September 16 – Chef Appreciation Week

About the Holiday

Chef Appreciation Week was established in 2013 by Donald and Lisa Crutch to encourage people to offer their appreciation for all the dedication and hard work shown by those who work in the culinary industry as well as home chefs. Every year the week is celebrated with the theme “Great People Inspire Great Food!” Today, the holiday has grown to be the largest global recognition of chefs and culinarians, celebrated across the United States and in more than 30 countries around the world. As today’s book demonstrates, even the youngest chefs can come up with new and creative recipes.

Thanks to Scholastic Press for sending me this book for review!

How Not to Make a Jelly Sandwich

By Ross Burach

As kids open the book to the first page, Frankie immediately welcomes them with a simple, five-step recipe for making a jelly sandwich. Sounds yummy, and the sandwich begins where you might imagine—with two slices of bread. Easy-peasy, right? Well, at the store, Frankie passes up the wrapped-bread and instead recommends buying a traffic cone and two pool accessories as a way to procure your slices. Then it’s just a quick trip to a duck pond, some clever impersonations, and a generous granny with bread to share, and you’re well on your way to that first delicious bite!

Step 2, of course, involves the jelly. As everyone knows “opening a jar of jelly is very straightforward.” All you need to do is find an elephant, lure it to a playground, “kindly ask it to sit on the whirly-go-round and tightly grip the jar” in its trunk while you hang from the monkey bars and hold onto the lid as the elephant spins round and round. Hear that familiar “Pop!”? You’re moving on to Step 3: Applying the Jelly, which, as you know, “is super simple.” In fact, you may even have all the required components in your house already! Got a dog, a bathtub, some bubbly soap? You’re good to go!

With two jellied-up slices of bread, you’re in the home stretch. All you’re going to need is basic coordination. You know, the type needed to “organize a joust” between well-matched knights who can “smush” those slices together in style. Finally, the “least complicated step of all”: cutting your sandwich. Sure, you’ll need a little help—I mean helper—but with a bit of training and the right enticement, you’ll be eating that jelly sandwich in . . . well . . . Just make sure you’ve made plenty for all your new friends.

Following the story, Ross Burach gives readers a glimpse into Frankie’s alternate brainstorm for making a jelly sandwich and then invites them to write their own silly steps.

In his latest book, Ross Burach takes on sequential writing with laugh-out-loud silliness that will spark kids’ creativity while showing them that there are as many ways to complete tasks as there are people to devise of them. As he sets up each step, readers may think they know what’s coming next, but Burach serves up plenty of surprise ingredients that will keep kids and adults giggling. Burach’s hilarious illustrations are full of hijinks and puns, and alert readers will be happy to spy guest appearances from some of his other books.

Sweet fun for delicious read aloud story times, How Not to Make a Jelly Sandwich will quickly become a favorite treat, requested again and again from libraries and home bookshelves.

Ages 4 – 8

Scholastic, 2026 | ISBN 978-1338877090

Ross Burach is the creator of the riotously funny Very Impatient Caterpillar series that includes The Very Impatient Caterpillar; The Little Butterfly That Could; Goodnight, Butterfly; and Make Way for Butterfly. All the books combine humor with curriculum-friendly science topics and relatable social-emotional themes. Ross’s other acclaimed books include the picture book Truck Full of Ducks, the board books I Love My Tutu Too!, Potty All-Star, Hi-Five Farm!, and Hi-Five Animals!, named the best board book of the year by Parents Magazine, and the Acorn early reader series Bumble and Bee. He also illustrated Audrey Perrott’s Moo Hoo and Baa Haa. His most recent title is How NOT to Make a Jelly Sandwich. Ross lives with his family in Brooklyn, New York. You can visit him online at rossburach.com.

Chef Appreciation Week Activity

How Not to Make a Jelly Sandwich Activity Pages

Kids can have fun building their dream sandwich and writing their own sequential list on How Not to Brush Your Teeth with these creative activity pages from Ross Burach and Scholastic!

