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Once Upon a Picture Book Summer 2026 |
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The Three-Year Tumble: Based on a Korean Folktale
by Dayeon Auh
A mountain with a deadly curse, a superstitious grandfather, and a granddaughter who will change everything... This Korean folktale about having the right mindset is beautifully retold and illustrated by Dayeon Auh.
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Rumpelstiltskin
by Mac Barnett
A humorous retelling of Rumpletstiltskin, the story of a mysterious gnomelike man who helps the daughter of a miller spin straw into gold in exchange for her firstborn child.
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Why the Turtle Walks So Slowly
by Sandra Martín Denis
Long ago, turtles did not have shells and were fast. In fact, Tortuga the turtle was one of the fastest runners in his village. But he was not quite as fast, or respected, as the leader of the village, Mabella. When Tortuga sees a sorcerer gift Mabella a mysterious, magical drum, he hatches a plan to steal it from her. But his jealousy will have disastrous consequences. In this retelling of a traditional Cuban folktale, learn how turtles got their shells.
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The Three Little Pigs 三只小猪 (Chinese Edition: Written in Simplified Chinese and Pinyin) by Ann Hamilton-LeeJoin the adventurous Three Little Pigs as they build their homes and outwit the Big Bad Wolf in this delightful bilingual edition that brings the timeless tale to life in both English and Simplified Mandarin Chinese. Perfect for young readers, parents, and educators, this beautifully illustrated story includes: Side-by-side English, Chinese, and Pinyin text Free audiobook download to listen and follow along.
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Welcome, Uncle Nowruz!: A Persian New Year's Story
by Rashin Kheiriyeh
Brilliant Iranian-American creator Rashin offers her fun and fresh spin on a classic Nowruz folktale. Nane Sarma is winter herself, and every year she waits eagerly for her old friend, Uncle Nowruz. His job is to travel the land announcing the beginning of spring. But somehow, she always falls asleep before he arrives! This year, her three grandchildren will celebrate with her, so surely she will stay awake. But after the family shops for all seven items for the Haft-Seen table, finds beautiful new clothes, eats saffron ice cream and makes the traditional meal of fish and rice, Nane is knackered. Uh-oh . . . A fun-filled romp through a favorite Persian holiday, sure to charm readers familiar with the Nowruz festival and inspire those for whom it is new.
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Hansel and Gretel
by Stephen King
The haunting tale of two brave children lost in a dark and dangerous forest, reimagined by literary legends Stephen King and Maurice Sendak.
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The Salt Princess
by Anoosha Syed
Princess Amal, the youngest of four sisters in the Kingdom of Zammarud, was known for her playful and mischievous nature. One day, her antics led to a misunderstanding with her father, the king, who, embarrassed, banished her from the kingdom. Despite this, Amal remains determined to reunite with her family by showing that life is best enjooyed with a little bit of spice and fun.
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The Moon Rabbit
by Eva Wong Nava
Families and neighbors gather to celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival together. Soon Meifung and her family will join them, holding paper lanterns and moving like a gleeful parade of fireflies. But first, Meifung asks her mother to tell her, once more, the story behind the Mid-Autumn Festival--the story of Chang'e and the moon rabbit. It is a tale of nine scorching suns, a brave archer, an ancient queen, an elixir of life, and a doomed love.
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The Perfect Match
by Chris Becker
An adorable, action-packed spin on Cinderella featuring lots of soccer and a prince with two royal dads. Jack begs his dad to tell him his favorite bedtime story, the one about Leo and the royal soccer match. It includes two mean stepbrothers, a fairy squad father, and magical race car ride to the big game. The match is amazing, and Leo scores the winning goal, with an assist from Prince Ollie! But after his uniform starts to change back to his regular clothes, Leo rushes off, leaving his cleat behind. The prince searches high and low for the boy the cleat belongs to, and when he finds him, it's the perfect match! Leo and Prince Ollie live happily ever after. And one day . . . they have a little boy named Jack who loves soccer as much as they do!
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Little Red and Big, Bad Fred
by Ashley Belote
Little Red loves to visit his great-grandfather. He makes the trip through the woods any time of year! The best part is when Little Red meets Fred along the way. Fred is the bestest, fluffiest, most amazing kitty in the whole wide world (never mind that Little Red is completely oblivious to the fact that Fred is, in fact, a very hungry wolf that is trying to eat him). When Fred gets hurt (from a trap he set for Little Red), Little Red takes his injured friend to Great Grandfather's house. That's when Great Grandfather tells Little Red that Fred is actually--a dog?
