10 Great New Children’s Books Out in May 2026
The article highlights ten new children’s books releasing in May 2026, encouraging families to visit bookstores or libraries as a way to celebrate after missing Independent Bookstore Day. It describes a selection of picture books and early chapter books from both established and emerging authors and illustrators, covering themes like fatherhood, imagination, resilience, and growing up. Each book is recommended for specific age ranges and noted for its emotional depth, creativity, and artistic quality.
- ▪Christian Robinson's 'Dad' explores diverse father figures across the animal kingdom with simple text and vibrant illustrations, releasing May 12.
- ▪Stephen Barr's 'Sixteen Games of Hide and Seek,' illustrated by Steve Teare, follows a playful and emotionally resonant game of hide-and-seek between a boy and his dad, also releasing May 12.
- ▪Lauren Wolk's 'The Outermost Mouse,' illustrated by Kristen Adam, tells the story of a brave mouse facing environmental change and loss, set for release May 19.
- ▪Catharina Valckx's 'Edith: The Girl Who Was 100 Years Old,' translated by Antony Shugaar, features a girl cursed with eternal childhood who seeks to grow up, releasing May 5.
- ▪Goldy Moldavsky's 'On the Road to Happy,' releasing May 5, follows a girl spending the summer at a bungalow colony while her dad works there.
Opening excerpt (first ~120 words) tap to expand
Although this is a book column and not a parenting column, I am going to take this space to own up to a parenting fail: I forgot to take my kids to an Independent Bookstore Day celebration on April 25th. Did you forget, too? It’s okay! You can join me in feeling tremendously guilty, and then all of us can make amends. Fortunately for us, tons of wonderful new children’s books land on shelves each May, making it the perfect month for a celebratory bookstore or library visit. So choose a convenient Saturday, round up some friends or family, and take them on a book-centered outing with an optional stop for ice cream afterward (if you can keep everyone from dripping all over their new books). And while you’re out, keep your eyes peeled for these ten new titles for young readers.
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Excerpt limited to ~120 words for fair-use compliance. The full article is at Literary Hub.
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