Scaredy Squirrel Scared Silly (Scaredy's Nutty Adventures, Book 4)

Written and illustrated by Mélanie Watt

Tundra Books

978-1-77488-884-1 (pb)

84 pp.

Ages 4–8 

July 2026

 

I didn't get a chance to review this book of Scaredy's Nutty Adventures when it was released as a hardcover in 2024, so I'm pleased to review it now that a paperback edition was just released this month. When Scaredy Squirrel was first released in 2006, he became a beloved character. Mélanie Watt brought us a little squirrel who was overwhelmed, seeing threats everywhere. Now the star of his own animated series, as well as picture books and this early reader graphic novel series, Scaredy Squirrel is a much beloved character to helps young children see beyond their worries by laughing with him.

From Scaredy Squirrel Scared Silly, written and illustrated by Mélanie Watt

In Scaredy Squirrel Scared Silly, Mélanie Watt shares five short graphic stories about Scaredy and his relationship with Halloween. In the first chapter, titled "October 31st," our sciurine friend is actually looking forward to the un-scary aspects of the holiday. He likes the decorations and the lighting, but he's terrified of haunted houses, crows, vampire bats, and more. So, he's happy to stay in his cheerfully decorated tree, along with some unusual preventative measures.

From Scaredy Squirrel Scared Silly, written and illustrated by Mélanie Watt

The next stories have Scaredy planning a cute, but not scary pumpkin carving activity with his friends, working on his costume, considering going trick-or-treating—hard candy, gummy worms, and chocolate all have drawbacks—before heading out in search of candy apples.

From Scaredy Squirrel Scared Silly, written and illustrated by Mélanie Watt

It may seem a little early to be thinking of Halloween, but I suspect there are many for whom the holiday is a big deal and who are already planning their costumes and parties. Whether you get Scaredy Squirrel now in anticipation of the holiday or keep it to read in October, Scaredy Squirrel Scared Silly will give young children a lot of laughs about his wacky but legitimate worries. Scaredy Squirrel may seem like an excessive bundle of anxiety, but he emulates the many children who have misgivings and fears about the familiar and the unknown. With a lighthearted approach and quirky and colourful illustrations, Mélanie Watt will let children see that many anxieties can be lessened and even alleviated with some friendly intervention and a new perspective.

From Scaredy Squirrel Scared Silly, written and illustrated by Mélanie Watt

Mélanie Watt's Scaredy Squirrel will always charm. She has created him as sweetly guileless—check out his toothy grin—and oddly expressive. And with detailed illustrations that give young readers much to enjoy, from costumes to decorated homes, readers will be looking forward to their own nutty Halloween adventure and all that it entails.

 

🎃 🎃 🎃 🎃 🎃 

 

This is Book 4 in Scaredy's Nutty Adventures series. Here are all published titles:

Scaredy Squirrel in a Nutshell (2021)
Scaredy Squirrel Gets a Surprise (2022)
Scaredy Squirrel Gets Festive (2023)

Scaredy Squirrel Scared Silly (2024) 

Cat Shapes

Written and illustrated by Aidan Cassie

Kids Can Press

978-1-5253-1327-1

24 pp.

Ages 1–3

June 2026 

 

Aidan Cassie recognizes that cats can be very different, but she means more than just their sizes, colours, and personalities. Because cats are so curious and playful, they can also produce wonderfully eclectic shapes.

From Cat Shapes, written and illustrated by Aidan Cassie

Aidan Cassie, known for her charming picture books Sterling, Best Fork Dog Ever (2018) and Little Juniper Makes It Big (2019), seems to know cats well. She knows the curious ones who can jump in boxes and take on the shape of a square. She knows that a hungry one may want to jump into a goldfish bowl and become the shape of a circle. There's a fancy cat, a thirsty cat, a sneaky one, and a sleepy one too. And each one becomes the shape of what it enters. But Aidan Cassie knows the best shape that cats become, as do all cat lovers.

