author and features a different kid in the same third-grade class. They can be read in any order!

Backlist ideas:

• Any of the other Mrs. Z’s Class books (various authors)

• SIDEWAYS STORIES FROM WAYSIDE SCHOOL (Louis Sachar)

The Unlikely Tale of Chase & Finnegan (Jasmine Warga) | Balzer + Bray, March 3 | Middle Grade

From the Newbery Honor-winning and #1 New York Times bestselling author of A Rover's Story comes the moving story of a cheetah who forms a friendship with a rescue dog—a bond that will change their lives forever.

Inspired by true stories from zoos across the country, award-winning author Jasmine Warga creates a deeply moving tale about how the power of friendship can transcend anything—even species.

Backlist titles:

• THE ONE AND ONLY IVAN (Katherine Applegate)

• WILDOAK (C.C. Harrington)

IGOR AND THE MENDING MICE (Alexander Mostov) | Ivy Kids Eco, March 3 | Picture Book

Igor and the Mending Mice is a funny and heartwarming picture book that celebrates creativity and shows children the joy of repairing and recycling, as a family of clever mice take on fast fashion and outsmart a bullying factory boss.

Igor and the Mending Mice is a joyful book that introduces children to the idea of 're-loving' their old clothes and inspires them to see the value in what they already have. Printed on recycled paper, it will delight young readers and reassure adults they are making a positive choice for the planet.

Backlist ideas:

• THE DAY THE CRAYONS QUIT (Drew Daywalt, illustrated by Oliver Jeffers)

• ADA’S VIOLIN: THE STORY OF THE RECYCLED ORCHESTRA OF PARAGUAY (Susan Hood, illustrated by Sally Wern Comport

HOW BEAR BECAME A BOOK (Annette Bay Pimentel, illustrated by Faith Pray) | Henry Holt and Co. (BYR), March 31 | Picture Book

Celebrate the 100th anniversary of Winnie-the-Pooh with this gorgeous picture book about the creation of the World's Most Famous Bear!

In 1926, the very first Winnie-the-Pooh book was published. One hundred years later, generations of kids have grown up in the Hundred Acre Wood.

How a Bear Became a Book tells the story of how writer, illustrator, and editor came together to craft Pooh's first adventure. But deeper than that, this book introduces our youngest readers to how stories begin and where they can go. As Pooh's voice enters the text, he slowly comes to life in the art.

Backlist ideas:

• WINNIE THE POOH (A.A. Milne, illustrated by Ernest Shepherd)

• FINDING WINNIE (Lindsay Mattick, illustrated by Sophie Blackall)

• WINNIE THE POOH, MY FIRST BEDTIME STORY BOOK (Disney Press)