Check out these new picture books for kids published July 2026! Make sure to add these to your summer reading for you and your young readers.
Please note:
Purchasing these books through the affiliate will be at no additional cost to you. The Buy Now link will take you to another website, Bookshop.org, where you can purchase the book.
Thank you for supporting Sheaf & Ink. – Cece
Image Description: The book cover of the children’s picture book Yes, Elvis No Romeo has two dogs one bulldog on the bottom left and another dog upside down with speech bubbles.
Yes, Elvis. No, Romeo: A Book of Opposites (An Elvis & Romeo Book)
by David Soman (Author, Illustrator), Jacky Davis (Author)
Book Description
Elvis and Romeo, the most different of pup friends, explore the world of opposites in this new board book from Jacky Davis and David Soman, the bestselling creators of the Ladybug Girl series.
Elvis and Romeo have fun with opposites in their everyday world. Big or little? Dry or wet? Near or far? Asleep or awake? Can these polar opposite pooches ever agree on anything?
NOTE: The BUY NOW button below will take you directly to Bookstore.org to purchase this book.
Image Description: The book cover of the children’s picture book The Sweetest Taste, has illustrated musical instruments, musical posters and a gramophone in the backdrop with a father and daughter and a black cat in the front sitting at a table with two books and a napkin with toast and honey stick.
The Sweetest Taste: A Story of Family, Love of Learning, and Tradition | A Story of Family, Love of Learning, and Tradition
by Sara Holly Ackerman (Author), Juliana Oakley (Illustrator)
A warm and loving story of family, music, and tradition.
It’s time for Eva to begin her first year of school, but she’d much rather help Papa in the music store. She doesn’t understand the fuss at school about standing in a line and sitting in a circle when it’s much better to spin in a circle and never sit at all. But a piano in a music room reminds her of the sweet sounds of home, just as a slice of Papa’s honey cake reminds her of the sweet taste of learning. For fans of Patricia Polacco’s and Tomie dePaola’s picture books, The Sweetest Taste is a warm and satisfying story of family, tradition, and love of learning.
NOTE: The BUY NOW button below will take you directly to Bookstore.org to purchase this book.
Image Description: The book cover of the children’s picture book The Pumpkin Thief, centers a pumpkin where the two main characters Squirrel and Bird stand on top of the pumpkin in a forest.
The Pumpkin Thief (The Leaf Thief)
by Alice Hemming (Author), Nicola Slater (Illustrator)
Squirrel and Bird are back, and this time there’s a mystery in the vegetable patch! Bird’s pumpkins keep disappearing, and this time there’s EVIDENCE―footprints, peck-marks, a feather! There is a PUMPKIN THIEF!
With vibrant art and captivating characters, the magic of Halloween’s preparations are captured beautifully on each page as readers tag along on Squirrel’s forest adventure. Is there truly a pumpkin thief on the loose, or is something else going on? And does it have anything to do with the jack-o’-lanterns appearing on his neighbor’s doorsteps?
NOTE: The BUY NOW button below will take you directly to Bookstore.org to purchase this book.
Image Description: The book cover of the children’s picture book The House With Nobody in it, features a red shape house a brown rectangle door that includes the title and the author and a square window with a ghost in it.
The House with Nobody in It
by Jon Klassen (Author, Illustrator)
Peek through doors and windows to explore a mysterious house in this innovative shaped novelty book for young readers who relish the lightly spooky, from the Caldecott Medal–winning and New York Times bestselling Jon Klassen, creator of I Want My Hat Back and The Skull.
Here are the things in this house: a chair, a clock on the wall, a stool, a lamp. And more. What’s missing from this house? Somebody. This is the house with nobody in it. Well, there might be something . . .
Designed as a sturdy keepsake to read, play with, and treasure, The House with Nobody in It takes readers through a recognizable, cozy house, while layered die-cut doors and windows throughout introduce a hint of intrigue. This is the house with nobody in it—or is it?
Pairing the familiar with a touch of mystery, Jon Klassen proves once again to be a master of breaking the mold, playing with expectations . . . and delighting even the youngest of readers.
NOTE: The BUY NOW button below will take you directly to Bookstore.org to purchase this book.
Image Description: The front cover of the children’s picture book The Great Pumpkin Pancake Party, features a grandfather and granddaughter sitting together around pumpkins, a recipe book and a stack of pancakes in between them.
The Great Pumpkin Pancake Party
by Celeste Pewter (Author), Kelly Wu (Illustrator)
This warm, beautiful picture book follows Lilly and her grandfather as they establish a new autumnal tradition with an old family recipe.
This year, Lao Ye wants to throw a big neighborhood Halloween party and Lilly’s excited to help, but she’s a little worried about Lao Ye’s family recipes. What if the neighbors don’t like their special foods?