From Cat Shapes, written and illustrated by Aidan Cassie

From Cat Shapes, written and illustrated by Aidan Cassie

Many concept books—those that teach a simple concept like letters, numbers, or colours—can become formulaic. Sometimes the author has a theme and wants the concept to fit into that theme. But Aidan Cassie does not do this. Cat Shapes is more than a book about shapes. Children will learn the basic shapes of square, circle, triangle, oval, rectangle, diamond, and more, but, because it's all based on the silly behaviours of cats, Cat Shapes does more than teach a concept. It delights with its authenticity and humour, speaking to cat lovers young and old. 

From Cat Shapes, written and illustrated by Aidan Cassie

Aidan Cassie's previous books have shown us the breadth of her illustrative style, but she's matched her digital artwork perfect to a concept book for very young children. There are just enough details to set the scene, whether it's a hungry cat eyeing a goldfish or one hiding in a drawer, so that little ones know what's going on. Even if they don't have cats, young readers will be able to look for the shapes in familiar settings and start to understand why cats do what they do. Cat Shapes may be about identifying common shapes but it's also a quick lesson in cat behaviour.

 

I wonder if the six distinct cats in Aidan Cassie's book are the same six that she names in her dedication because they are so unique. If so, I suspect she's seen a lot of adorable cat action over the years. With Cat Shapes, those cats can now add educators and shape-masters to their accomplishments. Of course, I always knew cats were clever. Cat Shapes just proves it.

The Wise Pickle

Written by Sarah Howden

Illustrated by Sabina Hahn

Tundra Books

978-1-77488-698-4

40 pp.

Ages 4–8

June 2026 

 

When is a pickle more than pickle? In Sarah Howden and Sabina Hahn's picture book, it's more than a pickled vegetable when it falls from the sky and imparts wisdom to those who seek its knowledge of life. 

From The Wise Pickle, written by Sarah Howden, illustrated by Sabina Hahn

When a pickle lands next to a dry cleaner and begins to speak, recognizing that it had lived a lot of life, it is overheard by a rat. Surprised by a talking pickle, other animals, including a small bird, a worm, a chipmunk and a mouse, gather. But it's the pickle that starts the discussion with, "You might ask me, What do you have to say, pickle, that's so important? Why do you think you're so wise?" (pg. 10)

From The Wise Pickle, written by Sarah Howden, illustrated by Sabina Hahn

As the animals ask about its life, there is a deep discussion of purpose, journey, and choices. The animals provide a pillow, food—unnecessary—and even summon a dog to ultimately eat the shrivelling pickle, thereby fulfilling its métier to provide food. But fate—or was that a gull?—intervenes, and the wise pickle's end is deferred with a new pathway to be taken.

 

If Sarah Howden's story tells readers anything it's that things can always change. You might see yourself on one path, when something changes, sometimes without personal liability, and a new path opens up. It may lead to the same outcome, but maybe not, and being flexible helps to see the positives in the new direction. 

From The Wise Pickle, written by Sarah Howden, illustrated by Sabina Hahn

But Sarah Howden doesn't just give us a deeply philosophical look at life's journey—there's also a look at who we revere and why. She also tells her story with a dry humour, which is bolstered by NYC's Sabina Hahn's pencil and watercolour art. Sabina Hahn keeps the humour, claiming she used pickle brine in her illustrations. Still, it's the starkness of her art that elevates Sarah Howden's story from cute to meaningful. There's a pickle that expresses itself with only its eyes, animals that show concern and reverence for the brined cucurbit, and connection between all of them.

 

Looks like there's a new guru in town—by way of falling off of someone's plate—and it has some life lessons to share. I will still enjoy my garlic dill pickle, but I may never look at it the same way, thanks to Sarah Howden and Sabina Hahn.

Whale, That Was Unexpected

Written by Casey Lyall

Illustrated by Kathryn Durst

Tundra Books 

 978-1-77488-361-7

40 pp.

Ages 3–7

Releases June 30, 2026 

 

Maude believes she's seen everything. Going out on the sea in her little fishing boat with her dog Claude year after year, Maude doesn't expect anything different. But soon she learns that anything can happen. 

