My Tokyo Summer – written by Abby Denson, illustrated by Utomaru
Graphix (Scholastic), 2026

Two girls, one American and one Japanese, share a love of comic arts, particularly manga. Abby earns a chance to study art in NYC, where she stays with her Grandfather, but also frequents the edgy and exciting world of zine publishing, clubs, and other media. Yuuko visits NYC, and reaches out as a fan to Abby, having seen her work through the exchange of independent aspiring artists. When Abby visits Tokyo, the intercultural exchange between the two, and Abby’s immersion in the Japanese metropolis, becomes an unforgettable experience. That’s the plot of My Tokyo Summer, a fictionalized account of Abby Denson’s life and early career, as she explains in her afterword.

The distinctive quality of this graphic novel is not just its honest account of two teens finding their métier. The integration of material about Japanese language and culture, and the process of drawing, (“And it’s leaking through the thin paper! Maybe I should try Bristol paper next time.”), compose an immersive tour through the 1990s in two great cities. Although popular culture is emphasized, there are two brief, but significant, gestures to the heritage that nurtured them. In NYC, Yuuko and her sister attend a performance of the New York City Ballet (“I can’t believe we’re at Lincoln Center for a Ballet”). Even before her trip, Yuuko, studying English with determination, identifies with the characters in E.L. Konigsburg’s classic novel, From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler. Denson does not refer to the novel’s title, instead having Yuuko mention her enthusiasm about its character’s unusual adventure: “Just imagine! Hiding out inside the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City!”)

The Japanese cultural information is rich, including elements that may be familiar to readers. Food, vending machines that sell ever items, crowded subway trains. But there are also explorations of history, religion, and the arts. Shrines offer specific seal stamps, goshuin, that visitors can collect in books. Abby may be more interested in exploring the punk rock scenes and Shibuya shopping than in learning about sculpture from the Kamakura era, but the juxtaposition of both offers a rounded and realistic portrait.

I noted that the recommended age for readers of My Tokyo Summer is twelve and older. There are a small number of pictures with partial nudity, but, overall, most of the material would also be suitable for readers under that age. I assume that Abby Denson, and Utomaru, included those scenes as significant reflections of Abby and Yuuko’s encounters. Denson, Utomaru, and Yuuko Koyama added thoughtful notes, as well as photos and drawings, in the back matter. A summer in Tokyo is not the only path to becoming an artist, but this graphic novel should generate excitement about how and why creativity happens.

Max a Little Axolotl: Breaking Out – written and illustrated by Joey Spiotta
Graphix (Scholastic), 2026

This is the second in the series about an endearing axolotl and his friends.  Max has become acclimated to his aquarium home. With pizza day, their teacher, Mr. Tecu, imparting crucial information about ecosystems, and his multiple species of aquatic friends, life is pretty comfortable. When another axolotl, Nayeli, arrives, she is less accepting of captivity, even with all the amenities.

Joey Spiotta has been a concept artist in animation; if some of the endearing creatures who interact with him remind you of Nemo, or older personified animals like Archimedes the Owl (The Sword in the Stone), that friendly aesthetic might be the reason. 

The old fish who can’t find his glasses, or remember Nayeli’s name, personifies kindness. Teddy/Uncle T-Bone is an enterprising crustacean who sells junk, as well as algae smoothies, figuring that “you gotta diversify if’n you wanna run a successful business.”

When Max and friends finally locate Nayeli, he patiently explains the scary truth to her: axolotls are an endangered species who can only survive in a protected environment. The truth dawns on her. “I …can’t go home,” is a heartbreaking reality, especially followed by Max’s confirmation that “there’s nothing to go back to.” Just when you might think this bleak reality is the end of the story, Nayeli learns that a safely constructed habitat that looks and feels like home is enough for the present.  As Mr. Tecu admits, “change can be hard.” Spiotta’s helpful list of “Facts-olotl” concludes the story, contextualizing both the incredible value of this small salamander, and why Max and Nayeli require protection, at least for now.

