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Get ready to explore one of the globe’s most mysterious places this week! DESTINATION ANTARCTICA: The Frozen Continent Bursting with Life, a sequential art exploration witten and illustrated for Helvetiq by Guillaume de Rémacle and Adrienne Barman, awaits you on NetGalley ahead of its North American publication in a couple weeks. Have you ever dreamed of visiting the White Continent? Jump aboard Marc’s motorboat as the expedition guide leads a group of schoolchildren on an unforgettable learning adventure. Navigate through icy waters and sparkling icebergs, meet curious penguins, playful seals, majestic whales, and discover all the tiny creatures that make this unique ecosystem thrive.
Read It Now: Our Latest Article
- Stealing the Spotlight: A Compassionate Take from Books About Taking
A long time ago, a young child stood facing a very tempting, child-height lollipop display at the endcap of a local grocery store. The flavors were intriguing. The branding was vibrant. The temptation was…too much. Later, at home, the girl was seconds away from finding out what a chocolate and vanilla swirl sucker tasted like when she was caught red-handed by her mother.
That child was…me! I will never forget the feeling of being marched back into the store to apologize to the clerk for my crime and watching my mother pay for the now unwrapped treat. This fee was later collected from my life’s savings hidden safely away in a porcelain piglet with a flower tucked behind its ear. My mother’s reaction to this event has stuck with me some thirty-odd years later, and I believe that is because of the care she took to later explain to me how what I did was wrong.
Children’s books have long explored complicated and complex themes that kids encounter throughout their lives, including how to address instances when someone takes something that isn’t theirs. Picture books can offer young readers and parents stories in which stealing is addressed with nuance and show that not every situation is as simple as right and wrong. While someone might be inclined to take something out of jealousy or envy, another may steal out of what feels like necessity, or in my case, I simply didn’t know that it wasn’t allowed.
Stories that highlight life experiences such as these open the door to conversations about morality, empathy, fairness, and the circumstances that may shape our future decisions. The two picture books featured in this article invite children to consider not only whether an action is wrong but also what might have led someone to make it. That is certainly the case in our first title, THE PLAYDATE from Lantana Publishing.
Written by former Swedish press secretary and frontman of the pop-rock band Doktor Kosmos, Uje Brandelius, this story starts off with a young girl heading out with her mother to a friend’s house. There is excitement surrounding how much fun it is to play at Henry’s and all of the fun toys he has. Henry has so many toys the little visitor even finds an entire trash bag full of them in the closet, including the robot she has admired from afar at the toy shop she and her mom pass on their way to Henry’s home.
Readers may begin to notice, that while Brandelius’ text, told from the young girl’s perspective, tells one story, illustrator Clara Dackenberg’s art tells another. The young girl’s mother can be seen in the background of several spreads carrying a vacuum or mop, and we as readers begin to realize that she is actually employed by Henry’s family as a cleaner. The realization of the socio-economic dynamic becomes even more clear when the girl reveals on their train ride home that she has taken the coveted robot and we see the unspoken, multilayered disappointment in her mother’s face.
One of my favorite details of this 2026 NCTE Charlotte Huck Award honor title is how much is left unsaid but still speaks volumes. There are themes of honesty and friendship, but also an underlying touch on the economic differences that often go unnoticed by children. Just right for ages four to nine, this book leaves room for conversations to be held long after the final page, and with no stated resolution, children have the option to determine their own ending and share what they think should or would happen next.
We see a slightly different story in our next book, KINDNESS GLOWS IN THE DARK from Barefoot Books. In this title we meet Nube, a young girl living with her family in Puerto Rico. They have a lovely plot of land where they grow lots of delicious fruits and vegetables, until one night when Nube realizes that food is disappearing. Determined to find out who or what is stealing, Nube sneaks out with a flashlight. She is soon surprised to discover that the thief is actually her friend Kamil. It becomes apparent that Kamil and his mother are experiencing food insecurity and he hoped the few items he took here and there would go unnoticed. Racked with guilt and shame, Kamil asks Nube to keep this a secret and promises that he won’t take any more food. But like with most secrets, the news does not stay hidden for long. Nube told her best friend Serafina, and unfortunately Serafina told everyone else!
It’s at this point in the story when readers will notice the shift. While initially, children will understand Kamil’s feelings of shame surrounding his theft, now we see Nube’s guilt from revealing Kamil’s secret. This title touches on the complexities that come with friendship and its fragility at the betrayal of trust. KINDNESS GLOWS IN THE DARK is written for children ages six to eight, with inspiration from Puerto Rican author Gama Valle’s lived experiences and is brought to life by the vibrant, colorful artwork of Puerto Rican illustrator Mrinali Álvarez Astacio.
This title is sure to prompt discussion surrounding trust and economic differences by introducing topics of compassion for others in a truly accessible way. Backmatter includes facts about Puerto Rico, descriptions of fruit mentioned in the book, and a note that touches on food insecurity. This book is also available in a Spanish-English bilingual format as La bondad brilla en la oscuridad/Kindness Glows in the Dark.
These stories remind us that when we look beyond the act itself, we often find the people at the center and have a glimpse into the “why” behind their actions. Books that explore these topics with compassion can help children move past simple, reflexive judgments and begin thinking critically by asking questions such as “What might someone be going through that I cannot immediately see?” This spirit of curiosity and empathy can inspire us to look for ways to help others in our communities that may be caught in unseen circumstances beyond their control.
Extend the Ideas with an Activity
As you read these stories, consider turning those discussions afterward into action by creating and donating time and/or care packages to your local food bank. Sharing items like these Birthday Cake Kits could provide a child with an experience that many of us often take for granted while also instilling a sense of community in the young people in our lives.