You can purchase How Not to Make a Jelly Sandwich from these booksellers

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Picture Book Review

September 7 – Buy a Book Day

Posted by Kath Carroll

About the Holiday

Today is one of the best days of the year! Anyone who loves books will want to take the opportunity of the holiday to visit their favorite bookstore and buy one of those books you’ve been hearing and reading about. And why stop at just one? Winter is coming—that time when nothing feels better than snuggling into a cozy reading spot with a cup of tea or hot chocolate and reading the day (or night) away. As the school year begins, children benefit from having new books in their home libraries that reflect their changing interests, maturing thoughts. Take a little time to look through the children’s or tween sections of the bookstore and let your kids pick out some new favorites! Yes, today is a wonderful day, no bones about it!

Thank you to Hippo Park for sending me this book for review!

A Not-So-Scary Story

By Barney Saltzberg

Little Mouse hears something in the middle of the night and wakes up. Could it have been Big Mouse’s snoring? Little Mouse doesn’t know what woke him—just that he’s scared. He’s also wary of the dark since he usually sleeps through it. When Big Mouse seems to dive out of sight, Little Mouse begs him not to leave, but Big Mouse is just retrieving a flashlight. Ahhh, that’s better! Big Mouse then offers to tell Little Mouse a story, and Little Mouse is eager to hear it.

The story starts in the usual way, but then—with mood lighting courtesy of the flashlight—there’s an unidentifiable “THUMP!” and Little Mouse scurries under his blanket. The THUMPs come closer, and Little Mouse tells his friend he’s scaring him. Still, Little Mouse remains peeking out from his blanket to listen. Big Mouse gets to the big reveal, “Guess what it was?” Sensing an opportunity to change the story, Little Mouse shouts out the cutest thing he can imagine, and as Big Mouse tries to steer the story back on track, Little Mouse adds “butterfly wings” and “fluffy pink clouds.”

But you know how quickly the weather can turn, and Big Mouse fills the room with bone-rattling “BOOMs” and “CRACKLEs.” The two parry, until Little Mouse reveals that he doesn’t like being scared. Big Mouse has never heard of such a thing, and Little Mouse says he didn’t know “that being scared was something to like.” Now that he’s aware, Little Mouse is ready to get back to the story and even adds a few frightening elements of his own. Little Mouse is warming up to this new entertainment when suddenly a towering, green interloper appears from where the flashlight came from, putting Little Mouse’s new-found bravery to the test.

Barney Salzberg’s follow up to A Delicious Story reunites Big Mouse and Little Mouse in this endearing conversational story that rolls out with realistic cadence and timing that will have young readers simultaneously on the edge of their seat and giggling at Little Mouse’s playful interjections. Saltzberg’s reveal midway through explains Big Mouse’s counterintuitive response to Little Mouse’s fear while gently introducing ideas of trying new things, communicating, and appreciating alternate perspectives.

Saltzberg’s minimalist illustrations bring readers right into the room with Big Mouse and Little Mouse, immersing them in their creative back-and-forth to experience all of the friendship, chills, and humor of the story. The flashlight beam might even be considered a third character, highlighting, as it does, the action, emotions, and surprises in store. Saltzberg cleverly used the book’s gutter to add another dimension to this adorable tale.

Charming, and thoughtful, A Not-So-Scary Story is sure to become a favorite for lively and imaginative interactive read-alouds at home, in the classroom, and for library story times.

Ages 3 – 6

Hippo Park, 2026 | ISBN 978-1662640858

About the Author

Barney Saltzberg is the author of more than 50 books for children, including the best-selling Touch and Feel Kisses series, Beautiful Oops!, My Book of Beautiful Oops!, and Hippo Park’s A Delicious Story. Additionally, he’s recorded four albums of songs for children. His books have won numerous awards, including NAPPA Gold Awards, and received multiple starred reviews. Most recently, Melinda Gates chose Beautiful Oops! as one of her top three books every child should read. Visit him at barneysaltsberg.com.

Buy a Book Day Activity

Sing Along with Barney Salzberg!