Told with engaging prose and brought to life with vibrant art, The Great Pumpkin Pancake Party is a joyful ode to family, food, and the power of community.
A recipe for Lao Ye’s pumpkin pancakes is included!
NOTE: The BUY NOW button below will take you directly to Bookstore.org to purchase this book.
Image Description: The front cover of the children’s book Story Rug, a group of five children sit in a circle working on sewing fabric together.
Story Rug
by Sophie Blackall (Author), Phoebe Wahl (Illustrator)
From two-time Caldecott Medalist Sophie Blackall and beloved artist Phoebe Wahl comes a luminous book that braids together the joy of storytelling with the satisfaction of learning a new craft.
The children of Class 203 are learning to braid. They started with hair and shoelaces, and now the children have brought rags from home. Their braid gets longer and longer until one idea transforms it into an extraordinary surprise for their teacher.
Here is the story of a rag rug, woven through with the stories of the scraps used to create it and those told during its making. The result is a special handmade spot where the whole class can gather, ready for more stories.
This beguiling celebration of storytelling is woven through with an easy-to-learn and impressive craft project, including instructions, will have readers reaching for scraps to make their own rag rug.
NOTE: The BUY NOW button below will take you directly to Bookstore.org to purchase this book.
Image Description: The cover of the picture book Please Don’t Scare the Ghost features a child dressed in a Halloween costume with the moon in the background and holding the hand of a ghost.
Please Don’t Scare the Ghost
by Carrie Williford (Author), Allysa Adams (Illustrator)
It’s Halloween night! Which means it’s time to take your friendly neighborhood ghost trick-or-treating.
You may not think of your ghost as being scared of many things, but that’s something you should know up-front about your ghostie friend: they scare easily. And before you venture out, it’s important to know that there are many rules to follow when meeting your local creepy crawlies. Please Don’t Scare the Ghost is your one-stop shop to navigating Halloween night and its witches, ghosts, zombies, and vampires, so as not to offend any of your new friends.
With sweet yet funny text from Carrie Williford and gorgeous cozy art from Allysa Adams, Please Don’t Scare the Ghost is destined to become your next favorite Halloween picture book–as long as you remember not to feed your ghost any peppered pumpkin pops.
NOTE: The BUY NOW button below will take you directly to Bookstore.org to purchase this book.
Image Description: The front cover of the children’s picture book Monsters are the Worst! with a slobbery monster and the main character Gilbert under the monsters mouth with an umbrella as slobber spills from the monsters mouth onto the umbrella.
Monsters Are the Worst! (The Worst! Series)
by Alex Willan (Author, Illustrator)
Gilbert accidentally brings home a slobbery, bite-sized monster in the hilarious latest installment in The Worst! picture book series, where even the strangest of creatures can become the best of friends.
When plucky Gilbert the Goblin and his pal Chicken go camping together, they run into creatures that go bump in the night! The friends immediately flee the woods and head home—after all, everyone knows that monsters are absolutely, undeniably, unequivocally the worst!
But when a shocking stowaway appears in Gilbert’s knapsack, looking awfully cute and extra snuggly, Gilbert is…smitten! Sure, monsters can bite and drool and make a big mess, but they can also steal your heart. It’s a tale so sweet it’s scary!
NOTE: The BUY NOW button below will take you directly to Bookstore.org to purchase this book.
Image Description: The front cover of the children’s picture book Mac & Cheese The Origin Story, is an illustration of macaroni pasta with purple glasses holding hands with cheddar cheese with a crown.
Mac & Cheese: The Origin Story (Delicious Duos Series)
by Michael L. Benner (Author), Alison Hawkins (Illustrator)
The Bad Seed meets The Legend of Rock, Paper, Scissors in a pasta-tively hilarious story about the most enduring friendship of all time: Mac & Cheese!
The first book from the brand new and pun-tastic Delicious Duos series, Mac & Cheese: The Origin Story explores the heartfelt and hilarious story behind the iconic pair!
Mac was a friendly Noodle from Pastaland and rubbed elbows with everyone. But he didn’t have the one thing he wanted most: a friend. So one day, he packs up and goes on an epic journey that takes him across the Sea of Snacks, to the Isle of Candy, through the Desert of Dessert, and beyond Mount Cheddar, until he finds himself in… Quesoland.
In Quesoland, Cheese was king. And while he could be a real crowd-pleaser, he didn’t have the one thing he wanted most: a friend. When a mysterious and hilarious newcomer from Pastaland arrives, Cheese wonders if Mac might be who he was looking for all this time.
Join Mac and Cheese in their search for true friendship, told through Michael Benner’s hilarious, heartwarming text, and Alison Hawkins’ endearing, delightful visuals! Perfect for the youngest readers, this funny and sweet read-aloud will ensure a goud-a time!
