Alice Nuttall (she/her) is a writer, pet-wrangler and D&D nerd. Her reading has got so out of control that she had to take a job at her local library to avoid bankrupting herself on books — unfortunately, this has just resulted in her TBR pile growing until it resembles Everest. Alice's webcomic, writing and everything else can be found at https://linktr.ee/alicenuttallbooks. Her debut novel, The Zombie Project, is coming out in January 2025 with Chicken House.
Alice Nuttall (she/her) is a writer, pet-wrangler and D&D nerd. Her reading has got so out of control that she had to take a job at her local library to avoid bankrupting herself on books — unfortunately, this has just resulted in her TBR pile growing until it resembles Everest. Alice's webcomic, writing and everything else can be found at https://linktr.ee/alicenuttallbooks. Her debut novel, The Zombie Project, is coming out in January 2025 with Chicken House.
Winter isn’t always the biggest time for new book releases, but there are still plenty of fun new reads out there for kids and their adults. With Lunar New Year coming up in February, this December is a good opportunity to learn more about the festival, with two cute new picture books coming out that have different takes on this celebration. There are also stories for all ages about the importance of family connection, whether it’s a picture book with a parent and child exploring nature, or a collection of stories about an energetic, troublesome dog and his humans.
For readers who like a spooky story over the holiday period, there are a couple of delightfully scary options out there. In one tale, a group of kids at a Halloween party have to take on unusually predatory spiders; in another, a new girl in town realises that there’s something sinister going on in the cornfields. If the young reader in your life isn’t into curling up with a horror story on a winter night, there are other options, including comedy mishaps in the world of competitive baking. Whatever the kids you know like to read, you’ll find something new for them this December.
Picture books
Sparkles for Sunny: A Lunar New Year Story by Sylvia Chen and Thai My Phuong
This sweet, beautifully-illustrated story follows Sunny Lao, the youngest member of her family, who is fed up of having to wear hand-me-down clothes for the Lunar New Year celebration. While she agrees with her family’s ethos of not making waste, Sunny wants to wear something that’s uniquely hers this year, and sets out to make this happen.
Monkey’s Sweet Surprise: A Lunar New Year Mix-Up by Patricia Tanumihardja and Bonnie Lui
Another great read for anyone who wants to learn about Lunar New Year, Monkey’s Sweet Surprise brings together influences from the Malay, Gurung, and Vietnamese traditions, featuring animals such as Cat and Mouse Deer as well as Rooster, Dog, and, of course, Monkey. In this tale, Monkey has to work with the other animals to make sure that his planned dessert for the Lunar New Year festival, pineapple tarts, is a success.
I Tell You That I Love You by Tanaya Winde and Kiyary Dominguez
Families who love nature will adore this picture book, where a parent and child explore the natural world while affirming their love for each other. As the pair explores the landscape, young readers can spot different animals and plants, and the poetic structure of the story makes it fun for adults to read out loud to their little ones.
Mr. Kuroki’s Garden by Anne Renaud and Ohara Hale
Based on a true story, this tale of love and resilience follows an elderly couple whose dreams of travelling the world are derailed when Mrs Kuroki loses her vision. To make his wife happy again, Mr Kuroki works hard to create a stunning garden filled with the flowers that Mrs Kuroki loves—and when the garden becomes famous, the world travels to the Kurokis to see their flowers.
Middle Grade and Chapter Books
The Big Book of Gopi Stories by Sudha Murty
Perfect for young readers beginning to strike out on their own, The Big Book of Gopi Stories collects several of Sudha Murty’s beloved tales of Gopi, an irrepressible dog and the family he adores. Starting with when Gopi came home to his new family as a puppy, the stories follow him as he grows up, heads out into the world, and has plenty of adventures.
Down Came the Spiders by Ally Russell
Arachnophobes beware: this spooky story isn’t for the faint of heart. Andi is at a Halloween party when she discovers a new species of spider – one that seems far more dangerous than any she’s heard of before. Luckily, Andi is a spider expert, and she and her friends have to pull together to save the adults from the spiders before they take over the entire town.
Gabby Torres Is the Best Winner Ever by Angela Dominguez
This graphic novel continues the story of Gabby, a young girl who loves baking. In this cute story, Gabby decides to show everyone that she’s an exceptional baker by winning a baking competition run by her nearby grocery store. But as she prepares for the competition, she has more than a few cooking mishaps to deal with.
Spookies: When Corn is Cursed by Robert Zangari
The fourth book in the Spookies series, When Corn is Cursed, follows Elizabeth, a girl from Chicago who moves to a farming town in Idaho. Elizabeth doesn’t know much about farming, but she knows that there’s something strange about the corn she sees everywhere. Not only that, but Elizabeth starts to find something suspicious about the behaviour of the people in the town, and the strange noises she hears at night. Soon, Elizabeth realises she has to solve the mystery of what’s going on in her new home, before it’s too late.
For more picture books and middle-grade reads, try 5 Amazing New Picture Books About Animals, or curl up with Adorably Monstrous Kids’ Graphic Novels About Monsters. For a refresher on last month’s new kid lit, here are November’s new children’s book releases.
Get access to exclusive content and features with an All Access subscription on Book Riot.Join All Access to read this article
English (US) · 