10 Great New Children’s Books Out in October That Celebrate All Types of Emotions

What does it feel like to be a kid? Children’s book creators often find themselves in the business of emotional translation, capturing and evoking the complex ups and downs of childhood in a way that feels authentic to young readers. As a parent who tries (and often fails) to understand my own kids’ emotions, I’m grateful for books that help me remember the exquisite sadness of losing a balloon, the overwhelmingness of being small, or the pleasure of making a friend. The new children’s books I’m excited about this month feature joys and sorrows of all shapes and sizes, and they’re perfect for sharing with fellow readers of any age.

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Bruce Handy, Balloon
Illustrated by Julie Kwon
Chronicle, October 14
Recommended for ages 3-5

This sweet, interactive picture book for very young readers is part story, part hidden picture game. During a trip to the park, a child lets go of an orange balloon and cries, “Balloon…” as it floats away. On the remaining pages, which are almost entirely text-free, illustrator Julie Kwon leads readers on a search through the park for the missing balloon, hiding suspiciously round and orange objects on each spread. (Is that a balloon or a basketball? A balloon or an orange knit cap?) Kids will enjoy hunting through scenes of a picnic, a busking performance, and a busy sidewalk—and I think they’ll also love the uplifting surprise at the end of the story.

Loredana Baldinucci, A Place Just for Me
illustrated by Melinda Berti, translated by Monica Meneghetti
Greystone Kids, October 14
recommended for ages 4-8

The Mouse family is busy but content in their home at the base of an old elm tree—except for Silver, the smallest mouse of all. With all the gardening, inventing, cooking, ball-playing, and pirouetting going on in the burrow, there’s no place for Silver to sit quietly with his own thoughts. So he straps on his acorn backpack and wanders through the forest in search of a peaceful spot. He visits Mole, Rabbit, Bear, and a host of other friends, but each new home that Silver tries isn’t quite right for him. Silver’s wish for a place where he can be calm, quiet, and loved will resonate with young readers, and the book’s cozy illustrations will delight anyone who enjoys peeking inside elaborately decorated storybook-animal homes.

Jen-Ai Elena Molineaux, A Friend for Lucy
Levine Querido, October 7
Recommended for ages 4-8

Ana, a ghost, is worried about her sister, an elderly woman named Lucy. Lucy is lonely: She hasn’t left her house in months, and she hasn’t invited anyone over to visit, either. Taking matters into her own ghostly hands, Ana ventures outside to find the perfect playmate for her sister. It’s not an easy task, since hardly anyone can see or hear Ana in her spectral form. But when a little girl named Leah accepts Ana’s invitation to visit with Lucy, an unlikely friendship blooms. In comic-style panels, this picture book tells a warm-hearted ghost story with cross-generational appeal.

Larissa Theule, Tove Under the Tree
Illustrated by Julie Benbassat
Candlewick, October 14
Recommended for ages 6-9

When Tove comes home from school one day, she discovers that the city has cut down the dying ficus outside her family’s house. Industrious Tove spots a little branch with some life left in it, takes it inside, and plants it on top of her head. After the branch miraculously takes root, Tove takes it on a walk around the neighborhood “to absorb sunshine,” and each neighbor she stops to talk with reminisces about the good times they’ve shared in the shade of the ficus. Meanwhile, the tree on Tove’s head is growing quickly—maybe too quickly? Illustrated in full color and slim enough for kids to read in just a few sittings, Tove Under the Tree is a magical fable about caring and community.

Abby Hanlon, Dory Fantasmagory: Center of the Universe (Dory Fantasmagory #7)
Dial, October 7
Recommended for ages 7-10

Did you hear me shout to my entire neighborhood that there’s a new Dory Fantasmagory book coming out this month? I love Dory. I wish I had written Dory. But no, that honor belongs to genius creator Abby Hanlon, whose illustrated chapter book series about an imaginative, irrepressible little girl is uproarious fun for readers of all ages. In Center of the Universe, Dory asks her fairy godmother, Mr. Nuggy, to help her become the star of her soccer team—but will the characters who populate Dory’s imagination create chaos instead? (I’m guessing yes.) The whole series of seven books can be read in any order, and they’re particularly great for kids who are looking for a bridge from heavily illustrated books to more text-heavy options.