Join Author and illustrator Barney Saltzberg in this rollicking, not-so-scary sing along!

You can purchase A Not-So-Scary Story from these booksellers

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Picture Book Review

September 1 – World Letter Writing Day

Posted by Kath Carroll

About the Holiday

Once, people communicated their news, emotions, and “wish you were here” postcard sentiments through the mail. Today, letters can take on a different connotation. They don’t have to be those long missives sent in envelopes with stamps affixed. A note to a friend, a message included in a child’s lunch sack, or a post-it stuck where a co-worker can see it are all ways to write a few encouraging words to those you love. Today, why not put your thoughts on paper and give your letter to someone you’d like to connect with—even if it’s just for a little help, like in today’s book!

Thank you to Orchard Books/Scholastic for sending me a copy of this book for review!

Love, Panda

Written by Elaine Su | Illustrated by Charlene Chua

As new big brother Benny takes off to play with a visiting friend, a squishy panda feels abandoned with the baby who’s chewing her ear amid piles of diapers, tiny clothes, and other little toys. Panda writes a letter to Benny pleading to be rescued to no avail. The next day Panda writes that she endured watching “four elephants fly around in a circle all morning.” The baby thinks they’re hilarious, but Panda? Not so much. She reminds Benny that she’s still waiting for him to retrieve her. In a postcard, Panda questions if Dump Truck is even delivering her letters.

Illustration copyright © 2026 by Charlene Chua. Text copyright © 2026 by Elaine Su. Published by Orchard Books copyright © 2026.

As Baby continues to grow, Panda grows desperate, and her letters become impassioned missives bemoaning her fate as Baby’s constant companion. Panda’s suffering through loud crinkly books, new lax rules on burping, and Baba’s singing to Baby. Little by little, though, Panda’s letters reveal real concern, interest, appreciation, and an understanding of what Baby needs. Panda even uses her name. But then the “weirdest thing” happens. Panda begins to bond with Baby Lou and to have flashbacks, from when Benny was a baby, of that crinkly book, one of Lou’s hats, and even having tea with a giraffe in the baby’s room.

At the same time, Lou learns to sit up, and Benny is suddenly more interested in his baby sister. Entering her room, he reconnects with Panda in a big, happy squeeze before the three have a tea party together. In her last letter, Panda retracts her previous requests, having decided that she “might stay here a bit longer,” but inviting Benny to come play again tomorrow.

Elaine Su’s adorable story, told through witty letters that echo the feelings of a sibling as they adjust to the changes a new baby brings, is full of personality, funny observations, and the subtle way acceptance and love grow between siblings. Su deftly weaves Baby Lou’s progression of milestones throughout the story, reminding older brothers or sisters that they, too, experienced these stages and share a common history.

Charlene Chua’s bright illustrations give young readers plenty to smile, laugh, and talk about as Panda’s facial expressions clearly show her emotions—from boredom to growing kinship to happiness. Benny’s increasing interaction with his sister is also shown through background images of his playdates, his reaction to Lou’s crying, and his sweet reunion with Panda before officially giving her to Lou. The final image of a letter Benny has made for Panda brings the story to a heartwarming finish.

Endearing and hilarious, Love, Panda is a perfect choice for new or soon-to-be siblings that will continue to be relevant and appreciated as the baby grows and the siblings form a relationship. The book is sure to be an often-asked-for addition to any home or library collection.

Ages 4 – 8

Orchard Books, 2026 | ISBN 978-1546179580

About the Author

Elaine Su was born in Shanghai and now lives with her family in beautiful coastal British Columbia, Canada. Her favorite childhood stuffie was an enormous green and white rabbit named Duffle. Visit her at elainesu.com.

About the Illustrator

Charlene Chua has illustrated more than a dozen books, including Oliver Bounces Back!, Amy Wu and The Perfect Bao, The Pencil, and Hug? Her work has been nominated for the Ruth and Sylvia Schwartz Award, the Forest of Reading Awards, the Shining Willow Award, and the First Nation Communities READ Award. Charlene lives in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. Visit her/them at charlenechua.com.

