Newbery Honor author Margi Preus (Village of Scoundrels) riffs on Norwegian folk stories in her adventurous, wildly creative cli-fi fairy tale Windswept.

In a world ravaged by climate disaster, children under the age of 15 are "not allowed Outside" for fear of being "windswept" and disappearing forever. Seven years ago, Tagalong watched her rule-breaking sisters sneak Outside and vanish in "an angry whirl of snow." Now 13-year-old Tagalong, equipped with a book of fairy tales outlawed by the "Powers-That-Be," joins four other children and a dog called Blue Tooth on a quest into the Unknown to rescue their windswept siblings.

Armando Veve's detailed, whimsical illustrations bring added enchantment to this quest through the wild remains of a fallen civilization. Preus ingeniously marries classic fairy tale devices with modern-day climate fears, lightened with plenty of humor. This delightful story of mystery and magic should tempt fantasy fans. --Jaclyn Fulwood, youth experience manager, Dayton Metro Library

Wolves are unlikely heroes in this charming picture book by Mary Kay Carson (Inside Biosphere 2), illustrated by David Hohn (Headstrong Hallie!). This nonfiction for young readers uses the familiar "House that Jack Built" nursery rhyme format to recount the 1995 reintroduction of wolves to Yellowstone National Park and the dramatic, far-reaching impact they had.

"This is the pack, so furry and fast,/ That hunts near the river that wolves moved." Beautiful full-color art shows the cascading positive effects of wolves on the park. The simple text is complemented by longer informative blocks of text on each double-page spread and backmatter, both of which make it adaptable for different age levels and attention spans. The River that Wolves Moved is an educational, timely and entertaining addition to children's nonfiction. --Kyla Paterno, freelance reviewer

An Asian American child runs circles around their bewildered, loving parents in Minh Lê and Dan Santat's third picture book collaboration, the masterful contemporary family story The Blur. Incisive text contrasts with Santat's exuberant colored pencil, watercolor and digital illustrations, as the book begins with the unnamed kid's extraordinary super powers: "The supersonic voice, fantastically elastic limbs... and, of course, those ultra-magnetic powers." As the child ages and takes part in ordinary childhood activities (trick-or-treating, playing piano), they remain spirited and grow daring. Too soon, the teen is learning to drive, graduating from high school and leaving for college: "How did we get here so fast? It's all a blur." An uplifting and joyful modern-day substitution for fans of the omnipresent Love You Forever. --Melinda Greenblatt, freelance book reviewer

Laura Alary (Here) blends poetry and science to deliver a yummy explanation of the energy required to make a child's oatmeal breakfast. Photosynthesis helps grow the plants, pollinators assist the fruit, and a grass-munching cow produces the milk: "Inside everything, if you look deep enough, you will find the sun." Alary's sweet text is accompanied by Andrea Blinick's cheerful gouache, colored pencil, collage and chalk pastel art, which uses strong swooping lines to illustrate the interconnectedness of all the parts involved.

Alary and Blinick (Outside, You Notice) provide a delightful introduction to the biology in everyday experiences. This bright, inviting picture book warms the audience's tummies and hearts with its nibble-size bites of big science concepts. The author's note on photosynthesis is a bonus for budding biologists, but Sun in My Tummy will charm all, regardless of possible future ambitions. --Jen Forbus, freelancer

Elise Hurst's The Storytellers Handbook is a marvelous volume of intricately rendered illustrations expressly intended to serve as doorways to creativity. In a foreword, Neil Gaiman sets the stage with a welcoming tale of his own--a story about stories. Hurst then issues an invitation to readers to "fire your imagination," with her art offering "fragments--pieces of story, intriguing characters and animals, strange lands, and mythical beings." More than 100 pages of Hurst's detailed and fanciful art include outlandish structures, never-before-seen flora, "emotions," "possibilities, and many things out of place and out of time." Hurst intersperses her scenes with statements meant to encourage dreaming, storytelling and creativity. It's a splendid compendium with "no rules and no set stories... but so many peculiar ingredients waiting" within! --Lynn Becker, reviewer, blogger and children's book author