NOTE: The BUY NOW button below will take you directly to Bookstore.org to purchase this book.
Image Description: The front cover of A Taxi for Everyone How Roy Velásquez Fought for Equality, features a vividly illustrated city backdrop and a green taxi with Roy standing outside the car holding his hat looking up the street.
A Taxi for Everyone: How Roy Velásquez Fought for Equality (A Nonfiction History Picture Book for Kids)
by Debbie Zapata (Author), Laura Sandoval Herrera (Illustrator)
This compelling biography tells the story of Roy Velásquez and how he built a community fighting against segregation and discrimination in Austin, Texas, by starting a thriving taxi company for those not being served by the city’s institutions.
Roy Velásquez was the son of Mexican immigrants, living in Austin, Texas, at the height of segregation. Roy knew
the hardships faced by people of color because of the insurmountable policies put into place. What was anyone to do? Even just simple acts can go a long way. But Roy went further than that. . . .
In segregated Austin, people of color weren’t allowed in taxis, and the streetcar ended far from their homes. So Roy borrowed five dollars from a friend, purchased a taxi permit and a tank of gas, and drove people of color wherever they needed to go.
Before long, one lone taxi became a fleet. For over seventy-five years, Roy’s Taxi Service helped to fight segregation and poll taxes, and grow Austin into a community for everyone. Roy’s story is a reminder that we can all affect change and that inclusion is our strength.
NOTE: The BUY NOW button below will take you directly to Bookstore.org to purchase this book.
Image Description: The front cover of the children’s picture book Duck & Goose Honk! Quack! Book features the two main characters Duck and Goose in Halloween costumes in a grassy field with a pumpkin in between them.
Duck & Goose, Honk! Quack! Boo!
by Tad Hills (Author)
It’s Halloween in the meadow, and the beloved, classic, and New York Times bestselling feathered friends Duck & Goose go trick-or-treating! Now an animated series, available to stream on Apple TV+!
Duck is going as a spooky ghost. Goose is going as a brave superhero. And Thistle’s costume . . . well, that’s a secret. But what will Duck and Goose do when they hear a very scary swamp monster is looking for them?
NOTE: The BUY NOW button below will take you directly to Bookstore.org to purchase this book.
Image Description: The front cover of the children’s picture book I Can Learn to Be Brave a picture of a little girl in a purple dress stands on a rock near the ocean the sun setting in the distance under a blue sky.
I Can Learn to Be Brave
by Mariann Edgar Budde (Author), Holly Hatam (Illustrator)
From the Episcopal Bishop of Washington, Mariann Edgar Budde, comes a picture book that teaches the smallest readers that no voice is too quiet, no message too small, to have an impact on a friend.
There once was a girl who wished she was brave.
But mostly . . .
She was not.
A little girl is scared to try new things. New things are hard! What if she fails? What if someone sees her fail? She laments that she’d like to be brave, but how does she start when the world is so big and she is so small?
Luckily, another very brave girl takes her under her wing and shows her how to be brave in those small decisive moments that children may not realize beckon bravery forward. Climbing a hill, using a rope swing, and finding the most beautiful sunset. For those little moments–Bishop Budde argues–are the ones that become the biggest lessons.
NOTE: The BUY NOW button below will take you directly to Bookstore.org to purchase this book.
Image Description: The front cover of the picture book A Day Off School by Oliver Jeffers, features a child in front of a television inside their house, a cast sit next to the child and outside the window are dinosaurs a pirate ship fireworks and a alien spaceship.
A Day Off School
by Oliver Jeffers (Author), Kevin Waldron (Illustrator)
A hilarious picture book from the mind of #1 New York Times bestselling creator Oliver Jeffers, about what incredible things you might miss if you take the day off school . . .
A whole day off school! ALL TO HIMSELF!!
When Herbie has the sniffles, he stays home from school. It’s exciting to have time to play Space Blasters and watch cartoons. But by lunchtime, he wonders what fun he might be missing at school. What if there’s an extra playtime, a dog on the loose . . . or even A PIRATE INVASION?
A hilarious, action-packed story from globally bestselling picture book creator Oliver Jeffers and award-winning illustrator Kevin Waldron.
NOTE: The BUY NOW button below will take you directly to Bookstore.org to purchase this book.
Image Description: The front cover of the children’s picture book The Bookshop on Lemon Tree Lane—written by Mike Lucas and illustrated by Sofya Karmazina—features a charming, atmospheric scene that captures the cozy nostalgia of a beloved neighborhood bookstore. The cover prominently showcases the storefront of the “very old bookshop” nestled on Lemon Tree Lane. It features traditional architectural charm with a warm, inviting entranceway that hints at the “nooks and crannies” waiting inside. On the bookshop steps are the grandfather and grandson with a black dog.