From Whale, That Was Unexpected, written by Casey Lyall, illustrated by Kathryn Durst

It's a typical day of fishing for Maude and Claude. Her boat, aptly called trusty little boat, has all she needs plus snacks, a cozy armchair, and tea service. Unbeknownst to Maude, there is a humongous whale beneath the boat.

From Whale, That Was Unexpected, written by Casey Lyall, illustrated by Kathryn Durst

Soon Maude and Claude and the little boat are tossed to and fro as they are swallowed by the whale. Maude doesn't waste time flipping out about their circumstances. Instead, she begins to prepare a goodbye party. 

From Whale, That Was Unexpected, written by Casey Lyall, illustrated by Kathryn Durst

She and Claude paint a big banner that proclaims, "Farewell Maude and Claude" and they recruit the writer to proclaim the official farewells. So begin the farewells. And there are many.

Farewell, Maude, a grand old dame.

Farewell, Claude, sixth of his name.  

Farewell, trusty little boat. (pg. 16-18)

And just as they prepare to say goodbye, there's a magnificent "whooosh" and a crab and an octopus are thrown onto the deck. Well, now there will more farewells that will need to be said. It's a cumulative story, that goes from farewells to Maude and Claude and a little boat, to include that crab and octopus, as well as a goat, a sea lion, and a puffin, before they can get to their party.

From Whale, That Was Unexpected, written by Casey Lyall, illustrated by Kathryn Durst

But how they revel in that farewell will be a whale of a story of another kind, and one that even Maude could not imagine.

 

Casey Lyall has made Maude the perfect curmudgeon. Her dour expression is only matched by her matter-of-fact attitude. Maude just does what she always does and is only mildly miffed when things go differently, but with a casual air. When she realizes that they've been swallowed by the whale, her response is, "Well, how about that." (pg. 11). Then she starts planning a farewell party to commemorate their imminent departure from the world. And with each new arrival, Maude takes it in strike, adds to their banner, and gets the author to add more farewells to their tribute. Maude is such a character, as is Claude in his own quiet way. Maude is folksy and unfussy, taking all in stride. Even near the end when Maude and her guests are immersed on a flooded deck, she berates the author to, "Speed it up a little. I'm hungry." (pg. 29) With Maude and Claude and a host of other characters, Casey Lyall brings the humour to a bleak situation. And, with her punny word choices and repetitive and cheeky farewells, Casey Lyall makes being swallowed by a whale less frightening and more inconvenience to Maude and more playful for readers.

 

My first impression of Toronto's Kathryn Durst artwork is amazement at how she makes Maude both grumpy and matter-of-fact about her circumstances. Nothing fazes her. (Maude, that is.) From the striking marionette lines on Maude's face, her no-nonsense work clothes, and practical hair braids, Maude is a woman who has lived a life on the water and is nonplussed about getting swallowed by a whale. Beyond the characters, Kathryn Durst gives us a richly textured landscape, both in and out of the whale. The maritime community is a colourful patchwork of colours and shapes, which Kathryn Durst brings to the limited deck of the trusty little boat. The inside of the whale may be dark but even it has character through line and colour. 

 

For a whale of a tale and word play at sea, Casey Lyall and Kathryn Durst's Whale, That Was Unexpected is a voyage of epic fun and colour. And coming from Casey Lyall, that was absolutely expected.

Kaboom!: Blast Off

Written by Jay Odjick

Illustrated by KC Oster

Scholastic Canada

978-1-4431-9836-3 

142 pp.

Ages 8–12

February 2026 

 

Zack seems like a regular kid. He likes riding his bike and imagining himself as a superhero. He is lured by ads for the snack Choco Pops and the energy drink Splurge and is impressed with the fabulously rich like Konstantin Pierce. Compared to his boring parents who sell refrigerators, Pierce looks pretty exciting. But there seems to be another story that the imaginative Zack does not know. While he believes his parents are at a trade show and he's staying with his Auntie Jess, his mom and dad, calling each other Shadowbird and Greywolf, are working for F.U.S.I.O.N. as true superheroes, currently stopping those who steal ancient artifacts. As for Konstantin Pierce, he's more villain than entrepreneurial genius.