World Letter Writing Day Activity

Love, Panda Activity Pages

Kids can commiserate with Panda and show their love for their own favorite stuffed animal with these Love, Panda Activity Pages from Elaine Su, Charlene Chua, and Scholastic!

Love, Panda Coloring Sheet | Love, Panda Letter Writing Activity

You can purchase Love, Panda from these booksellers

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Picture Book Review

August 27 – National Just Because Day

Posted by Kath Carroll

About the Holiday

Doesn’t today’s holiday sound relaxing? A whole day devoted to doing things “just because.” As the school year starts up again and the less structured days of summer fade, it’s fun to contemplate what you can do just because you feel like it, because it makes you happy, or because it’s something nice you want to do for someone else. With no expectations, no directions, and no nagging deadlines, today’s holiday lets you be the captain of your own actions and fate! So get out there and do that thing! You might surprise yourself and others—just like the little girl in today’s book!

Thank you to Abrams Books for Young Readers for sending me a copy of this book for review!

A Very Good Parade

By Eleanor Davis

When Gabby, with her cape, crown, Tudor ruff-esque tutu, and exclamation-point topknot, waved her spatula and declared “It’s time for a parade!” she was initially met with reluctance. Miguel told her he didn’t “know how to do anything,” including playing the tuba sitting next to him. Gabby reassured him that the “horn is so good, you don’t even have to play it.” If that was the case, Miguel was ready to sign up and blew a weak breath—“pffsssfffssssss”—into the mouthpiece.

They continued down the block, Gabby inviting everyone to join the parade with “whatever you’ve got.” Hugo has lots of questions about who and what will be in the parade before demonstrating his talent for singing “Stayin’ Alive.” All Anthony has are his auntie’s oversized cowboy boots, but Gabby says to wear them and come along. Across the street they meet up with two girls who don’t want to miss snack time, so Gabby hands them three tubes of string cheese and wants to know what they’ll do in the parade.

As Gabby leads her growing parade to the park, she picks up drummers, acrobats, even a wild animal who all fulfill Hugo’s list, while deftly dispatching two bullies with a definitive “No, you aren’t” when they say they’re going to join the parade. When Gabby finally yells, “STOP! Now we will all perform!” the street erupts with roars and crash-bangs and singing and clomping and “pffsssfffssssss” from Miguel’s tuba. The parade ends with an unexpected flourish that makes the watching crowd go “wild” and Gabby’s pronouncement, “Now it is time for dinner!” that sends everyone home. Back at Gramma’s, Gabby proclaims her parade “‘was the best parade in the history of the whole entire universe.’ And it was. Gabby said so.”

When Eleanor Davis’s spunky and aptly named Gabby announces herself and her intentions to lead a parade on the first page, readers will find their lips curling into a smile that only becomes wider and never fades as the story progresses to its pitch-perfect ending. Focused and self-assured, Gabby marches out into the street where she spreads compliments, confidence, and acceptance (except for one very welcome rebuke of bullies) in her wake. Hilarious touches in the dialogue and illustrations will prompt laughs and a heartwarming embrace for this close neighborhood. Kids are sure to be charmed and inspired by the variety of talents this parade presents.

Davis’s warm, matte color palette is striking and fresh, highlighting the children while they also blend in as an integral part of the community. Her illustrations are fully realized with city scenes and humorous details, and readers will love to linger over all of the action as the kids make their way to the park. A Special Note about the book’s jacket and cover: the flip side of the jacket folds out to a full-length image of the parade performance, while the cover shows the neighborhood in quiet repose.

A Very Good Parade is a joyful celebration of childhood, individual personalities, and community that will be a favorite for “read it again!” story times. The book is a must for all public and school libraries as well as home bookshelves. If you are looking for a gift, A Very Good Parade will be much appreciated and loved.

