Welcome to another edition of Must Read Monday!

This feature is where I spotlight older, recent, or upcoming releases I am looking forward to. The lists will include all genres I like to read, everything from picture books to comics, children’s lit to adult fiction!

This week: two new titles from authors and illustrators I fervently admire! First up is Raymie Nightingale, the latest from the award-winning, critically acclaimed Kate DiCamillo. Save for one or two Mercy Watson titles, I have read everything DiCamillo has written and adore her work. Her writing is transcendent. Sublime. I cannot even express just how much The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane means to me- it remains one of my all time favourite reads. Needless to say, I am beside myself with anticipation to read DiCamillo’s latest! Second up is a poetry collection, When Green Becomes Tomatoes, written by Julie Fogliano and illustrated by Canadian artist Julie Morstad. Fogliano’s picture book work is stunning, her writing expressive- If You Want to See a Whale is an example; and, as frequent readers of this site may know, Morstad is one of my most read and esteemed author-illustrators. The collaboration of these two Julies is an occasion to be excited about!

Raymie Nightingale by Kate DiCamillo
Expected publication: April 12, 2016 by Candlewick Press

Raymie Clarke has come to realize that everything, absolutely everything, depends on her. And she has a plan. If Raymie can win the Little Miss Central Florida Tire competition, then her father, who left town two days ago with a dental hygienist, will see Raymie’s picture in the paper and (maybe) come home. To win, not only does Raymie have to do good deeds and learn how to twirl a baton; she also has to contend with the wispy, frequently fainting Louisiana Elefante, who has a show-business background, and the fiery, stubborn Beverly Tapinski, who’s determined to sabotage the contest. But as the competition approaches, loneliness, loss, and unanswerable questions draw the three girls into an unlikely friendship — and challenge each of them to come to the rescue in unexpected ways.

When Green Becomes Tomatoes: Poems for All Seasons by Julie Fogliano, illus. Julie Morstad
Publication: March 1, 2016 by Roaring Brook Press

december 29
and i woke to a morning
that was quiet and white
the first snow
(just like magic) came on tip toes
overnight

Flowers blooming in sheets of snow make way for happy frogs dancing in the rain. Summer swims move over for autumn sweaters until the snow comes back again. In Julie Fogliano’s skilled hand and illustrated by Julie Morstad’s charming pictures, the seasons come to life in this gorgeous and comprehensive book of poetry.