September 2026's Must-Read Picture Books: A Curated List
Caroline Carlson highlights ten notable children's titles releasing this month, including works from Christopher Myers, Kate Beaton, Jack Wong, and Mo Willems. Featured releases include 'Night Ride' (Sept 29), 'Rebecca' (Sept 22), and 'Goodbye, Koi' (Sept 15), alongside a new Snake & Bat spinoff series from Mo Willems.
Caroline Carlson's September roundup highlights three distinct artistic approaches. Christopher Myers crafts a wordless pilgrimage using six-by-four-foot illuminated stained-glass panels depicting children cycling through New York City. Kate Beaton and Sydney Smith collaborate on a somber island tale where a widow personifies Sorrow while managing daily chores.
The list also features Jack Wong's story of a boy relocating his koi to a larger pond, plus a new Snake & Bat spinoff from Mo Willems. Carlson pairs Myers' work with Jillian Tamaki's embroidered picture book, framing these releases as antidotes to the hectic back-to-school season.
This curated list could help parents and caregivers navigate the overwhelming back-to-school period by offering high-quality, diverse literary options. The inclusion of wordless art books and emotionally weighty narratives may broaden children's visual literacy and emotional resilience. Librarians and educators might use these titles to spark conversations about grief, change, and urban exploration, potentially strengthening family reading routines and supporting independent bookstores and publishers.