SCOOP! – Available for preorder now!

Illustrated by Ricky De Los Angeles

(Red Comet Press, April 13, 2027)

An excavator’s first day takes a sweet, unexpected turn in this charming story about courage, confidence, and finding your purpose

On his very first day on the job, Scoop the excavator is ready to do what he was built for—scoop, lift, crush, and dump. But as his engine rumbles to life, so do his nerves. What if he isn’t good enough? But Scoop is determined to do his best. It’s not rocks and boulders he wants to lift . . . Scoop wants to work at an ice-cream shop instead! Scoop is thrown into a world of cones, toppings, and very eager customers. With each careful scoop—and a messy mistake along the way—Scoop realizes that making people happy and being true to himself is the perfect combination. Warm, playful, and full of heart, Scoop! is a delightful picture book that blends vehicle fun with a reassuring social-emotional message about resilience, self-confidence, and defying expectations. Perfect for fans of construction trucks and sweet treats alike, this story will inspire young readers to embrace the unexpected and believe in themselves—one scoop at a time.

JUNKO’S CLIMB

Illustrated by HifuMiyo

(Union Square Kids, February 10, 2026)

Spring 1975. Fourteen climbers from the Ladies Climbing Club in Japan begin their climb up Mount Everest. Junko Tabei, a mountain climbing pioneer—the woman who formed the group —faces many hardships as she leads them: frigid temperatures, gusting winds, an avalanche, injuries, altitude sickness, and a death-defying ice ridge crossing. Yet she perseveres, and when she reaches the summit of Mount Everest, she becomes the first woman—and the 36th person—to do so!  While Junko made history with her trailblazing climb, her path was far from easy. She was small in stature, and often sick as a child. Most climbing clubs of her time were only for men who put up countless obstacles to keep Junko from climbing. But she didn’t let her gender, size, or traditional societal norms stop her. Junko trained hard, formed her own climbing club for women, and became passionate about preserving mountains and wild spaces. Junko’s story shows that determination triumphs over every obstacle, and her climb goes beyond her historical accomplishment—as of June 2020, she has inspired 630 females to follow in her footsteps. Backmatter includes more information about Junko’s life and her remarkable achievements.