Frankie and the Curious Cocoon Quest HC Spotlight

 

When Frankie Fairy returns home, she calls out to her mom as she flops down to rest. As Frankie takes off her shoes, her mom asks how her day at school went. When Frankie enthuses about making crafts, her mom promises to look at her latest masterpiece. But first, she asks her daughter to walk Tuna. 

Frankie calls out for her pet. But she can't find her anywhere. Where has Tuna gone? And can Frankie find her? 

Here's all the info from Oni Press:

 

FRANKIE AND THE CURIOUS COCOON QUEST HC

WRITTEN/ART/COVER BY CAITLIN ROSE BOYLE From Caitlin Rose Boyle (Jonesy, Frankie and the Creepy Cute Critters, and Frankie and the Beastly Bog Song) comes the next Frankie Fairy adventure perfect for young explorers! Frankie Fairy loves to learn about creepy critters! Joined by her biologist mom, and equipped with a field guide full of creepy critter facts, Frankie finds all aspects of nature fascinating! That is until Tuna, her beloved pet wooly bear caterpillar, is nowhere to be found. Frankie’s mom thinks Tuna must finally be entering metamorphosis—a time of change when Tuna would transform from a cuddly caterpillar to a flying moth. Frankie wants Tuna to stay the same little fuzzy worm she’s always been. But when she discovers the beauty of the transforming world around her, will she accept that one day, everybody—even Tuna—experiences some kind of change? $12.99 | 40 PGS. | FULL COLOR | ON SALE MARCH 11, 2026

 

Thanks to Oni Press and Superfan Promotions for sharing this spotlight with us. 

Mika and the Chiller HC Spotlight

 

 

This delightful children's picture book opens with an overview of Mika's apartment. She is surrounded by her friends. Yet the insect and the frog can't help her cool off. Thankfully, Daddy's inspired idea stops Mika from sweating. But the little girl has a few ideas of her own. What adventures will she have when Daddy's not watching?

Here's all the info from Oni Press:

 

MIKA AND THE CHILLER HC

WRITTEN BY AGATA LOTH-IGNACIUK ART/COVER BY BERENIKA KOŁOMYCKA From award-winning creators Agata Loth-Ignaciuk & Berenika Kołomycka (Mika and the Gurgler and Mika and the Howler), join Mika as she learns how to take care of others in a sweet, simple, delightful story for young readers. Meet Mika! Mika is a young explorer who faces familiar-yet-not-fully-known objects and obstacles around her house. Today’s newest adventure? Meeting her new friend, Chiller, who hides inside her kitchen, occasionally escaping when you open its door. On a very hot day, Mika tries to let Chiller out to cool down the house. But when Chiller starts to cry, Mika will need to find a way to cheer up her friend. ON SALE NOVEMBER 19th, 2025 | $14.99 | 32 PGS. | FC

Thanks to Oni Press for sharing this great children's picture book with us.

Where’s Mr. Zip HC Review

 

Writer: Annie Auerbach

Illustrator: Elisa Patrissi

Publisher: Dynamite Kids

Price: $16.99

Release Date: February 12, 2025

 

Everyone knows Mr. Zip. He brings mail and packages to homes and businesses. But where does Mr. Zip travel while delivering mail? What kind of adventures does he have? Let's grab our mailbags, leap into Where's Mr. Zip HC, and find out!

 

Story

No one likes going out when it rains. But Mr. Zip braves slippery streets and traffic accidents because people need his letters and packages. Besides, even when the weather is poor, being a postal carrier takes him to interesting places. There's always a lot going on in the city, and Mr. Zip visits the people who tell everyone all about it.

 

While delivering mail to workers in amusement parks and aquariums in Where’s Mr. Zip, he also helps people get where they need to go. Mr. Zip delivers mail to busy transport hubs like train stations and airports. Amid the hustle and bustle, the postal carrier and B Franklin see the interconnections that bind society together.

 

After giving us a peek into his daily routine in Mr. Zip's Windy Day HC, Annie Auerbach reveals all the places his career takes him. In Where's Mr. Zip HC, the US Postal Service is like any other big business. They need their best workers to help at other locations. Travel enriches Mr. Zip's life, and seeing all the different ways people work, live, and play makes the mail carrier's job more enjoyable.

 

Art

Elisa Patrissi may not be Richard Scarry, but she packs pages with people going about their daily activities. People enjoy work, recreation, and family time while driving, walking, playing, canoeing, swimming, surfing, or ice skating. Mr. Zip delivers mail to people of different cultures and ethnicities as they watch a parade, wait in line, and make snowmen. Readers share the recipients' joy in Mr. Zip's visits when it is raining, snowing, or the sun is shining.

 

While showing the diversity of city life, Where’s Mr. Zip HC takes the postal carrier into the country. Farmers take a break from caring for their animals to greet him, and Mr. Zip rewards a horse with a treat. He visits farms where food grows, letting children imagine how it will reach their homes. The richly colored fields give way to the dark green woods, where Mr. Zip delivers news and goods to people living in secluded forest homes. 

 

Wherever Mr. Zip travels, his friend accompanies him. B. Franklin brings his cheery face to meet animals and make new friends. Big black letters in white fields explain what occurs on each double-page spread. The words at the bottom of each page highlight people, animals, and objects in the art. Thanks to Dynamite Kids for providing a copy for review.

 

Final Thoughts

Mr. Zip doesn't just work at one post office. He fills in at different branches. Readers learn how the US Postal Service meets the needs of people wherever they live. As children watch Mr. Zip and B. Franklin explore the world and make friends, an interactive feature prompts readers to find specific people, objects, and animals in the art. With Where's Mr Zip HC, children of any age contemplate their place in the world and the diversity of the United States.

 

Rating 10/10

The Magic of Emmental

My in-laws have visited Switzerland several times, and they love to tell of their experiences there.  In their guest room, I found this children's book, and after a few days, the cover art prompted me to read it.

The story is set in the village of Trub, located in the Emmental region of Switzerland.  Its 1400 residents are surrounded by twenty-four square miles of land, nearly all of which is farmland and forest.  

Emmental's claim to fame is its cheese, and I use Emmental cheese every time I make fondue.  But author Ferdinand Steenaerts asserts that Trub is about more than cheese.  We follow his young protagonist Hans through the seasons of the year, and watch him in his daily activities, such as milking the cows, working in the dairy, fishing in a stream, taking his animals to market, harvesting grain, hunting, and assisting the lumberjacks.  

Steenaerts paints such a compelling portrait of Man living in harmony with Nature that at first the miraculous passed me by.  It was only on my second reading that I realized how precious traditional Swiss life was to the author, when Hans startles a young deer.  Instead of shying away from him, the animal allows him to pick it up, and carry it to his mother.

I frequently reap the benefits of modern marvels such as microwave ovens, televisions, cellphones, and Wi-Fi.  Yet I also feel the allure of a simpler existence, where Man lives more in harmony with the seasons and the world around him.  While I don't plan on trading my computer for a scythe anytime soon, The Boy From A Village Called Trub makes me want to visit this seemingly timeless place.  To fish in its streams.  To see a village market-day.  To hike around placid farms and through thick, forbidding forests.  And, in late Fall, to watch the cows, adorned with flowers and jingling bells, make their long return from the hills to their cozy, warm barns.  Perhaps there I'll feel some of the everyday magic Ferdinand Steenaerts describes in his book, perhaps not.  But at the very least, I'll see some beautiful scenery, experience some wonderful things, and of course, be able to sample some delicious cheese.

Dragon Dave

Related Dragon Cache entries
A Surprising Discovery
Dining Like a Swiss Philistine