May is Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month, a time to honor the long-running traditions of AAPI cultures. Our books by AAPI creators about AAPI characters feature Korean recipes, Chinese holidays, Pakistani weddings, and more. In this story about the Ching Ming Festival, or Tomb-Sweeping Day, a young girl and her Chinese-American family come together... Read More

May 5th is the start of Teacher Appreciation Week! To show teachers just how much we appreciate their hard work, ABFYR is sharing some helpful resources for classroom time. Enjoy this selection of downloadable activity kits, discussion guides, coloring pages, and more to keep students engaged and entertained. ORSON AND THE WORLD’S LOUDEST LIBRARY by... Read More

2024 was a dazzling year for Astra Books for Young Readers, with over 40 starred reviews across our childrens’ imprints! What makes a starred books? These titles received shining reviews in 2024! Here’s to celebrating our star-studded titles that released this past year: ★ “As a model of a flamboyant, loudmouthed liberal, it would be hard... Read More

From aspiring chefs to sports fans, Astra Books for Young Readers is here to help you find the perfect gift for all the young readers in your life. For the reader… Who can’t stay out of the kitchen! Featured in the 2023 New York Times Holiday Gift Guide! The first of its kind, Look and... Read More

WHO. WILL. WIN?!?! Filled with humor, poetry, and MONSTERS (of course!), George McClements’ HAIKU KAIJU AH-CHOO! and Vikram Madan’s BEWARE THE DRAGON AND THE NOZZLEWOCK are two ferociously fun books! In this fun Q+A, hear from both creators on their love for the fantastical, their methods for poetry-writing, and which monster they think would conquer. Tell us... Read More

Tell us about the story’s  blobby beginnings. Constance: When my son was little, Picture Day was a time for rigorous hair brushing and fancy, stiff outfits. How fun was it to reimagine that national rite—Picture Day—at a Monster School? From this original, humorous concept emergeda tiny blob with the soul of a dreamer. Itty Bitty Betty Blob is a blob... Read More

An exclusive look at a very special book club event, hosted by Astra Books for Young Readers. Last week, we celebrated Valentine’s Day in the best possible way–with a mother-daughter book club. It was a joy to host friends-of-Astra tweens and their moms for an evening of fizzy drinks (with glasses they personalized with googly eyes) and... Read More

A peek at a sublime weekday lunch gathering of Hippo Park friends with editorial director Jill Davis, in honor of our one-year mark and Hippo Park‘s first book of 2024, Pepper and Me. It’s been just a bit over a year since we launched Hippo Park. Ta-da! What a joyful time it’s been. Our very... Read More

Hippo Park believes in stories that reflect the joyful, surprising, and endlessly fascinating world that kids live in. Our discovery wish list for when children look inside our picture books? Ideas that are funny, silly and often true, and illustrations that convey emotion when words might not. It’s this spirit that inspired us to craft our... Read More

As the year comes to a close, we’re celebrating Astra Books for Young Readers’ Best Of 2023 books as voted on by readers! 🏅 A 2023 Horn Book Fanfare Book Who was Coretta Scott King? Her black-veiled image at the funeral of her husband, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., was moving and iconic. This book introduces readers to... Read More