Built Like a Bug: How Insects Inspire Everyday Inventions

Written by Anjali Joshi

Illustrated by Kathleen Ng

Annick Press

978-1-834020310

128 pp.

Ages 8–12

March 2026 

 

The natural world has always astounded. From within its plant and animal species, its landforms, its waters, and environmental factors like weather come examples for processes that work for adaptation, communication, farming, and more. In Built Like a Bug, Anjali Joshi, a science educator, focuses on insects and reveals all the ways they inspire important inventions and developments.

From Built Like a Bug: How Insects Inspire Everyday Inventions, written by Anjali Joshi, illustrated by Kathleen Ng

The table of contents to Built Like a Bug demonstrates the complexity of the book's content. It looks at mosquitoes and cockroaches, spiders and leafhoppers, termites and fireflies, ants, hawk moths, dung beetles, and bees and dragonflies. The assortment of insects is only matched by the contributions they have made to innovative research and development.

From Built Like a Bug: How Insects Inspire Everyday Inventions, written by Anjali Joshi, illustrated by Kathleen Ng

In addition to providing basic scientific information like common and scientific names, life and size, Anjali Joshi highlights key features of their behaviour that should be noted. For example, information on how the mosquito effectively jabs an animal and prevents clotting is being used by researchers to reduce pain from needles and to develop synthetic anti-coagulants.

From Built Like a Bug: How Insects Inspire Everyday Inventions, written by Anjali Joshi, illustrated by Kathleen Ng

Silk from spiders is inspiring researchers to develop sutures for stitches, to deliver medicines, to create bullet-proof materials, and to investigate it as a building material.

From Built Like a Bug: How Insects Inspire Everyday Inventions, written by Anjali Joshi, illustrated by Kathleen Ng

Insects are models for farming, for electricity, for flight, for navigation, for medicine, and so much more. They can inform us about engineering and building robots, as well as about energy efficiency and dealing with trash. There is so much information in Built Like a Bug that any reader—or teacher—will be able to get both a broad overview of how insects inspire innovation and the finer points about insects themselves and the research and development they generate. Regardless of the complexity of information, Built Like a Bug is organized so well that it is a pleasure to delve into the material. Tidbits of interesting facts are posted in info boxes called "Bug Bites" and the illustrations by Toronto-based artist Kathleen Ng give colour and details to strengthen the information and to keep the text from becoming overwhelming. Her digital art is specific enough to help convey key information, but it is not so detailed that a middle grade reader would get bored.

From Built Like a Bug: How Insects Inspire Everyday Inventions, written by Anjali Joshi, illustrated by Kathleen Ng

I know kids will enjoy this book, especially those interested in STEM activities, but teachers will adore it. Not only is it a prime example of a non-fiction book for middle-grade readers, offering opportunities for learning and creativity, teachers will appreciate the variety of features, from the glossary, full index, and references to the numerous experiments and activities. Built Like a Bug will give young readers lots to think about and to do, perhaps inspire them to see more within the natural world.

 

A Deadly Inheritance

Written by Kelley Armstrong

Tundra Books

978-1-77488-803-2 

424 pp.

Ages 14+

March 2026 

 

Understanding where you fit in the world is rare here. Embracing it is even rarer. (pg. 45)  

For seventeen-year-old Liliana Green, getting by since her mother died recently is everything to her. That and avoiding the Illinois Department of Child and Family Services. She works two part-time jobs, works hard at school to get that full scholarship to college in September, and she sells stuff to make rent. When lawyer Cecilia Robbins appears on her doorstep and announces that Liliana to be the grandchild of the billionaire Chamberlains, Liliana's financial troubles appear to be over. She's whisked away to Westdale, her mother's alma mater and a school that only admits the wealthiest of students. 

