Exca-Gator! (Flamingo Books) by Brooke Hartman, illustrated by Michael Slack has been named a winner of Good Housekeeping’s 2026 book awards! This is judged not only by editors at Good Housekeeping, but also by children and their families, who are invited to rate and read hundreds of titles.

Here’s what they had to say about EXCA-GATOR:

We’re excited to see our very own Michael Slack and Micah Player joining the “Drawn to Stories” panel at the Las Vegas Book Festival this Saturday, October 17th.

If you are in the area, be sure to stop by and show them some love!

Learn more here: https://lnkd.in/g4DU6e8S

Hail the Tail (Beach Lane) by Laura Bower, illustrated by Elisa Chavarri doesn’t come out until February 23, 2027 but it is already receiving praise. Kirkus says: Chavarri’s bright, animated animal portraits amply demonstrate the point—here with a crocodile balancing on its thick tail to lunge out of the water at a passing bird, there with furry tails keeping the noses of a curled-up fox and snow leopard warm.

We can’t wait to see the book! Congratulations Elisa!

Kirkus Reviews has given a star to Black Is (HarperCollins) by Laura Obuobi, illustrated by London Ladd. The book is a companion to NAACP Image Award Winner, Black Gold. AWARD WINNER, BLACK GOLD.

The review says: Ladd’s striking acrylic-and-collage spreads render the poem’s expansiveness with remarkable intimacy: Textures of monumental figures, cosmic vistas, collective struggle, and quiet family tenderness emerge from visibly layered paint and paper.

The book will be published January 12, 2027.

Congratulations London!

The Children’s Book Council has included Beep Beep to Sleep (Nancy Paulsen Books)  by Debbie Rigaud, illustrated by Olivia Duchess on its October Hot off the Press list. The book comes out October 13, 2026.

Congratulations Olivia!

Praise has been coming in for My Sister’s Quinceañera (Crown) by Delia Ruiz, illustrated by Elisa Chavarri.

Kirkus said: Chavarri’s soft, cheerful illustrations, created with pastel, gouache, and colored pencil, complement the warm tone and steady pacing of Ruiz’s narrative.

School Library Journal said: Chavarri’s pastel illustrations depict a close family coming together for a celebration with all the anticipation and affection attached to such an event.

Congratulations Elisa!

Postcards from Malcolm X: How Yuri Kochiyama Became a Civil Rights Activist (Red Comet) by Mia Wenjen, illustrated by Keith Henry Brown is featured on the @childrensbookcouncil October Hot Off the Press list. Perfect for classroom libraries and cozy storytimes alike. Explore the full list here: https://cbcbooks.org/

The book has also been named “Best of the Stacks” in the Brodart LittleOne Catalog.

The book will be published October 13, 2026.

Congratulations Keith!

The Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books has given a starred review to Family Found: A Queer Friendsgiving Celebration (Candlewick), by Joanna McClintick, illustrated by Keisha Morris.

The review says “Digitally composed lineless illustrations are rendered in a saturated autumnal palette and roughly textured to nostalgically evoke the old photographs in an album that interstitially displays the family’s years past.”

Congratulations Keisha!