10 Great New Children’s Books Out in October 2026

I recently decided to sort through my overstuffed shelves in search of books to give away: the ones I’m not likely to read again, the ones my kids aren’t interested in reading, the ones I was never all that fond of in the first place. My family alleges that I own too many books, and I admit they have a strong case. I didn’t think it would be too hard to find a few dozen titles to donate to a worthy cause.

I also didn’t think that I would end up wild-eyed in the stacks, waving a dust jacket at my sweet husband like a battle flag, shouting, “We will give away Miss Rumphius over my dead body!” But of course this is what happened! Because stories are more than clutter. When we fall in love with a good book, it becomes an essential part of us.

And to my family’s dismay, more good books are being published every week. To maintain household harmony, I am going to try not to purchase all ten of these lovely new titles for kids and young adults, but you certainly shouldn’t hold back. Chronicle, October 20 Recommended for ages 0-3 If you have read dozens of concept books to your baby and are looking for a change of pace from the familiar ABCs and 123s, you’ll appreciate this funny, whimsical new board book.

Artist Risa Kusumoto presents pairs of lookalike objects, one edible and one inedible, and asks readers to consider the question that babies have been contemplating for generations: Should I put it in my mouth? The illustrated object pairs are clever and often very funny (a grandma and a cabbage, an avocado and a T. rex), and the book’s brightly colored design is deliciously appealing. A companion title, Which One Can You Hug?, also publishes this month.

Abrams, October 13 Recommended for ages 3-6 A charming follow-up to Robin and the Stick, E.B. Goodale’s new picture book Robin and the Moon follows a curious young child on a night when the full moon shines in the winter sky. Robin pretends to play with the moon but becomes worried when the moon gets stuck in a tree.

Even Robin’s breath won’t blow it free. In Robin’s imagination, the moon grows large and then pops like a ballon, leaving Robin and readers alike in awe of the world’s small moments of magic. I particularly love the handmade, nostalgic quality of Goodale’s monoprint illustrations: They make the whole book feel cozy and comfortable, like a story half-remembered from childhood.