From Kaboom!: Blast Off, written by Jay Odjick, illustrated by KC Oster

Pierce is looking to extort world powers by controlling the weather and he's concerned that F.U.S.I.O.N. agents are going to get in the way. He arranges for them to be eliminated. Not surprising that Zack is shocked when flying robots and a masked man come and take his parents and aunt away. Thankfully his parents have a household security system to protect Zack and he, along with a cute robotic dog rejected by Pierce, are whisked to his parents' underground headquarters where he virtually meets Tana a.k.a. Teknik from New Zealand. Tana/Teknik explains that, like his parents and her Māori father, she is an agent of F.U.S.I.O.N., the First Universal Secret Indigenous Operatives Network, which is tasked with working against any threat to Indigenous Peoples, cultures, and ways of life.

From Kaboom!: Blast Off, written by Jay Odjick, illustrated by KC Oster

So, as Zack and his new robot sidekick Rusty poke around his superhero parents' secret den, Pierce is threatening the U.N. even though he realizes that a thumb drive with the activation codes is missing. But, after finding a special Lycra suit fit for a superhero, Zack, who becomes known as Kaboom, works to help get his parents back and thwart Konstantin Pierce and his villainous henchman and drones. 
 

Looks like there's a new superhero in town as Blast Off! is just the first book in the new Kaboom! graphic novel series. Zack a.k.a Kaboom is a little impetuous, a lot funny, and kind of sweet, and he's a character whose adventures middle graders will want to follow. Jay Odjick, who'd previously illustrated Robert Munsch's Bear for Breakfast / Makwa kidji kijebà wìsiniyàn (2019), gives us a story in which a kid becomes a hero. But Jay Odjick also blends Zack's story with Indigenous superheroes from around the world—Māori, Inuit, Nahua, Khalka, and Algonquin appear in Blast Off—and the importance of doing good. Still Kaboom!: Blast Off is not a story that is told to preach or convey messages of how to live. It's about superhero fun with lots of humour, like when Zack starts pushing buttons he shouldn't or when he mishears Tana when she says kinetic and he hears Connecticut. With Zack just being Zack and Jay Odjick getting all the voices just right for all his characters, Kaboom!: Blast Off entertains completely.

From Kaboom!: Blast Off, written by Jay Odjick, illustrated by KC Oster

But, without the artwork of KC Oster, a new illustrator for me, Kaboom!: Blast Off just wouldn't be the hit it is. I like the style of this Ojibwe-Anishinaabe comic artist, who previously did the art for Rabbit Chase (written Elizabeth LaPensée, 2022). Their graphics are not cluttered, focusing on Zack and the other characters, keeping the details for lively interactions like altercations with the bad guys and fight scenes. And by not limiting their palette of colours, KC Oster makes the art exciting and lavish.

 

An Indigenous superhero organization, a kid hero, a robotic dog, and operations to stop the bad guys sounds like the kind of graphic novel that middle-grade readers will latch onto. I think Kaboom! has just made a dynamite arrival.

10 Shocking Facts About Capybaras

Written and illustrated by Mélanie Watt

North Winds Press (An imprint of Scholastic Canada)

978-1-0397-16179

 48 pp.

Ages 3–8

January 2026 

 

Mélanie Watt, the creator of Scaredy Squirrel and cheeky Chester, the cat with the red pen, returns with another fun book that blends facts with humour and playfulness. (FYI, there may be 10 facts explained in 10 Shocking Facts About Capybaras, but there's loads more that is included. Pizza is at the heart of those discussions.)

From 10 Shocking Facts About Capybaras, written and illustrated by Mélanie Watt

In a series of double-page spreads, Mélanie Watt informs young readers about capybaras, starting with the basic info that they are the biggest rodents in the world. And, with each new spread, readers will learn something new. There are facts about their bodies, from their ever-growing teeth to their webbed feet. There are details about their behaviour, from what they eat to how they communicate and interact with others. 