Cat Loaf Adventures Volume 1 – written and illustrated by kat.ariyn
Graphix (Scholastic), 2026

Entering the parallel universe of Cat Loaf Adventures involves suspending disbelief about the thoughts and lives of pastry.  It’s not only the central premise that bread, cinnamon buns, and baguettes could come to life. Of course they can, in this new printed format for a WEBTOON comic. The deliberately off-kilter formula grants a sense of familiarity mixed with the very strange.  Cat Loaf, Rye Loaf, Tabby Loaf, and the other doughy characters struggle to get along and reach their dreams, similarly to those annoying “hoomans,” with their constant picture taking.  “Can’t they live in the moment for once?”

These pastries, from the beginning, grapple with existential questions, such as “What’s it like to be not here?” With a few deft strokes and the colors of grain brightened by contrasting blue, kat.aryin has created an oddly convincing universe.  The sweetly round Cinnabuns might seem to be the image of innocence, but they are actually consumed with the desire to be evil. However, they are also easily manipulated into thinking that letting trespassers on their domain go free is an act of negligence, and therefore, bad.

The endearing Chocolate Mousse Mice are not as much of a paradox. You can’t help but empathize with Rosie, a Raspberry Mousse, who fears that her love for Cat Loaf is unrequited.  Her sketchbook reveals that she aspires to design postage stamps, or “stickies,” for the Ink and Post Shop.  Snail mail still exists in this bakery world. Cat Loaf appreciates Rosie’s need to pursue her dream. After all, as he states, “I like dreams! You can nap in them!”.

The book is frosted with puns, or maybe stuffed with puns would be more accurate. At one point there is a contest to determine who can “dish out” the most puns, and emerge the “breadwinner.” The loser clearly lacks a “grain of sense.” Depending on the age of the reader, these games with language will be simply funny, or a wry (or rye)  statement about the flexibility of language.

The Baguette Cat shows up as “the one who has been waiting for an intro.”  His intricate contortions and pursuit of acceptance lead to new lead to some surprising results in this flaky quest narrative.  Cat Loaf Adventures turns the kawaii (roughly translated as “cute”) aesthetic upside down and turns it into a new concoction.

The Only Way to Dance – written by Cristina Quintero, illustrated by Eugenia Mello
Tundra Books, 2026

This picture book is a gorgeous, diverse, meditation on the cultural significance of dance. The title is a subtle reference to the fact, made clear on every page, that different ethnic dances are each unique, but share the same roots in self-expression. The alleged only way to dance is accessible to anyone because “you always start with a beat.” But the direction which dancers choose is characterized by a multiplicity of reasons. Information and visual beauty inform all the steps of this journey into an ancient art form. One of the first scenes, in black, white and gray, is a bird’s eye view of a girl and her surroundings, as she twirls under an umbrella on a rainy roof.

Although adults may recognize an allusion to Hollywood musicals, Cristina Quintero’s text and Eugenia Mello’s picture present an intriguing and encouraging introduction. Not much is required to initiate a dance, only rhythm and a place. “It can be any space you like,” simple or elaborate. Yellow and orange shades of light begin to illuminate the overcast sky.

Some of the places where dance can emerge are the forest, a ballet studio, or an urban street. The overall message of dance’s availability becomes intensely focused on a range of cultural expressions, all of which are defined and further illustrated in the book’s closing section, “Dances of the World.” The dancers’ bodies are not forced into a rigid perfection; they are rounded, with stylized expressions on their faces. They are different skin and hair colors, wear elaborate costumes or ordinary clothes. Some have disabilities and dance in wheelchairs. Readers view them from different angles, giving a sense of motion to the sequence of performances.