 

Of course Liliana has lots of questions, especially why her mother never went to her parents for help, but once she's at Westdale, Lili just has more questions. She may be enjoying the perks of being part of a billionaire family—". . . I'll enjoy what I can, while I can" (pg. 20)—but she still has to navigate meeting new peers who see her as the new Chamberlain girl. She becomes friendly with Maddox Moreno, son of a tech wizard, and Theo Dubois, son of an actor and a director, although the two boys have a cool relationship with each other. And Lili is invited to join Allegra Khan, Polly Reeves, and Isolde Brandt in the Lilith society, one of four societies on campus. 

Soon Lili is being recruited to join the race for that year's Optima, a prestigious competition that would win her a place in an elite networking group outside the school. Even before she has agreed, she's targeted and told to watch herself. Would her competitors really try to eliminate her? But Lili has another mystery to solve when she learns her mother was the Dux (leader) of the Liliths, and ran away with her father before she graduated. Why did they run away? What does it have to do with the death of a scholarship student? And what secrets is Westdale keeping?

 

Like many boarding schools, Westdale is a microcosm of good and bad and ugly. There is a clear class structure and distinct peer groups. There are secrets from the past and mysteries from the present. There are rules to be broken and a system to work in. And there is danger hiding everywhere. Kelley Armstrong takes us into a school of the fabulously wealthy and lets us watch as the students form alliances and friends, tread cautiously around others, and do what they can to safeguard themselves and support those for whom they care. But no one is ever safe. So, as we learn more about the secrets behind Liliana's parents, Rose (Rosalyn) Chamberlain and Will Green, and several suspicious deaths, including that of Maddox's sister and that of a friend of Rosalyn's, Kelley Armstrong twists and turns the reader into believing no one is to be trusted. She gives us all the clues but she cleverly tangles us into seeing connections where there are none and ignoring key players because they seem inconsequential. Still, even if you pay attention, Kelley Armstrong will surprise you, both with her ending and the solution to the mystery. And there's nothing better than the unraveling and intertwining of plot threads leading to a refreshing and a gratifying denouement, which is what you always get with Kelley Armstrong's suspenseful reads.

The Mountain That Wouldn't Move

Written and illustrated by Sandra Dumais

Owlkids Books

978-1-77147-649-2

32 pp.

Ages 4-7

April 2026 

 

Ah, perspective is everything. And for Bear, she sees everything negative in her life brought on by the shadow of a mountain under which her forest spreads. She intends to do something about it.

From The Mountain That Wouldn't Move, written and illustrated by Sandra Dumais

At a forest meeting, Bear tries to gather support from Rabbit, Cardinal, Fox, and other animals. Initially, the others are less concerned than Bear. But when she emphatically decides to move the mountain, they all agree. 

From The Mountain That Wouldn't Move, written and illustrated by Sandra Dumais

The mountain, a large grey landform with a cap of snow and a serene face of eyes, mouth, and rosy cheeks, is unyielding. (It is a mountain after all.) No matter which direction they push or how, the mountain stands still. Unlike the others, Bear cannot tolerate giving up. She comes up with some inventive schemes involving balloons, and sails, and even putting the mountain up for sale. It isn't until her friends carry her around the mountainside and upwards to see a different side and a glorious sunset, that the mountain that wouldn't move is accepted for what it is.

From The Mountain That Wouldn't Move, written and illustrated by Sandra Dumais

Montreal's Sandra Dumais takes a different perspective on perspective, by having Bear literally moved to see a different one. Asking someone to see something differently can't always be done effectively. However, putting them in a different viewpoint can do wonders to see a different perspective. Sandra Dumais's story may be read by children to help them be open to other points of view, but she also offers all of us the opportunity to see differently, beyond our initial outlooks and opinions. For children, it might be seeing others from a different point of view, or seeing circumstances like losing a game, being disappointed with their parents' decisions, or making a mistake from a different standpoint.