Tanya Lloyd Kyi, Feeling Your Feelings: The Head-to-Toe Science of Emotions
Illustrated by Phil Nicholls
Kids Can Press, October 7
Recommended for ages 8-12

Plenty of kids have big feelings, but how many kids know about the science behind those emotions? If your young reader has ever wondered why we tremble when we’re nervous, how movie soundtracks make us feel happy or scared, how conscious breathing can help us calm down, or why we bite our nails, they’ll find the answers in Feeling Your Feelings, a delightful compendium of facts about how our emotions affect our bodies and vice versa. Cartoon-style illustrations keep the atmosphere light, and colorful text boxes encourage readers to jump between various topics of interest within the book. I look forward to handing this book to my own kids when they have questions about stomach butterflies, heartbreak, or exactly how much snot a human being can produce in a single day (one liter!).

Hannah West, Ivy and Forest Rewrite the World
Illustrated by Jen Bricking
Holiday House, October 14
Recommended for ages 8-12

Once upon a time (two months ago), young Forest Fogwren was the chosen one, a storybook hero sent on a quest to save the world and defeat the forces of evil. But things went wrong somehow, and the forces of evil defeated him. Now wicked Ombrous wizards are invading, strangers jeer at Forest in the streets, and everyone’s singing mean song parodies about his failure. There’s only one thing to do: Track down the Author of Forest’s story, a girl named Ivy, and force her to rewrite the ending. Soon Forest and Ivy are racing through first drafts and across genres, trying to stop those Ombrous wizards from putting an end to all their stories. This funny and imaginative middle grade novel is a real treat for book lovers.

Kate Emery, The Dysfunctional Family’s Guide to Murder
Knopf, October 21
Recommended for ages 12 and up

Here’s a fresh new title to add to your stack of funny YA novels. The Dysfunctional Family’s Guide to Murder is a mystery with colorful characters brought to life by a quick-witted teen narrator. 14-year-old Ruth loves reading Agatha Christie novels and Sherlock Holmes stories, and she’s even tackled a few real-life mysteries of her own (tracing “the Mystery of the Weird Smell in My Bedroom” to a rogue moldy banana, for example). So when Ruth’s step-grandmother, GG, dies after being hit in the head by a typewriter, Ruth is ready to solve the crime, even if the suspects happen to be her eccentric relatives, all stuck together in a vacation house. Making her North American debut, Australian author Kate Emery puts a modern, quirky spin on a Golden Age-style detective story, and I can’t wait to find out whodunnit.

Lydia Kang, K-Jane
Quill Tree Books, October 21
Recommended for ages 13 and up

Seventeen-year-old Jane Choi is a third-generation Korean American, but she doesn’t feel Korean enough. It’s embarrassing that her white friends know more about K-pop, kimchi, and Beauty of Joseon sunscreen than she does. And when Jane finds out that her parents are planning to give the baby they’re expecting an American name (Franklin!), she can’t stand the idea of her little brother feeling disconnected from their family’s Korean heritage and not being able to turn to Jane for help. So she launches a project to learn as much as possible about Korean culture, share her research on a private video channel, and become the confident, self-assured K-Jane of her dreams—ideally before handsome Edward Liu tries to strike up another conversation about the Korean food Jane knows nothing about. Readers who have the K-Pop Demon Hunters soundtrack playing on a perma-loop in their heads will find this thoughtful and charming novel from author Lydia Kang especially timely.

Raymond Santana, Pushing Hope: An Illustrated Memoir of Survival
Illustrated by Keith Henry Brown
Calkins Creek, October 28
Recommended for ages 14 and up

In this unique and powerful young adult memoir, Raymond Santana, one of the Exonerated Five, shares how being convicted of a crime he didn’t commit has shaped his life. At age fourteen, Raymond is excited to move to Harlem, which is “cool and fresh, and art is everywhere!” Raymond’s passion for art gives him comfort and confidence as he explores the neighborhood and begins to step into his new life. But that life is brutally and devastatingly upended when Raymond and four other teens are arrested in Central Park for a violent crime they know nothing about. After serving time in prison and finally being exonerated, Raymond has to navigate his new adult world, wrestle with the long-lasting effects of his conviction, and find new ways to make art and deliver his message of hope and perseverance to young people. Pushing Hope’s colorful, eye-catching design centers Santana’s strong narrative voice alongside stunning artwork by Keith Henry Brown.