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It's time to get spooky. 🎃 Here are six new cat-themed Halloween books that were released in 2026, all perfect for ages 4 to 10! Vampurr written by Justin Colón, illustrated by Lenny Wen Vampurr is a picture book that almost glows. Lenny Wen's illustrations are brilliant, featuring vibrant hues in a stunning color palette of purple, green, and pink. After seeing the cover on Instagram, this was the Halloween book I was most excited to get my hands on! Page one sets the scene

A cloaked skeleton, an old house hidden away... a very adorable black cat? Seems like an odd combination, but it works! The Skeleton and the Cat has a spooky title, but it's a charming picture book featuring a series of cozy short stories, "Wait!" you say. "A picture book of short stories? How does that work?" Artist and author Brandon James Scott makes it work! Scott uses every surface of the book to tell his tale(s). From the title page, we see a round-headed black cat walk

Cat Nap was THE picture book of 2025, at least for me. It seemed like this book was everywhere. Publishers Weekly did a Q&A with Brian Lies and a piece on the tour. They kind of had to... Lies toured the country in a CAT CAR. The book that inspired such a vehicle takes place in an art museum and features a curious kitten jumping through different art exhibits. In Loren Long's The Yellow Bus fashion, the book even includes behind-the-scenes backmatter showing how Lies created

I love this little cat. Her sweet, surprised face. Her paws! How tiny she is! Those funky gulls on every page... what a delight. What a Small Cat Needs is kind of a perfect title — it invites you immediately to wonder, "what DOES a small cat need?" The book explains what a small cat needs; a tail, a saucer of milk, an umbrella, a home... and finally, a someone to hold her. I will admit I had to read the book a few times to really understand the full story. My first read was

Late Today has been on my radar since I first saw it advertised in Shelf Awareness. Late Today is a translated picture book about a kitten who finds itself in rush hour traffic in Seoul, South Korea. I lived in Korea for about 4 years, so I'm always excited to see a book-in-translation from Korea! I was able to get both the English translation and the original Korean, which was a real treat! I love how different the covers are... it just goes to show how much book covers are

In 1897, a child named Virginia O'Hanlon wrote in to the New York Sun to ask if there truly was a Santa Claus. Sun writer Francis Pharcellus Church wrote a n Editor's Letter so charming that it sparked a cultural moment! (Library of Congress, https://guides.loc.gov/chronicling-america-yes-virginia ). It has been adapted into several picture books and even a song. You can read the full response on the Library of Congress website. "Is There a Santa Claus?" September 21, 1897.

A caterpillar is not a cat — but what if it was? Kitty Caterpillar is an adorable exploration of that exact question! This picture book exudes color and whimsy, featuring Kitty Caterpillar, a fluffy pink and purple cat with many wacky legs and charming antennae. Her springy whiskers and long fur remind me of my own fluffy cat! I was gifted a copy of this book from a friend who attended the 2025 NCTE convention, but I've been seeing ads for Kitty Caterpillar in industry news

The first thing that stood out to me about Shibu’s Tail was the cover — how enormous is that titular tail! How much of the cover it takes up! The textured cat on the cover feels exactly how Shibu looks. (You might also notice the blue sticker announcing "Sara ❤️'s this." I bought this copy at Carmichael's Kids in Kentucky, and bookseller Sara recommended the book!) The first spread is so charming — Shibu stares right out at you. Can't you imagine little readers reaching

I will admit that on my first read, I didn’t like The Cat Way . I picked it up because the New York Public Library named it one of the Best Illustrated Children’s Books in 2024 . The NYPL wasn’t wrong — Sara Lundberg’s gauche and watercolor illustrations are impressive. What put me off, at first, was the surreal nature of those illustrations and the alienating feeling that the book as a whole gave me. There’s a particularly unsettling page where strangers pet the narrator’s

Did you know Jan Brett has a cat book? Originally published in 1996 by G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers, this book follows a...

Who hasn’t heard of Bathe the Cat at this point? Illustrated by The Questioneers’ beloved artist, David Roberts, and written by Alice B....

There are times where my cat Ziggy absolutely refuses to play, hang out, or even look at me. It's incredibly frustrating—I often have to...

For anyone who has ever wondered, "how many cats is too many?" The narrator of this picture book is a little girl with three cats - Big,...

With hand-painted illustrations and a snarky narrator, Poopsie Gets Lost is a gorgeous tale of one fancy little kitten learning her own...

Ppirong coffee on the roof is a risograph book created by illustrator Engi, and independently printed through crowdfunding on Tumblbug....

When Annie comes home from school, she tries to help her cat Delilah deal with sadness after a bad day. As Annie attempts a hug, a warm...

A lovely color palette and a charming story come together in Lauren Emmons' No Cats in the Library . This aesthetically pleasing picture...

I've rounded up recent cat-themed kids titles that are on the top of my reading list! If you don't see me review these in the next year,...