 

Sandra Dumais uses a variety of art media including pencils, gouache, digital collage and acrylic paint to create sweet and playful illustrations of animals who reflect frustration, joy, nonchalance, and even despondency. Bear is particularly emotive, drawing others into her disquietude, as is the mountain itself, an enormous gray rock, which is depicted as serene and even unassuming. Much of the story is told in the actions, or passivity, of Sandra Dumais's characters—yes, that includes the mountain—from their shapes, colours, and expressions.

 

The mountain may not have moved but when Bear finally did, a new perspective was found, and this made all the difference. 

Gone Forever?: Places to See (and Save) Before They Disappear (Orca Think)

Written by Erin Silver

Illustrated by Xulin Wang

Orca Book Publishers

978-1-4598-4098-0

96 pp.

Ages 9–12

February 2026 

 

Reviewing Erin Silver's latest non-fiction book, Gone Forever?: Places to See (and Save) Before They Disappear on Earth Day seems fitting. On a day on which we celebrate our Earth and how to protect it, we have much to learn from a book about global locations threatened by climate change.

From Gone Forever?: Places to See (and Save) Before They Disappear, written by Erin Silver, illustrated by Xulin Wang

Erin Silver, who has written countless books of non-fiction including Good Food, Bad Waste (2023), Mighty Scared: The Amazing Ways Animals Defend Themselves (2024), and Plant Attack (2025), takes on the challenging topic of climate change. However, by taking the perspective of showcasing key locations, from the Arctic to the Pacific Islands and the Amazon rainforest, Erin Silver speaks less of generalities and more to familiar sites and places people live. 

From Gone Forever?: Places to See (and Save) Before They Disappear, written by Erin Silver, illustrated by Xulin Wang

The book is organized into four major chapters:

1. Major Meltdown
2. Cue the Waterworks
3. Under Fire
4. Life on Earth

The first looks at the impacts of global warming on the ice caps in Antarctica and in the Arctic. The impacts examined go beyond the ice sheets and glaciers, and into the water, the krill, polar bears, and more. Insights from those who visit those locations are shared, as are suggestions about helping to combat climate change.

From Gone Forever?: Places to See (and Save) Before They Disappear, written by Erin Silver, illustrated by Xulin Wang

The next chapter looks at changing weather patterns, which cause more rain and severe storms in some areas, resulting in places being flooded, and sinking and shrinking. Mitigation with mangroves and engineering are just two approaches. Other areas will get drier, which could lead to food insecurity. A Q & A with a climate architect reveals much about solutions to this aspect of global warming. 

From Gone Forever?: Places to See (and Save) Before They Disappear, written by Erin Silver, illustrated by Xulin Wang

The next chapter examines the fires in California and in British Columbia, while the final chapter looks at the threat to biodiversity, focusing on the Amazon rainforest and the Galápagos Islands. As in the earlier chapters, there are interviews, including with a climate adventurer and a biologist, info boxes called "The Info Express" with interesting tidbits,  and always assurances that activism can help. Completing this book are a comprehensive glossary and lists of resources for young people to access.

 

Erin Silver delivers a thorough examination of how climate change is affecting our world. And, though she makes it a global discussion, her research brings it closer to home, even if it's not our home specifically. It's a personal look at how global warming is impacting everyone and everywhere. That means it's up to everyone to do something, anything. With numerous photographs and Toronto's Xulin Wang's bold and colourful digital art, Gone Forever?: Places to See (and Save) Before They Disappear takes the reader around the world to see evidence of climate change. But with text and art combined, the message is not one of hopelessness but rather one of expectancy and action. And on this Earth Day, Gone Forever?—note the question mark—has a productive message to share.

When You Dream Big!

Written and illustrated by Peter H. Reynolds

Orchard Books

978-1-339-00035-0

40 pp.

Ages 4–8

March 2026 

 

All of us will remember being asked what we'd like to be when we grow up. It's a rite of passage to be asked, to answer with something practical or unlikely, and then to change our minds. Knowing what you want to be when you grow older is a challenge. Ah, but dreaming big may be the start of a grand future. 