Diversity in dance involves materials, accompaniment, and setting. A drum, violin, or guitar may be needed, but sometimes human voices compose the score. The motives that compel individuals, and communities, to dance, alone or together, are multiple. Joy, the hope for luck, honor, remembrance, and connection to others and to the earth itself, are all given a stage here. The Chinese Dragon Dance, the First National Round Dance of Indigenous peoples in North America, Argentina’s tango, and the hora associated with Israel but with origins in southern Europe, are all represented. Some pictures include the young girl from the earlier scenes observing the dancers; she is both audience and participant. The Only Way to Dance conveys a unifying tone of respect, as well as excitement, at the range of ways in which people can use their bodies, voices, and music to make meaningful statements about thems

Canada: We Are the Story – written by Richard Wagamese, adapted by David A. Robertson, illustrated by Mangeshig Pawis-Steckley
Tundra Books, 2026

One of the most fascinating features of Richard Wagamese and Mangeshig Pawis-Steckley’s picture book is equilibrium between two overlapping themes.  Dedicated to celebrating Indigenous peoples of Canada, it offers specific information about their diversity and their ongoing presence. It is also a book about respect and love for the powerful legacy of ancestors, a message applicable to all communities.  This haunting and beautiful testament to links between past and present should be shared between young readers and the adults who care for them.

Opening the book, the reader finds endpapers depicting human figures in blue and dark purple against a background without sharp contrast. They are barely visible, but they will become intensely real as the story develops. The first sequence shows smiling teacher distributing papers in a classroom. Canadian flags are displayed, and students are reacting in different ways to the announcement of an assignment. One Indigenous student returns home, seemingly frustrated. Seated at his or her desk, the student, viewed from behind and above, confronts a difficult question: “What makes you proud to be Canadian?” It is not yet clear why this question is so challenging, but the text announces support and guidance. “Listen. Can you hear the voices of the Old Ones speaking to you in a language you’ve forgotten?”

The student may have once heard that language at home, but never learned to speak it. He or she may have been discouraged from doing so, or lost interest because it seemed irrelevant or isolating. Whatever specific combination of motives contributed to this loss, the narrator is about to set the student on a path towards courage and reconciliation.  “Close your eyes” is a precursor to envisioning the Ancestors in the Spirit World exhaling all at once.” A reader may be receptive, or skeptical, to this message.  Wagamase’s text’s conveys a  conviction carries of strength, regardless of any initial reaction (his poem has been posthumously adapted by David Robinson).  Pawis-Steckley’s ancestral figures stand behind the student, a human wall of support, as they both talk and listen.

On the following two pages, the figures acquire identities. They are not a monolith, as they speak Dene, Blackfoot, Ojibway, and other languages. Some of the languages are Indigenous ones, and others are European. They share in common a wisdom that has created the past and influences the present and future, because, in their world, “There is no time, and there is no history.”

Of course, time and history have not been erased, but they have been contextualized. The earth is peopled by both the dead and the living, and neither induces fear. In a wonderful phrase, they have all “fallen head over heels in love with the spell of this country.”

Colors become brighter and sharper as the Old Ones accompany contemporary people of different ethnicities. The geography of Canada is revealed as a series of wonders, accurate and also poetic.  Canadians interact with their environment to “gather nets, forge steel, harvest crops, lay roads” creating a home for everyone who lives there. Filled with inspiration and ready to add to the ongoing project of creation, the student, rushes out to join a gathering of Indigenous people.

A book that speaks to everyone may address every reader, and her community, in a somewhat different way. This fact does not diminish either the Indigenous or the universal aspects of Canada: We Are the Story. We have different ancestors, and they all merit attention.

Cats in Jerusalem – written by Tammar Stein, illustrated by Menachem Halberstadt
Green Bean Books, 2026

If you would like to take a child on a short, but exciting, trip to Jerusalem, this board book by Tammar Stein and Menachem Halberstadt have a clowder of cats ready to accompany her.  In a square volume filled with bright colors and enthusiastic visitors,  the cats introduce some of the city’s highlights, from their own feline perspective.  At the book’s conclusion, there is an old-fashioned display of scenes stylized as  photos, identifying each landmark, with room for the cats to climb around and across.

Menachem Halberstadt’s illustrations (see reviews of other books here and here), are distinctively appealing. His characters are somewhat exaggerated and realistic at the same time. People’s facial expressions and bodily posture signal essential traits, and animals share this quality.  The cats in Jerusalem are just short of anthropomorphic, but there is no mistaking their sense of control and comfort in their home. 