The Haunted Playground
by R. J. Palacio (Author), Brett Helquist (Illustrator)
From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Wonder and the illustrator of A Series of Unfortunate Events comes a spine-tingling Halloween picture book adventure!
I cast the spell that brings to life this playground of the night.
Here my phantoms come—but not to spook or fright.
They’re here because they want to laugh, to frolic and be merry.
They’re here because they need to take a break from being scary.
When all the trick-or-treating is done and children are tucked in, ghosts are drawn to one special place: the Haunted Playground! Ruled by Rex Magnificus, ghosts arrive not to haunt but to play. But will the appearance of two human children interrupt their revelry?
From two master storytellers, this Halloween story is a modern classic!
NOTE: The BUY NOW button below will take you directly to Bookstore.org to purchase this book.
Image Description: The front cover of the picture book Frankenkitty features a patchwork of a cat with electricity coming out of the cat.
Frankenkitty
by Maudie Powell-Tuck (Author), Mini Grey (Illustrator)
This lively, laugh-out-loud gothic tale in picture book form is perfect for kids ages 3-7 who love their monsters cute and their bedtime stories dramatic. Features a freakishly fun art style and a neon green Pantone on the cover!
Meet Frankenkitty–a stitched-together kitten with a haunted castle for a home and a reputation that seems to terrify everyone…even his own inventor! Only Olive, the inventor’s brave young daughter, sees the sweet side of this misunderstood kitty. But when terrible things start to happen at the castle—like mice invading the kitchen, frogs appearing in the bathtub, and Brussels sprouts showing up on the dinner menu—poor Frankenkitty gets the blame and is banished from the castle into the snow. Will Olive be able to rescue the poor kitten before it’s too late? Features a freakishly fun art style and a neon green Pantone on the cover!
Full of playful twists on classic horror tropes, this entertaining story features hilariously dramatic narration, perfect for reading aloud and getting readers ready for the spooky season.
NOTE: The BUY NOW button below will take you directly to Bookstore.org to purchase this book.
Image Description: The front cover of the children’s picture book Here a Creak, There a Shriek! three illustrated children dressed in costumes running away from a haunted barn house.
Here a Creak, There a Shriek!
by Kelly Conroy (Author), Nikolas Ilic (Illustrator)
Creep your way through a spooky farm and meet cackling witches, howling beasts, and floating ghosts in this “Old MacDonald Had a Farm”-inspired rhyme, perfect for fans of Halloween ages 3-7! Includes a poster printed in Pantone on the inside of the jacket!
Let’s explore a haunted farm.
Eeek I! Eeek-I! Oh!
Enter the haunted farm–if you dare! Venture into a foggy field full of howling, growling beasts and cackling witches. Cackle! Step into the rustling corn of a scarecrow’s maze. Eeek! Wind through the haunted woods full of ghastly ghouls. Woooo! And open the creaking barn doors to uncover a final, not-so chilling surprise: a fabulously spooky barn dance! Eeek–I! Eeek–I! Oh! Includes a poster printed in Pantone on the inside of the jacket!
NOTE: The BUY NOW button below will take you directly to Bookstore.org to purchase this book.
Image Description: The front cover of the children’s picture book Leroy Has Something to say, a ghost with a a hat and holding a potted rose, and a little girl looking into a greenhouse filled with plants.
Leroy Has Something to Say
by Emily Rosenthal (Author), My Phuong Thai (Illustrator)
Gustavo the Shy Ghost meets I Talk Like a River in this sweet and spooky picture book about the many ways we communicate with each other.
Leroy the ghost loves his garden at Rosebud Manor. Every time a new family moves in, he greets them with a beautiful yellow rose, the flower of friendship. But no one understands what he’s trying to say, and they always get scared away!
Then one day, Tara-a girl who uses a device to talk-moves in. It turns out Tara knows just as much about plants as Leroy. Is it possible she speaks the language of flowers, too, and that Leroy has finally found someone who understands him?
This sweet picture book celebrates the many different ways we communicate with each other, showing there’s more than one way to find your voice and make a friend.
NOTE: The BUY NOW button below will take you directly to Bookstore.org to purchase this book.
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Image Description: A graphic with a collection of new July 2026 picture books featured in this post on white bookshelves with the text www.sheafandink.com on the bottom.
Welcome Reader!
I’m Cecelia and I’m so glad you’re here! You’ll find honest reviews, book recommendations, along with other bookish essentials. So happy you stopped by!
– C
Let’s Be Friends
ABOUT THE CREATOR
CECE BECKMAN
Cece holds a Bachelor’s degree in Creative Writing from California State University, Long Beach. She lives in California with her husband and children. When she’s not reading or writing reviews she can be found wandering book aisles at local bookshops, drinking iced cold lattes with cold cream foam, or passing the time with her cats.
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