Ages 4 – 8

Abrams Books for Young Readers, 2026 | ISBN 978-1419785733

About the Author

Eleanor Davis is an award-winning cartoonist making books for children and adults. Her recent graphic novel The Hard Tomorrow won the LA Times Book Prize for Best Graphic novel, and her early reader Stinky was celebrated with a Geisel Honor, among many other accolades. She is the illustrator of Traci N. Todd’s Make a Pretty Sound. A Very Good Parade is Eleanor’s author-illustrator picture book debut. She lives in Athens, Georgia, with her husband, fellow cartoonist Drew Weing, and their noisy and righteous child. Visit her at doing-fine.com.

National Just Because Day Activity

It’s Instrumental! Game

Play this fun game to gather all the instruments you need to create a music group or a parade! The first person to collect all 6 instrument cards is the winner!

Supplies

Printable Paper Cube Template
Printable Musical Instruments Cards—print one page for each player
Scissors
Tape

Directions

Print the Paper Cube Template, cut it out and assemble the cube die.
Print the Musical Instruments cards, cut out cards, and separate the instruments into piles
Players take turns rolling the die cube to collect musical instrument cards
The first player to collect all 6 instrument cards is the winner

You can purchase A Very Good Parade from these booksellers

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Picture Book Review

August 25 – Be Kind to Humankind Week

Posted by Kath Carroll

About the Holiday

In 1988 Lorraine Jara of Toms River, New Jersey, realized there are so many ways to show kindness to others and bring hope to the world that one celebrated day just wasn’t enough. Instead, Lorraine created Be Kind to Humankind Week that runs for the last week of August and presents different themes for each day. It’s up to the individual to decide how they can make a difference to one person or many! Lorraine’s themes can spark lots of unique ideas for demonstrating kindness and making others—and yourself—happier not only this week but every day! Touch a Heart Tuesday encourages people to spread kindness and acceptance one heart at a time. Today’s book humorously shows kids the joys of being kind to our fellow beings—after all, we’re only human!

Be Kind to Humankind Week Themes

Sacrifice Our Wants for Others’ Needs Sunday
Motorist Consideration Monday
Touch a Heart Tuesday
Willing to Lend a Hand Wednesday
Thoughtful Thursday
Forgive Your Foe Friday
Speak Nice Words Saturday

Thanks to Margaret K. McElderry Books for sending me a copy of this book for review!

Spooky Scouts

By Kimberly Shrack

As kids join the story, Luna, a wolf pup, leads them in the Spooky Scouts Pledge, which goes, in part: “We are the Spooky Scouts! Monsters, true and kind, prepared for big adventures with our strong, creative minds.” Readers then meet the rest of Troop 13—Frances, Cal, Hattie, and George—and see some of the fun badges Luna has earned, including potion making, spectral photography, creepy cooking, and undead pet care. But it’s the annual camping trip in the “Darkenscary National Forest” that she loves the most.

Luna has a great feeling about this year’s trip until she finds out the “really bad” news that it’s the night of the full moon. It’s bad because “Luna has a secret.” On full-moon nights Luna turns into a “beast so icky it would give even the bravest Spooky Scout a wicked case of the heebie-jeebies.” Luna’s afraid that when the others find out what a “weirdo” she is, she’ll be banned from camping forever. Panic sets in, and Luna scrambles to find a solution.

Her first remedy, Moon Screen, gets washed off when her canoe overturns, and the hat she quickly fashions is blown away just as she’s enjoying her favorite camping treat: s’mores. Under the beaming moon, Luna begins to transform. In a moment, instead of the wolf they know, the scouts see . . . “a . . . HUMAN!” She explains the embarrassment that’s kept her from mentioning it before then leans into the Spooky Scouts pledge to be brave. “‘So,'” she says, “‘I’m done hiding . . . because there’s nothing braver than being honest about who you are.'”

The other scouts take Luna’s pronouncement to heart and begin revealing the secrets they’ve been hiding. Luna and the other scouts celebrate the fact that they’re “all weirdos” and when together can always be themselves.