From When You Dream Big! written and illustrated by Peter H. Reynolds

When their teacher, Miss Rayna, plans a Dream Big Week, during which her students would share their dream jobs by writing them on colourful wings, Charley is stumped. Her classmates are enthusiastic about their ideas of going to mars, becoming an actor, or building a bridge across the ocean. They want to be engineers, astronauts, and artists. But Charley has no idea.  

From When You Dream Big! written and illustrated by Peter H. Reynolds

As she ponders and stresses about dreaming big, Charley becomes immobilized with anxiety. It's only when she focuses on her feet—"Ten toes — all pointing in the right direction" (pg. 20)—that she feels grounded enough to go on. The next morning, she awakens inspired by her dreams. She may not know what she wants to do when she grows up, but she know who she wants to be.

 

When You Dream Big! is less about doing than it is about being. Having dreams about your future job is normal, whether you're seven or twenty-seven. The dream can guide you in your education and your interests, and it can propel you to work hard. But dreaming about the future can be as much about who you will be as a person as what job you will have. Will you be adventurous? Will you be more assertive? Will you be responsible and caring? Peter H. Reynolds gives us a character who feels anxiety about the big dreams she's supposed to have and shows us that she's always had the right stuff to dream big, even if it is different than the dreams of her classmates. Even better, Peter H. Reynolds's Charley helps her classmates to dream big about who they can be, not just what they will do. 

From When You Dream Big! written and illustrated by Peter H. Reynolds

When I read Peter H. Reynolds's books, I always feel like someone has taken my hand. It's the hand of understanding, of compassion, and of guidance. He does this with his uplifting words and his heartfelt art. His text resonates with the voice of children who worry about their abilities or ideas, who compare themselves to others, and who feel joy when supported. Those same feelings come through in Peter H. Reynolds's pen and watercolour illustrations. Beyond the classroom posters of positive messages, he uses colour tellingly. His golds and purples are as reassuring as his words, and he spreads joy and reveals distraction and worry with colour and an effective use of line. His characters are fabulously diverse, and convincing in themselves. (Colby, a boy in a "Be You" shirt wants to make people smile more, while Josh wants to sleep a lot.) 

 

There is no one way to dream big, and Charley and her classmates and Miss Rayna all learn that this is true. With this epiphany comes relief, encouragement, and even creativity. So, when you dream big, good stuff can happen, even if it's not the dream coming true. (But maybe it will.)

Best Friend, Worst Bully: Based on a True Story

Written and illustrated by Mei Yu

Union Square Kids

978-1-4549-5993-9

144 pp.

Ages 7–10

April 2026 

 

This is the story of friends, or it was until it wasn't. But that's the thing about friendships: they are dynamic. They change with circumstances both self-controlled and unplanned. It's why they are the source of much joy but also carry the potential for despair, as a young Mei Yu learns.  

From Best Friend, Worst Bully, written and illustrated by Mei Yu

Mei Yu wants to be best friends with Maggie forever. Along with Sophie, Maggie's best friend before Mei came along, Mei is hopeful that she'll have lifelong friends. But when Maggie moves away, Mei and Sophie become new friends, hanging out at Mei's house—though Mei is super embarrassed by her mother's heavily accented English that makes everything sound a little weird—shopping together, and more. Still, when Ella and Rola, two older girls in their split class, become jealous of Mei's drawing ability, they approach Sophie, convincing her that she can be cool like them if she does what she's told in dealing with Mei.

 

And though she's reluctant at first, Sophie is pleased to be more popular with the older girls and rudely snubs Mei. Mei's Happy Meter—one of the graphic meters she uses to depict her emotions—shatters. She discusses it with her sidekick Meiow as she's too scared to talk to anyone else about the bullying. But even though she feels completely alone, Eve and Izzy, two girls from another class, tell her they've had the same experiences with Ella and Rola, particularly their "bathroom game." After inviting Mei to be their friend, they advise her to just ignore Sophie and her fellow bullies. 