From 10 Shocking Facts About Capybaras, written and illustrated by Mélanie Watt

But after the ten facts, the book takes an odd turn. Instead of revealing the unusual way in which capybaras get essential nutrients, Mélanie Watt's capybara interjects with pizza as his answer. The author has to try to get the information back on track with "Fact 11: Capybaras DO NOT eat pizza," though the capybara responds with "Fact 12: Capybaras order PIZZA every day!" And so begins a clever repartee between writer and capybara, and then also a monkey,

From 10 Shocking Facts About Capybaras, written and illustrated by Mélanie Watt

Mélanie Watt is an author-illustrator who not only entertains but also teaches, and she does it with humour and much quirkiness. Her capybara is adorable, as is her monkey, and young readers and a few old ones like me will learn more about these unusual rodents than expected from a picture book. Narrative non-fiction is a fabulous way to share information in an engaging story, and 10 Shocking Facts About Capybaras works persuasively to do so. 

From 10 Shocking Facts About Capybaras, written and illustrated by Mélanie Watt

Of course, with any Mélanie Watt book, the humour is in the art as well as the text. The capybara's cheekiness is reflected in his words but also in his robust and textured form, his big eyes, and his smile. The focus is always on the capybara, so Mélanie Watt uses few other elements—pizza, monkey, cell phone, legs of birds—to feature him. It's simple but it's fun and informative.

 

I often used Mélanie Watt's books for teaching because they're so entertaining, and 10 Shocking Facts About Capybaras will work just as effectively to teach animal characteristics and to captivate. Add the activities at the Scholastic Canada website for the book, including connect-the-dots, an easy quiz, and a drawing activity, and you've got a nice little package of learning fun for young children.

I'm Busy

Written by Michael Ian Black

Illustrated by Debbie Ridpath Ohi

Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers

978-1-6659-1524-3

40 pp.

Ages 4–8

Releases February 24 2026 

 

Michael Black and Debbie Ridpath Ohi's remarkable trio—a little girl, a pink flamingo, and a potato—from I'm Bored (2012), I'm Sad (2018), I'm Worried (2019), and I'm Sorry (2021) have returned, and now one of them is struggling with overcommitment and a lack of life balance. Together they've always helped each other through their issues. Can they help this time? And will there be a time when they can fit it in?

From I'm Busy, written by Michael Ian Black, illustrated by Debbie Ridpath Ohi

Flamingo wants to play, but every time he asks his friend, the little girl with the darling yellow barrettes, if she wants to play superheroes or Hula-Hoop, she tells him that she's busy. She may be painting or coding or experimenting or practising her trumpet, but it's always something. And her reasoning? "I can't! School starts in two weeks and then I've only got twelve years before college applications are due!" (pg. 7) Yikes. This child has a lot on her mind and her calendar.

From I'm Busy, written by Michael Ian Black, illustrated by Debbie Ridpath Ohi

Flamingo is very understanding, as is the droll Potato ("I can't read," he says when she shows them her calendar. [pg. 9]), but their questions about when she'll have time disquiet her. They try to help her slow down by watching the clouds, and that finally makes her realize that she needs to find balance to her dilemma. (FYI, a dilemma is not like a soufflé as Potato suggests.)

From I'm Busy, written by Michael Ian Black, illustrated by Debbie Ridpath Ohi

This little girl isn't just busy. She's also stressing because of that busyness. But with the help of her friends, making time for herself, and maybe some playing in the mud, she finds some balance in her life. And she finds it with humour, companionship, and uncommon wisdom. 

 

The humour is courtesy of American comedian (and actor and writer) Michael Ian Black who manages to make readers laugh while guiding them through common childhood dilemmas. Here, taking on more than she can handle is the result of uncertainty about her future and whether she can accomplish all that she feels she must. Though there are no adults in Michael Ian Black and Debbie Ridpath Ohi's I'm books, I can't help but think that there are some adults in the little girl's life compounding her worries. (Mind you, she's already coding so all this could be a result of her own awareness of what she needs to do to be successful.) Her friends may be unusual, but with Flamingo's eagerness for play, and Potato's apparent inertia, Michael Ian Black has created a perfect trio of characters that children will appreciate, maybe even know, and from whom they can learn while laughing, right down to the last line.