If you’re scouting for a picture book with lovable characters, a clever surprise twist, and a rewarding message about acceptance and the courage to be yourself, you’ll find it in Kimberly Shrack’s original friendship story. From her Spooky Scouts Pledge (which kids will want to adopt as their own) to her funny illustrations peppered with puns and humorous mishaps to her graphic-novelesque elements, Shrack thrills and chills in all the right ways to make Spooky Scouts a book kids will take to heart and want to read again and again.

Ages 4 – 8

Margaret K. McElderry Books, 2026 | ISBN 979-8347101184

About the Author

Kimberly Shrack is an author and illustrator based in the Pacific Northwest. Like Luna, she is a s’mores enthusiast. Unlike Luna, she has not yet earned her badge for Dragon Fire Safety. Spooky Scouts is her debut picture book. Visit her at kimberlyshrack.com.

Be Kind to Humankind Week Activity

Kindness Cards

Here are some cheery cards to share! Give them to a friend, family member, teacher, your bus driver, or anyone to show them that you care and that they mean a lot to you!

Kindness Cards Sheet 1 | Sheet 2

You can purchase Spooky Scouts from these booksellers

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Picture Book Review

August 19 – National Back to School Month

Posted by Kath Carroll

About the Holiday

For many kids August means going back to school or taking their first steps into a classroom, while for the youngest children it can be just the beginning of learning new concepts that are the building blocks of education in lots of fun ways. Board books are perfect for sharing the language, math, science, and other concepts that little ones need to learn along the way to being ready for school themselves!

Thanks to Phaidon Press for sending me this book for review!

Small Monster, Big Monster: A Seriously Silly Book of Opposites

By Allan Sanders

Ready to have monstrous fun learning opposites? Allan Sanders transports kids to a vibrant world where monsters and humans coexist, with hilarious results. What happens when a “monster gets ON the bus?” As you might imagine, “passengers get OFF.” And they’re not just getting off, they’re scrambling through the windshield as fast as they can. All except a young girl who welcomes the monster with a smile and wave. What do you imagine a monster will do after seeing a tornado from INSIDE? Go OUTSIDE to ride it, of course!

These monsters aren’t scary! All they want to do is play, dance the night away, enjoy getting FULL on pizza (who doesn’t?!), and engage in some of people’s favorite sports. Little learners will love hanging with these monsters who are just as curious, active, ingenious, and friendly as they are as they learn opposites that make the world work!

Allan Sanders’ brightly colored pages, accented with neon touches, will immediately draw little ones to these funny, friendly monsters, who take part in activities from the city to the gym to the ski slope and beyond in their own unique style. Kids will also love spotting lots of silly surprises on each spread during giggly read-alouds.

Ages Baby – 3

Phaidon Press, 2026 | ISBN 978-1837292110

About the Author/Illustrator

Allan Sanders is an illustrator and artist who lives by the sea in Brighton, UK. He has illustrated several Children’s books including On the Move, My Amazing Body, Outer Space, The Animal World, The Book of Perfectly Perilous Math, and most recently The Alphabet of Alphabets and A Number of Numbers for Wide Eyed Editions. He likes diagrams, limited palettes, screen printing, comic books, handwritten type, and wonky perspectives. Visit him at allansanders.co.uk.

You can purchase Small Monster, Big Monster: A Seriously Silly Book of Opposites from these booksellers.

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Picture Book Review

August 18 – Serendipity Day

Posted by Kath Carroll

About the Holiday

The word “serendipitous” was first coined in 1754 by Horace Walpole in a letter to a friend as he described a Persian fairy tale known in English as The Three Princes of Serendip. In the story, after three young men are banished from the kingdom of Serendip (commonly known as Sri Lanka) they travel the world to prove their worth and continuously enjoy surprisingly good luck—or serendipity—along the way. In 2001 author Madeleine Kay founded Serendipity Day to encourage people to live their lives believing that at any moment something wonderful may happen. Let today’s holiday inspire you to pay closer attention to those moments of serendipitous magic—from enjoying a bit of good luck to making a new friend—that occur each day. They’re all around us as long as we recognize and embrace them!