From Best Friend, Worst Bully, written and illustrated by Mei Yu

But then Sophie and her "friends" escalate their bullying, phoning Mei's home and leaving horrible messages. Determined to deal with the bullies, Mei uses her artistic talents to express her feelings, and expose Sophie, Ella, and Rola in her own way. 

From Best Friend, Worst Bully, written and illustrated by Mei Yu

I'm sad to think about all the kids out there targeted by bullies. For Mei and her friends, they are picked on for being talented, or tall, wearing glasses or liking hearts. The reasons bullies attack others are countless and meaningless. But when they involve more people, steal friends away, intrude on your home life, cause fear and sleepless nights, it's not "just" bullying. It is persecution. And for Mei Yu, main character and author-illustrator who debuted with her Silver Birch Express award-winning Lost and Found, that bullying is overwhelming and very realistic. And thank you, Mei Yu, for not giving us an unimaginable ending where all is right between Mei and Sophie. There was still forgiveness, but it is sheltered in the safety that Mei has in her art, in her new friends, and in her family. And in her understanding of what bullying is all about.

. . . and then I realized that bullies are silly! They can pick on anyone because of anything! (pg. 120)

Mei Yu's story is based on her own experiences, and her advice, to be strong and be yourself, will resonate with young readers, many of whom will have experienced or witnessed bullying. Coupled with Mei Yu's charming artwork—check out her YouTube channel for videos on her drawing—Best Friend, Worst Bully will speak to young readers with empathy for the bullying they have seen and with colour and cheer for the friendships they enjoy. Best Friend, Worst Bully is the best outcome coming from the worst situation.

Jon Klassen Wins the 2026 Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award

Jon Klassen is an author-illustrator whose debut picture book, I Want My Hat Back, garnered him numerous awards and much acclaim. With each new title, including those he illustrated for others, the praise for his unique style of art and storytelling through illustration has grown. This week, Jon Klassen was awarded the 2026 Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award, the international children's literary award. 

Photo credit: Carson Ellis

 

This award administered by the Swedish Arts Council honours the late Swedish writer Astrid Lindgren (1907-2002) who wrote over 30 books for children, including the ever-popular Pippi Longstocking. "The statutes of the Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award stipulate that laureates shall be authors, illustrators, storytellers or reading promoters whose work or activity for children and young adults is 'of the highest artistic quality' and 'conveys the deeply humanistic spirit associated with Astrid Lindgren.'" (From https://alma.se/en/the-award/astrid-lindgren/in-the-spirit-of-astrid-lindgren) At five million Swedish kronor, the Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award is the largest book award of its kind.

 

I Want My Hat Back (Candlewick, 2011) (board book edition reviewed in 2019)

This Is Not My Hat (Candlewick, 2012)

We Found a Hat (Candlewick, 2016)

The Rock from the Sky (Candlewick, 2021)

The Skull (Candlewick, 2023)

 

The breadth of Jon Klassen's storytelling through words and illustrations is best described as powerfully minimalist. He tells little but suggests much. In each of the books he wrote and illustrated, Jon Klassen mesmerizes with the power of story. 

 

I was delighted to interview Jon Klassen in 2021 about his book The Rock from the Sky and I'd like to share that discussion here. His commentary on the story and his artwork is fascinating, and gives readers insight into his creativity and his singularity of finesse.

 

Do check out the full details about Jon Klassen as the 2026 laureate of the Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award, including a recording of the announcements at the Bologna Children's Book Fair, quotes from the jury, and even a recording of the phone call Jon Klassen received. The award will be presented by H.R.H. Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden this May in Stockholm.

 

Heartiest congratulations 

to the newest laureate of 

the Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award

 Jon Klassen