 

But I'm Busy needs Debbie Ridpath Ohi's illustrations to bring the story to life. We know the book's characters through her art, as well as Michael Ian Black's voice, but she gives them the colour and shape and expression that makes them easily identifiable and wholly adored. There is never any question that this little girl is accomplished but frantic with busyness. Her eyes are focused, she has a strained or absent smile, and, when she's really anxious, there are despair lines around her eyes. Debbie Ridpath Ohi's artwork is so evocative that she can create deep emotions with just a few lines. (Look at Potato in the illustration below. With just two eyes and a mouth, it is evident that he is cringing at her trumpet playing.) Thanks to Debbie Ridpath Ohi's art, reading I'm Busy is a treat for the eyes as well as the spirit.

From I'm Busy, written by Michael Ian Black, illustrated by Debbie Ridpath Ohi

Help young children find balance in their lives with some humour, extraordinary friends, and an abundance of colour and joy with a reading of I'm Busy. Then read the other I'm books in the series to help them understand their feelings and handle them with self-assurance, with or without a flamingo or a potato by their side.

 

• • • • • • • • • • • 

 

Read all five of the I'm books by Michael Ian Black and Debbie Ridpath Ohi. After all, it's important to make time for the good things in life. 

 

I'm Bored (2012)

I'm Sad (2018)

I'm Worried (2019)

I'm Sorry (2021)

I'm Busy (2026)

 

Also, there are some fun resources 

at Debbie Ridpath Ohi's page for I'm Busy here

• • • • • • • • • • • 

The Bear Fairy

Written by Paul Coccia
Illustrated by Fred Blunt
Tundra Books
978-1-77488-558-1 
40 pp.
Ages 3–7 

Releases February 17, 2026

 

Adorable is an adjective I usually use for puppies and kittens, beautiful babies, and sweet children. But now I can use it for bear fairies. Or, at least, the Bear Fairy of Paul Coccia's debut picture book. He may not be the dainty fairy of many tales, but he twinkles with his own brilliance.

From The Bear Fairy, written by Paul Coccia, illustrated by Fred Blunt

Spencer is a red-curled and bespectacled boy who is determined to catch a fairy. He constructs a fairy door in a tree, a daisy chain, and even a box-and-stick trap. His blue-haired friend Mariah is convinced that fairies are only attracted to beautiful little girls like her. 

Surprisingly, it's a littered potato chip bag that ultimately draws a fairy. More surprising is that it is a bear fairy with pink wings and wearing a pink dress. Though he wishes to leave—the chip bag is empty after all—Spencer convinces the Bear Fairy to stay so the boy can show him to Mariah. They spend a day of playing in the park, racing remote cars, and watching TV, with plenty of. snacks. The Bear Fairy may be lots of fun, but he also has his own quirks which Spencer must accommodate, like his tardiness when getting ready.

. . . I'm still sprucing up—

90 percent of being a fairy 

is in the looks, you know. 

It's not all magic dust and 

fluttering around! (pg. 25)

From The Bear Fairy, written by Paul Coccia, illustrated by Fred Blunt

 But when Spencer presents the Bear Fairy to Mariah, herself festooned in a pink dress with pink wings, the girl declares that he's not any of the things expected of a fairy. Worse, she insists emphatically that he's a crummy old fairy because he's pudgy, hairy, and not beautiful.

From The Bear Fairy, written by Paul Coccia, illustrated by Fred Blunt

Spencer will not allow her to slander his fairy and defends the Bear Fairy as the perfect fairy he is.

