106 PUBLISHERS WEEKLY FEBRUARY 2, 2026
the youth returns to Mom for a reas- suring embrace, and the pair reflect on when the child’s seed might sprout. Unfolding via panels and full-bleed spreads, shadowy and dreamy art- work yields a meditative visual telling about solo exploration. Background characters are portrayed with various skin tones. Ages 4–7. (Apr.)
Me, Myself, and I
SIX PICTURE BOOKS CENTER DEVELOPING PERSPECTIVES.
Where I Grew Jashar Awan, illus. by Rahele Jomepour
Bell. Norton, $18.99 (48p) ISBN 978-1-3240-1661-8
Accompanied by an elderly caretaker, a child on a woodland walk consid- ers their family legacy of finding home in this minimalist picture book. The exuberantly dressed protago- nist—pink glasses matching a pink beret—narrates each step of the forest journey: “We come from all over.// We all took different paths.” Swinging from a tree branch amid dandelion seeds, they note one way: “by air.” Crossing a quiet brook represents another: “by water.” A curious fox in the underbrush stands in for “with the help of fellow travelers.” Upon finding a “perfect place/ To put down/ our roots,” the child notes, “This is/ where/ I grew.” Seasons later, as shown by a spread of tree branches in varying weather, the now-adult protagonist returns to the forest with children in tow, thinking about the journeys they will undertake. Awan’s clear, unfussy first-person lines and Jomepour Bell’s bold, translucent illustrations add layers to an expan- sively imagined portrait of building community and putting down roots. Characters are portrayed with various skin tones. Ages 4–8. (Mar.) This Is Who I Am Rashmi Sirdeshpande, illus. by Ruchi Mhasan. Magination, $18.99 (32p) ISBN 978-1-4338-4891-9 As detailed in an author’s note, Sirdeshpande draws on personal experience and family history to pen a heartening picture book about finding a sense of belonging. Leading on from an “I am...” refrain, a youth celebrates their expansive sense of identity (“I say I have a foot in two worlds/ but I am
I Am Here Kim Hyo-eun, trans. from the Korean by Aerin Park. Scribble US, $12.95 (18p) ISBN 978-1-964992-41-9 ★ ❘ Repeated prepositions propel this bright-eyed board book, which movingly presents the world from a baby’s developing perspective. Unfolded downward, accordion pages reference common sights the protagonist perceives from below—“under/ the sun// under/ the clouds”—culminating in the round-cheeked tot, held in a baby carrier: “under/ Mama/ me.” A palette of sky blues forms the backdrop for these items, which are given a simple freshness via screen-printing-like techniques. Flipped and unfurled sideways, the book reveals a second sequence that foregrounds a broader rainbow of backdrops via the vantage point of an older, toddling child who experiences the world adjacent to items found low to the ground—“beside/ Grandpa,” “beside/ a cat,” and the like—with text finally circling back to the title: “me// I am here.” Kim cleverly uses the format to articulate the perspective-shifting process of becoming in this uniquely engineered read. Characters read as East Asian. Ages up to 4. (Apr.)
Hello, Beautiful Traci N. Todd, illus. by Loveis Wise. Viking, $18.99 (32p) ISBN 978-0-593-35298-4
Todd’s advice-filled lines welcome a growing child, “bright-eyed,/ bold,/ demanding to be heard/ and seen,” in this effusive picture book. “You are everything good/ in this world,” caregivers tell an infant in opening scenes. As the youth matures, upbeat prose turns instructive (“Find your words,/ talk your talk”) and comforting (“When tears come,/ let them flow.... Not every storm/ will end in rainbows,/ and that’s all right”). Echoing text’s steady feel, vibrant, round-edged digital artwork from Wise incorporates botanicals, squiggles, and stars to produce a textured portrait of a child’s emerging ability to feel fully at home in the world. Final sentiments encourage being human (“bright-eyed, bold,/ demanding”) and seeing “the human in everyone,” leading to an affirming close for this strengthening presentation of a life anchored in acceptance. Figures are depicted with varied abilities, body types, and skin tones. Ages 3–7. (Apr.) Nobody but Me Sara Lundberg, trans. from the Swedish by B.J. Woodstein. Triangle Square, $21.95 (64p) ISBN 978-1-64421-524-1 During a watery outdoor outing, a child embarks on a captivating adventure in Lundberg’s richly illustrated evocation of early independence. Realistic-feeling dialogue sets the tone: “Do you know what, Mom?... You’re the pier. And I’m the boat.” After proudly untying the knot that tethers a small raft to a dock’s piling, the pale-skinned youth floats away from their mother as storytelling turns wordless. Lush, thickly colored paintings trace the protagonist’s journey through a stand of mangroves to an active urban waterway to a water park where another child gives them a seed. Moving on to a forest, their raft capsizes, but a group of leaf-clad, sprite-like creatures who have appeared throughout provide help and warming comfort. Slightly shaken,
Made with FlippingBook Ebook Creator