My favorite childhood literary moments tend to be the strangest: A woman tears a humanlike mask off, revealing her grotesquely rotting true face; a little boy tumbles out of his clothes one night and into the batter for a cake prepared by a trio of oversized bakers; a young donkey languishes in a terrifying limbo for months after turning himself into a rock. These scenes may have adults asking, “Is this really appropriate for kids?” But the authors of these weirdly wonderful books have a knack for observing the small details that children are drawn to; they’re also willing to point out that yes, the world is indeed a confusing and bizarre place. These are the stories children gravitate to, the ones they beg to read and reread. Below are several offbeat new picture books sure to please young readers—tales that will hold a place in readers’ hearts for years to come.
Beatrice Alemagna’s Pepper & Me (Hippo Park/Astra Books for Young Readers, Jan. 16) follows an unlikely friendship between a child and the scab that forms after the little one has a bad fall. The young narrator initially views the scab with revulsion but soon names her Pepper, confides in her, and feels a strange sadness when the scab finally falls off one day. The art simultaneously exudes whimsy, melancholy, and warmth as time passes and the protagonist reminisces about Pepper and the memories she evokes. While many books grapple with the big things children face—moving, attending a new school—Alemagna is keenly aware that it’s the seemingly mundane that often affects us most. (Read our interview with Alemagna about the book.)
With his latest, Newbery Honoree Kyle Lukoff dares to tell a bold truth: There’s No Such Thing as Vegetables (Henry Holt, Feb. 27). When Chester goes to the community garden in search of something to add to a salad, the carrots, broccoli, and kale inform him that vegetables are merely a social construct. To prove it, they ask him to define one, and they counter each of his questioning assertions: “Vegetables are plants?” (What about trees?) “Vegetables are good in salads?” (Does that make bacon a veggie?) Chester eventually realizes that vegetable is just a meaningless label—and so are a lot of other things, from money to maps. Andrea Tsurumi’s art depicts a hilariously frantic Chester wildly gesticulating as a group of vivacious, wide-eyed veggies attempt to school him. This tale blends humor and insight into a provocative story that’s perfect for budding skeptics.
Pretty Ugly (Toon Books/Astra Books for Young Readers, Feb. 27) is the brainchild of the literary dream team we never knew we needed. For his picture-book debut, essayist David Sedaris collaborated with the late Ian Falconer, known for the Olivia series; the result is kid lit at its funniest and most subversive. Like all “good” ogres, young Anna runs around causing mayhem, but her family warns her against pulling adorable faces (“One day your face will stick like that”). The unthinkable happens one day, and she’s stuck with a cherub’s face…until she finally embraces the adage that “real beauty is on the inside”—by turning herself inside out. Dryly skewering all things saccharine and syrupy, this uproarious tale is already a classic.
Mahnaz Dar is a young readers’ editor.