Coretta Scott King Honor author Tonya Bolden (Changing the Equation; Crossing Ebenezer Creek) pairs historical framework with zippy personal anecdotes in Speak Up, Speak Out!, an engaging biography of Shirley Chisholm. The trailblazer altered the course of history as the first Black woman in Congress and, later, the first from a major political party to run for United States president. Bolden covers Chisholm's education, early community activism and political triumphs and shortfalls in short sentences with a conversive tone, never shying away from the challenges Chisholm faced. This quick read, which includes a foreword by Stacey Abrams and thorough backmatter, should inspire readers "to not just support change-makers but to be one," just like "Fighting Shirley Chisholm." --Kit Ballenger, youth librarian, Help Your Shelf

The potential of Black children is limitless--a reality expressed on every page of the astral Impossible Moon. Breanna J. McDaniel (Hands Up!) fuses emotional intelligence with scientific knowledge as her young protagonist, Mable, journeys through constellations.

Mable embarks on an expedition to the moon in hopes of strengthening her ailing Grana; along the way, she encounters several constellations containing elements of her African roots. Illustrator Tonya Engel (Your Legacy) uses oils and acrylics in primarily blue and violet hues to create each expansive nightscape. Engel's art complements the text, depicting Orion as an archer with long locs and Gemini as "joyous Black twins." McDaniel's detailed backmatter provides additional context about how star configurations factored into ancient folklore and aided enslaved African Americans as they sought freedom. --Rachel Werner, author and teaching artist at Hugo House, Lighthouse Writers Workshop and The Loft Literary Center

Margaret Wise Brown would probably approve of the comforting repetition and small surprises found in retired Inuinnaqtun teacher Rosemarie Avrana Meyok's I Can See You. This simple, friendly board book features mothers or caregivers and children exploring their love in a repeated pattern through the five senses. Details such as a "kunik" (Inuit nose kiss) between adult and child, plush animals (snowy owl, narwhal, walrus) and views of tundra and icebergs give clues to the far northern Canadian setting. Canadian illustrator Michelle Simpson creates softly rounded, brightly colored pictures of snuggling, laughing, peek-a-booing adults and toddlers. There's a good chance the wee recipients of this adorable book will see it, hear it, smell it, feel it and taste it. --Emilie Coulter, freelance writer and editor

How to Speak Animal is an ideal gift for readers who love sharing intriguing tidbits about animal behavior, such as what it's called when guinea pigs make excited squeaky jumps (popcorning) or why cats present their butts (a way to say "howdy, friend!"). Lindy Mattice's handsome volume includes loads of facts and lively photos of animals, with descriptions of a range of behaviors for each. The book is divided into nine chapters, with a handy animal icon on the right side of each page so that readers can flip through quickly to find their favorite critter. The writing is clear and interesting, with tips scattered throughout ("If a snake begins to have short, quick tongue flicks, she has become distracted"). How to Speak Animal is as close to a sure thing as a gift giver could hope. --Emilie Coulter, freelance writer and editor

In High Spirits, Camille Gomera-Tavarez invites readers to gather round and listen to "tales passed down from the generations above them, offering a bridge between the young earth and the fossil stars." In her debut collection, 11 resonant tales share the experiences of the multigenerational Belén family from the fictional town of Hidalpa, Dominican Republic. The self-contained, slice-of-life stories are from Gomera-Tavarez's own life as well as tales passed down by her relatives. Belén family members flit between stories, which take place in both the past and present and in varying locations. Most stories are grounded in reality, but some have tinges of magical realism, and all share relatable themes like identity, toxic masculinity and mental health.