 

Paul Coccia has a knack for giving us important stories, but always with a lightness that helps soften less than fortunate circumstances. However, his earlier books have all be been for middle grade readers (e.g., On the Line [written with Eric Walters], 2022; I Got You Babe, 2023; Leon Levels Up, 2024) and young adult novels (e.g., Cub, 2019; The Player, 2021; Recommended Reading, 2025). Now, young readers, and those who read to them, can experience that same mastery in storytelling with The Bear Fairy. Not only do we get a story of stereotypes—yes, there are fairy stereotypes—and accepting others as they are, we get humour, cheeky puns, and adorableness. Paul Coccia has given the Bear Fairy, Spencer, and Mariah voices that make them true in their characters. They offer hope that all may be accepted, eventually.

From The Bear Fairy, written by Paul Coccia, illustrated by Fred Blunt

Fred Blunt, a Welsh illustrator, must have a touch of the whimsy himself judging by the art credit that identifies his work as created "with cheap paper, pencils, tatty brushes, ink and a computer." His materials may be downplayed, but his art is nothing but lofty and animated like the Bear  Fairy himself. Fred Blunt keeps the bear fairy cheeky, while Spencer and Mariah are both ordinary and off-the-wall, and creates upbeat landscapes both indoors and outside. There's the colour of wonder, and the lines and shapes of jocularity and fun.

 

I'm glad I met the Bear Fairy, just as Spencer surely is. So what if his fairy is pudgy and hairy? He's also fluffy and cuddly and beautiful. (Those are Spencer's assertions, and I concur.) He's perfect just as he is. And I thank Paul Coccia for introducing us to the Bear Fairy who exemplifies all of us. We are as we are, sometimes seen as the best and sometimes seen as less than perfect. And if we don't fit some stereotype because of our gender, age, appearance, or abilities, then that's on those who reinforce those impressions. We're perfect for those who accept us as we are.

The Perfect Paper Airplane

Written by Robert Munsch

Illustrated by Michael Martchenko

Scholastic Canada

978-1-0397-1518-9

32 pp.

Ages 3–7

October 2025 

 

When Kevin's father, a lobster fisherman in New Brunswick, makes a paper airplane at the breakfast table, they're all impressed. Then Kevin's mom takes up the challenge and makes a paper airplane that flies around the kitchen three times. Definitely more impressive. But when Kevin makes one, it doesn't go ZOOOM! or ZOOOOOM! Instead, it goes SCHLORB. (Notably without any exclamation.)

From The Perfect Paper Airplane, written by Robert Munsch, illustrated by Michael Martchenko

There was nothing to do but practise, so Kevin heads to his fort to make one paper airplane after another, but they all go GESCHLURP into the pond. But just before heading to catch his school bus, Kevin makes one last paper airplane with purple and orange flames, and it goes ZOOOOOOOOOM! In fact, it zooms off so well that Kevin can't see it anymore, and he says to himself, "Well, that's that." (pg. 10)

From The Perfect Paper Airplane, written by Robert Munsch, illustrated by Michael Martchenko

But it's not the end of that incredible paper airplane. Kevin soon sees it keeping pace with the school bus, and then it flies into the classroom through the window and creates chaos. When he goes to meet his father's boat at the dock, the crew are busy trying to nab that same paper airplane. Days later, it flies through the family car as his mother drives to school.

 

Everywhere that paper plane soars and glides, mayhem ensues. Would that perfect paper airplane continue to cause pandemonium, or could it actually do good? 

 

This latest Robert Munsch–Michael Martchenko collaboration has all the elements that have made their picture books such favourites. There's the familiarity of a common childhood experience (making paper airplanes), the wonderful silliness of an extreme scenario (a paper airplane that goes on for days), and sounds with oomph (like "geschlurp" and "schlorb"). Robert Munsch bases his stories in reality but takes them into the dimension of improbability and gives us laughs at the playfulness of kids being kids. It's sweet, and it's funny. Michael Martchenko, who has illustrated over twenty-five books written by Robert Munsch, matches the story's whimsy with his playful artwork. From the breakfast table with its colourful and messy cereal, to mom in her curlers and bunny slippers, to the dock scene with laughing gulls, escaping lobsters, and drying socks, Michael Martchenko makes us see the ridiculousness of the paper airplane fiasco. And still, it's just a story about a kid who has fun with his family, who goes to school and who wants to achieve something. As silly as it all is, it's still very real.