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The Princess and the Grain of Rice
by Tina Cho
In the mountains of Joseon, Jeongsoon has a heart as gentle as jade, but she might just be the clumsiest girl in the kingdom. She wants to be a princess, so she enters the grand princess challenge where she must complete the Manners Test, the Wisdom Test, and finally--the Sleep Test. Throughout each examination, Jeongsoon is far from flawless but in staying true to herself, wins the favor of the queen and the competition itself. Includes backmatter on the real-life Korean princesses of the Joseon period.
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Ra Pu Zel and the Stinky Tofu
by Ying Chang Compestine
Ra Pu Zel, a rebellious princess in China who prefers cooking with her dog Bao, becomes frustrated with her parent's demands and locks herself away in a tower, only to descend when a skilled young chef presents her with a compelling dish.
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Better Together, Cinderella
by Ashley Franklin
Tameika cant seem to do anything right for her new twin siblings and struggles to find her place when they steal her spotlight. Luckily, she and her family are attending the community family ball. Tameika is sure a ball will make the perfect set to prove that she can be the best big sister ever.
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The Gingerbread Monster
by Dan Gemeinhart
In his laboratory high on the hill, Frank N. Stine has a ferocious sweet tooth that snarls to be fed. But when an eerie experiment spills into his Gingerbread batter, a frightening cookie creation comes to life. The Gingerbread Monster is hulking, horrific . . . and hungry. But as Frank is chased by his creepy creation, the young baker begins to wonder what the Monster truly craves. After all, there's no sweeter treat than friendship.
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The Bear Out There
by Jess Hannigan
The signs are clear--there's a BEAR OUT THERE! You're lucky to be safe in this cabin in the woods, with a host who is levelheaded, trustworthy, and smart about bear safety. There's certainly no need to worry about any dark shadows or sneaky schemes in this book...RIGHT?
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Bear and the Three Goldilocks
by Patrick Horne
When the Goldilocks family leaves their campsite to go on a hike, Bear comes along and makes a mess of their food and belongings--because that is how bears roll.
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Ceecee: Underground Railroad Cinderella
by Shana Keller
In this retelling of Cinderella, enslaved girl CeeCee is helped by the house cook to make her way to escape via the Underground Railroad where she encounters Harriet Tubman; includes a note about Harriet Tubman and names during slavery.
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Pete the Kitty and the Beanstalk
by James Dean
Once upon a time, a kitty named Pete and his friend Callie climbed a beanstalk as tall as the sky. At the top, they heard Fe Fi Fo Fum! But where are the sounds are coming from? Beginner readers will love this new Pete-tastic spin on the beloved fairy tale Jack and the Beanstalk.
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Princess Battle Royale
by Phaea Crede
Fairytale princesses compete in an epic MMA tournament to dethrone the Swan Princess, with each princess trying and failing to defeat her--until Little Red, a seemingly overlooked towel girl, enters the ring.
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The Baddies
by Julia Donaldson
A troll, a witch, and a ghost compete to see who can scare the little girl who is new to the their neighborhood, but her courage and kindness defeats them all.
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All the Ice Cream in the Land
by Emmy Kastner
In the timeless tradition of If You Give a Mouse a Cookie, this hilarious cumulative fairy tale introduces a silly cast of all-too-eager loyal subjects, a kingdom's worth of ice cream, and one baffled princess. Get ready to laugh your way through this surprising cumulative tale that's full of unexpected twists, turns, and more cows than you can count
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Once Upon a Goat
by Dan Richards
Once upon a time, a very prim and proper king and queen begged their fairy godmother for a child. They'd prefer a boy, with glowing skin, bright eyes, and two roses for lips . . . but any kid will do. When they find themselves gifted with a baby goat (also known as a kid) instead, they can't imagine how he'll fit into their lives. But of course, it isn't long before he's part of the royal family. Readers will delight in this story's hilarity, confusion, and celebration of families that come in every shape and size.
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Ten Little Princesses
by Mike Brownlow
Count down from ten princesses to one with help from charming princes, adorable ponies, and a fairy godmother! Ten little princesses are all dressed up and excited for the special ball. But on their journey there, they run into all sorts of trouble, from a wicked witch and a spooky forest to a hungry giant and a fire-breathing dragon! How will these princesses ever get to the ball on time?
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