Cats are not notably verbal, but Stein captures their actions in few words, while Halberstadt’s pictures allude to their motives. “Cats in Jerusalem peek,” moving through bushes beneath an imposing skyline. (Naturally, “they purr,” especially when kind residents or tourists pay attention to them. “They stretch” unselfconsciously at the Shrine of the Book and they chase a bird in front of Lion’s Gate, forming a distraction for the otherwise engaged family visiting the site.

On Ben Yehuda street,  where a brightly lit background changes to the reddish brown of sunset, the cats sing along with a Chasidic father and son playing the guitar and harmonica.  The cats look as absorbed in musical joy as the musicians.  Cats are confident creatures; as the tour closes,  they sit on a rooftop beneath the moon, satisfied in the day’s activities.  Stein summarizes their sense of accomplishment with the irrefutable statement, “they rule,” a phrase which they almost seem to be reading as they look out at the stars. Here is a novel way to visit Jerusalem.

What Do People Do at the Science Museum – written by Maggie Tokuda-Hall, illustrated by Qin Leng
Chronicle Books, 2026

Maggie Tokuda-Hall and Qin Leng’s picture book introduction to science museums is outstanding.  There are many informative and nicely illustrated books on the subject, and at least one gentle parody worthy of the fiction of Borges (Grover and the Everything in the Whole Wide World Museum). What Do People Do at the Science Museum, as the title indicates, answers more than questions about dinosaurs, or other specific exhibits.  Covering the artifacts displayed, the scientists or study them, the specific museum professionals who select and them and design the exhibits, the book is truly comprehensive, as well as entertaining. 

The first page identifies the purpose of a science and natural history museum.  “It’s a good place for curious people to ask questions and learn.” Children, by definition, are curious, and adults who need to recapture the sense of wonder that children feel will be enthralled by this book. Qin Leng’s inimitable style (see my reviews of other books here and here and here and here) is perfect for capturing both careful details and human responses to experiences. The opening picture depicts a monumental building, inspiring awe at the prospect of entering, but also people in groups, pairs, and alone climbing steps in happy anticipation.

Every page is carefully composed; the abundance of information never becomes overwhelming because it is artfully integrated. There are text boxes of different sizes, word balloons, and multiple spheres of activity.  Before even venturing into the exhibits themselves, visitors, and readers, learn that structural engineers design museums to be best adapted to their purpose. A small text box presents a simple triangle as one basic unit of engineering.  Meanwhile, at the bottom of the page, a docent speaking to a school group uses the friendly analogy of building blocks to familiarize the student with the process of construction.

Maggie Tokuda-Hall is in tune with the way in which children think and express themselves, without using a patronizing tone see another example here).  A child indicates an interest in giraffes; why are their necks so long? A curator matches her enthusiasm with the response, “Brilliant! An exhibition about EVOLUTION would be marvelous.” “Marvelous” is used here in both its literal and figurative sense, since museums are intended to provoke marvel and, at the same time, demystify science. Those exciting dioramas need to be both accurate and appealing. Perhaps children have not connected the element of design to the presentation of different concepts, but they will learn here how to associate their own artistic projects with those on view.

Several kinds of science make appearances: geology, mineralogy, seismology, paleontology, and more. Each discipline is viewed individually and as part of a whole, crediting children with the ability to distinguish even subgroups within areas of study.  Looking at a scene of paleontologists absorbed in their task of examining a dinosaur skeleton, readers will also be introduced to the crucial distinctions between invertebrate paleontologists, micropaleontologists, and paleobotanists. When an author and illustrator operate from the assumption that children have both the interest and attention span to learn at this level, the result is this incredible foray into STEAM literacy.

n a busy lab with hands-on projects, children question the staff and are enabled to refine their knowledge of seemingly familiar subjects. No, dinosaurs do not arrive at the museum fully assembled. Assembling isolated parts may take many years, and collections managers engage in the crucial, ongoing, task of organizing acquisitions and ensuring they are kept in the right place. Leng’s children and adults are different in age, size, and experience, but they also share, on a visual level, the same space and the same dedication to knowledge.

Tokuda-Hall and Leng have written, drawn, engineered, and curated an amazing museum in book form.  Like an actual museum, visitors will want to return.