Un cofre de palabras - A Chest Full of Words By Rebecca Gugger and Simon Röthlisberger New York : Ediciones Nortesur, an imprint of NorthSouth Books Inc., 2026. Libro ilustrado. In this picture book, a child finds a treasure chest. After spending days trying to crack it open, he discovers that the chest is full of all kinds of words. While he is initially disappointed with his discovery, he quickly realizes that he can use the words to change things around him. He turns a hedgehog florescent yellow, makes a tree hairy, and makes a beetle monstrous - before quickly turning him adorable instead. But what will happen when he finally runs out of words in his chest? This is a bilingual picture book and the words are integrated well into the illustrations in both English and Spanish. This tale teaches kids the importance of words - both how they are used and the importance of building your vocabulary. Plus kids will love how the words can create hilarious magical effects in the world o...
Wolf's Belly Written by John August Illustrated by Simon Estrada New York: Roaring Brook Press, 2026. Comics. 312 pages. Just because you know the story of Little Red Riding Hood doesn't mean you really know what happened. For starters, did you know her name was Lu? Or that she didn't stumble on the Wolf by accident? Eager to prove she belonged in a family full of talented brothers, sisters, and parents; Lu traveled into the woods to hunt and slay the wolf—visiting Granny was just a ruse. Unfortunately, Lu was swallowed whole by the wolf before she got the chance. In Wolf's Belly, Lu finds a community of people who had been swallowed by the wolf including her grandmother and famous characters from other folktales. Determined to escape, Lu begins a quest to slay the beast and find her way out. Reading this graphic novel is a cinematic experience with panels full of atmospheric details. So many fractured fairy tales follow similar routes, but this Red Riding Hood story is...