This nostalgic collection of family stories is stunning. --Lana Barnes, freelance reviewer and proofreader

Three hairy, smelly monsters pursue a clever child through three fairy-tale houses in Cotilde Perrin's Gotcha!, a slightly scary yet playfully droll lift-the-flap book.

The chase begins on the title page with a child dressed in a bear costume turning the page. Enter monster #1: "a nasty hairball with frightful fur and feculent feet... prowling, sniffing, searching" for the child, who hides in a brick house belonging to the Three Little Pigs. Monsters #2 and #3 follow suit, while the child evades them in Hansel and Gretel's gingerbread house and in Sleeping Beauty's castle. Each house has plenty to look at, with cutouts, flaps, foldouts and split pages that reveal what's behind closed doors and upstairs. The oversized pages filled with bold, saturated artwork showcase the creatures in all their stinky, "freakish" glory. This interactive fairy-tale hide-and-seek, which was translated from French by Daniel Hahn, is guffaw-eliciting and engaging. --Lana Barnes, freelance reviewer and proofreader

Bugs is an accessible and informative nonfiction picture book about the daily lives of bugs. Entomologist Jessica L. Ware provides an hour-by-hour breakdown that features the activities of a variety of insects, including dragonflies, ants, comet moths and honeybees. Interspersed within the book's primary narrative are several double-page spreads highlighting specific types of bugs, such as "winged wonders," "super swimmers" and "hitchhikers." Ware's text presents information in a way that is both fun and digestible, and Chaaya Prabhat decorates each page with lively and colorful illustrations that aid readers in understanding key terms and concepts. Bugs is a great gift for a burgeoning entomologist or any young reader interested in the natural world. --Cade Williams, freelance reviewer and staff writer at the Harvard Independent

Maggie Stiefvater (Call Down the Hawk) expands upon the world of the 2012 animated film Brave in this lively YA novel for movie fans and newcomers alike. Princess Merida of DunBroch's plan for a joyous Christmas celebration is soured by the arrival of Feradach, "a god of ruin." Feradach, driven by his duty to destroy "that which has fallen into stagnation," is compelled to destroy DunBroch and its people. The Cailleach, "a goddess of creation," intervenes and gives Merida one year to encourage growth in every single family member. Merida travels with her father, mother and three younger brothers to other kingdoms, hoping to inspire change. Stiefvater's depiction of Merida's often-chaotic, always loving family forms the heart of this novel. Bravely skillfully unites energetic fantasy adventure with character growth. --Alanna Felton, freelance reviewer

Awesome Accidents is a vibrantly illustrated picture book import from Spain that "is a tribute to human trial and error." This history pinpoints 16 everyday and life-saving creations that were birthed from mishaps, including coffee, the eraser and the microwave oven.

Soledad Romero Mariño includes a brief bio, an explanation of the lucky accident and a description of the invention on each double-page spread. Montse Galbany's bold, eye-catching digital artwork features images of the creations alongside inventors caught in action. The text, translated by Howard Curtis, is an excellent nonfiction resource that also reminds readers "mistakes guide us and show us a way to success." Young readers may be inspired to make some accidental creations of their own! --Kharissa Kenner, children's librarian, Bank Street School for Children

Fans of queer YA romance should adore Steven Salvatore's second novel, the pitch perfect And They Lived. College freshman Chase is certain he will meet a cute boy on campus and become the next great Disney animator. At first, things seem promising: he befriends dreamy poet Jack and thrives in his animation class. Soon enough, though, Chase's idealized vision begins to crumble. His disordered eating and body dysmorphia creep back, and he is unsure about his gender identity and what pronouns feel best. Chase's animation class project, a gay twist on a fairy-tale trope, is woven throughout the narrative and parallels his own romantic heartache.

The book's realistic fast-paced banter, a lovable cast of LGBTQ+ characters and an achingly relatable fairy tale-inspired journey will likely leave a lasting impression. --Kieran Slattery, freelance reviewer, teacher, co-creator of Gender Inclusive Classrooms