Happy New Year, everyone! We’re kicking off 2022 with a fantastic list of new books that readers of all ages are sure to enjoy. Crack another case with King and Kayla, explore one of the most spectacular and productive ecosystems on Earth, follow a little rabbit as she stumbles out of her comfort zone for an extra juicy carrot, set out on a dragon-filled adventure, and so much more!
Beyond the Burrow
by Jessica Meserve
The world can be a scary place for a small rabbit, especially when it’s filled with strange-looking creatures who don’t eat carrots… This adventurous, yet reassuring tale of exploration will inspire boldness and curiosity intoddlers and preschoolers who might need a nudge and are reluctant to embrace new experiences. Paired with soft, colorful illustrations, this beautiful picture book also features a community of endearing animals and important social emotional learning themes of friendship, kindness, and bravery.
Preorder Beyond the Burrow today through your local bookstore, Barnes & Noble, Bookshop.org, or on Amazon.
Miguel’s Community Garden
by JaNay Brown-Wood
illustrated by Samara Hardy
Miguel is throwing a party at his community garden for all of his friends, and he needs help searching for sunflowers to complete the celebration. Can you help Miguel find them in time for his party? The second title in JaNay Brown-Wood and Samara Hardy’s Where in the Garden? series stars an adorable young Latino exploring his garden while comparing, contrasting, and hunting for sunflowers among a multitude of warm-weather fruits and vegetables like apricots, artichokes, asparagus, mushrooms, spinach, and more.
Preorder Miguel’s Community Garden today through your local bookstore, Barnes & Noble, Bookshop.org, or on Amazon.
King & Kayla and the Case of the Lost Library Book
by Dori Hillestad Butler
illustrated by Nancy Meyers
Kayla needs to return her library books so that she can check out new ones. But she can’t find one of them. Where could it be? Can King and Kayla’s friend Jillian help? With simple, straightforward language and great verbal and visual humor, this new addition to the King & Kayla series from Geisel Honor Award-winning team Dori Hillestad Butler and Nancy Meyers is ideal for diverse book collections and great for introducing mysteries and the important concepts of fact gathering, list making, clues, and analytical thinking.
Preorder King & Kayla and the Case of the Lost Library Book today through your local bookstore, Barnes & Noble, Bookshop.org, or on Amazon.
Serengeti
Plains of Grass
by Leslie Bulion
illustrated by Becca Stadtlander
Award-winning science poetry master Leslie Bulion has created a portrait of the rainy season on East Africa’s southern Serengeti Plain, offering young readers a compelling look at an ecosystem in motion. Using a series of interconnected verses inspired by an East African Swahili poem form—the utendi—Bulion’s cadences and rhythmic lines mimic the web of life in the Serengeti, following the great migration of wildebeest, zebras, and others into and then out of the vast short-grass plain.
Preorder Serengeti today through your local bookstore, Barnes & Noble, Bookshop.org, or on Amazon.
The Boy Who Met a Whale
by Nizrana Farook
Razi, a local fisherboy, is watching turtle eggs hatch when he sees a boat bobbing into view. With a chill, he notices a small, still hand hanging over the side, and suddenly Razi is swept up in a thrilling seafaring adventure, complete with a kidnapping and the biggest sea monster of them all! From the author of The Girl Who Stole an Elephant comes another action-packed quest that swells with empathetic heroes, missing treasure, and a great beast lurking beneath. Set against a vibrant, authentic landscape inspired by Sri Lanka, this delightful caper will thrill young fans of adventure and fantasy.
Preorder The Boy Who Met a Whale today through your local bookstore, Barnes & Noble, Bookshop.org, or on Amazon.
A Darkening of Dragons
by S.A. Patrick
Three accidental heroes encounter one legendary villain in an epic dragon-filled adventure just right for young fans of Terry Pratchett, J.R.R. Tolkien, and How to Train Your Dragon! S.A. Patrick’s debut children’s novel is a vivid retelling of one of the darkest legends of all time – the Piper of Hamelyn. Combining fairy tale lore with the very best of modern storytelling and empowerment, A Darkening of Dragons takes fantasy fans on a journey filled with adventure, magic, and the delight of finding friends in unexpected places.
Preorder A Darkening of Dragons today through your local bookstore, Barnes & Noble, Bookshop.org, or on Amazon.