From The Perfect Paper Airplane, written by Robert Munsch, illustrated by Michael Martchenko

I won't be surprised if young readers are inspired to try their hands at making their own perfect paper airplane. (Fortunately, there are how-to instructions at the back of the book.) Their planes may not fly for days or become a nuisance to their teacher or to a boatload of lobster fishermen, but the kids will delight with the opportunity for competition and accomplishment, and perhaps a tall tale or two.

You Need Pants!

Written by Sonya Bell

Illustrated by Jordan Wray

Scholastic Canada

978-1-0397-0563-0

24 pp.

Ages 3–8

July 2025 

 

This child is all in for a wealth of adventures. But first their parent has to get them dressed, and that may be greatest of all undertakings.

From You Need Pants!, written by Sonya Bell, illustrated by Jordan Wray

For this little one, each day is a "new day full of silliness and dirt." (p. 3)  His mom, the narrator of the story and a peripheral character in an orange jumpsuit, reminds him of all the things he can do, but first they have to get him dressed. For each piece of clothing he needs—shirt, pants, socks, shoes, coat, hat—she points out, in rhyming text, what fun he can have. 

You can hop, skip and jump

as you march with the ants!

 

You'll sing as you go—

so let's find you some pants.

From You Need Pants!, written by Sonya Bell, illustrated by Jordan Wray

On each double-spread illustration, courtesy of Vancouver's Jordan Wray, the child's imaginative adventure is set against the reality of the play. A flight on a rainbow is actually him drawing at the breakfast table, while his mom holds up a sock to put on. A voyage on a pirate ship seeking lost treasure is him balancing on a pillow with a sword and paper pirate hat alongside a whale stuffie and a toy ship. This time, his mom attempts to get him into his coat. But to have all these fantastic exploits, he must get dressed. 

From You Need Pants!, written by Sonya Bell, illustrated by Jordan Wray

When he's finally dressed and heading out the door, having taken to the stage with the dog and cat playing back up, his mom realizes she has missed something crucial. Oh dear.

 

I can see why Sonya Bell is considered a humorist as well as a writer. You Need Pants! is a cheeky look at getting a child dressed but its ending gives readers a punchline that is convincing, silly, and yet familiar to anyone—parent, teacher, caregiver—who has needed to dress a child. Sonya Bell whose impressive career has included roles as a journalist, a speech writer and a joke writer on This Hour Has 22 Minutes knows how to deliver the laughs but embed it in a context that is appropriate for her audience. Children will love this kid who is so happy and carefree, imagining wonderful scenarios of travel and accomplishment, but laugh at his mom who is desperately chasing him around the house and encouraging him to put on just one more piece of clothing. They'll especially enjoy the ending when it's her misstep that will undo all that hard work. 

From You Need Pants!, written by Sonya Bell, illustrated by Jordan Wray

The playfulness that Sonya Bell portrays in her rhyming text—"You can build a huge tree fort with million-dollar views. You're a tiny homeowner! Oh no! Where are your shoes?"—comes across in Jordan Wray's digital illustrations. They have drawn this child as happy and creative, making a city with a firetruck all out of boxes, imagining sliding with penguins on an iceberg of a slippery rug, and going on a hike through a jungle with his stuffed monkey among the potted houseplants. There's colour everywhere and joy both in the child's imagination and in the house. Nothing is without the zest of personality, from the child's dinosaur PJs to his mom's stylish bibbed overalls, hoop earrings, and headscarf-tied afro. This mom may be frazzled but maybe not—the child doesn't seem anything but content—and yet Jordan Wray makes their story one of liveliness and pleasure and even accomplishment.

 

That effort may be short-lived—you'll see when you read the story—but Sonya Bell and Jordan Wray take us through the process of getting a small child dressed for the day and let us see it from two perspectives. The operation may be exasperating, and it certainly is straggling, but it is fun. And the kid will be fully dressed when he finally gets to leave the house. What more could a parent ask for?