Thanks to Hippo Park for sending me a copy of this book for review!

The Stuffie Stand

By Maddie Frost

Moose had always love, love, LOVED stuffies. So when he got older, he began making his own, taking care with the stitching and filling to make sure they had “just the right amount of squish and [were] always one hundred percent cute.” It didn’t take long for Moose to open his own Stuffie shop called, appropriately, The Stuffie Stand. Pretty soon, he had lots of customers, the most enthusiastic of which was Mable.

Turned out, Mable made stuffies herself. But she liked to “bedazzle them with accessories.” She could even see herself selling her stuffies at The Stuffie Stand and moved right in, but Moose wasn’t feeling it. “Goodbye, little girl,” he said, as he removed Mable and her embellishments from his shop. It wasn’t as if Moose didn’t have any customers. He was plenty busy making his own designs and filling special orders. In fact, Moose was sew, sew, sew, sew busy that he couldn’t keep up with demand, and the quality of his stuffies began to decline.

Mable noticed that Moose was looking frazzled and offered to help, but Moose was adamant—until he suffered noodle arms—”a crafter’s worst nightmare”—and relented. Mable got right to work, and while the difference in their creating styles left Moose cringing sometimes, he discovered that “it was nice to have someone to share ideas with.” He even came to admire the bedazzled stuffies on the shelves, and when they opened the renamed Moose and Mable’s Stuffie Stand, Moose was happy to have found a partner—and a friend.

Maddie Frost infuses heart and humor into her DIY story of a moose who likes his stuffie creations simple and a girl who’s all about the bling. Moose’s perfectionist tendencies and Mable’s over-the-top enthusiasm clash in hilarious scenes between this unlikely pair while conveying a gentle reminder of the positive effects of varied influences and the unforeseen joys that can come from teamwork.

Moose and Mable’s facial expressions will have readers giggling throughout the story, and their final partnership will have them cheering for this lovable duo. Kids who go goggle-eyed over stuffies or other treasures will excitedly pore over The Stuffie Stand’s stock to pick their favorites and, perhaps, be inspired to make their own.

Pure read-aloud fun, with a squish of friendship here and a squeeze of collaboration there, The Stuffie Stand will leave readers in stitches and become a quick favorite in any library and home collection.

Ages 4 – 8

Hippo Park, 2026 | ISBN 978-1662641152

About the Author

Maddie Frost is an author-illustrator from Massachusetts. She has written and illustrated eleven picture books and graphic novels. Her obsession with 90s Nickelodeon cartoons started her love for characters and storytelling and then a love for picture books. She studied animation at Massachusetts College of Art and Design which further pushed her in the direction of children’s media. Visit her at maddie-frost.com.

National Serendipity Day Activity

The Stuffie Stand Activity Kit from Maddie Frost

Kids can learn how to draw Moose and Mable and color and fill a Stuffie Stand with their own creations with these The Stuffie Stand Activity Pages found on Maddie Frost’s website!

You can purchase The Stuffie Stand from these booksellers

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop

Picture Book Review

About the Holiday

How Not to Make a Jelly Sandwich

By Ross Burach

Chef Appreciation Week Activity

How Not to Make a Jelly Sandwich Activity Pages

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About the Holiday

A Not-So-Scary Story

By Barney Saltzberg

Buy a Book Day Activity

Sing Along with Barney Salzberg!

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About the Holiday

Love, Panda

Written by Elaine Su | Illustrated by Charlene Chua

World Letter Writing Day Activity

Love, Panda Activity Pages

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About the Holiday

A Very Good Parade

By Eleanor Davis

National Just Because Day Activity

It’s Instrumental! Game

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About the Holiday

Spooky Scouts

By Kimberly Shrack

Be Kind to Humankind Week Activity

Kindness Cards

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About the Holiday

Small Monster, Big Monster: A Seriously Silly Book of Opposites

By Allan Sanders

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About the Holiday

The Stuffie Stand

By Maddie Frost

National Serendipity Day Activity

The Stuffie Stand Activity Kit from Maddie Frost

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