By Cyrisse Jaffee

Big questions, wild beasts, and one very independent pet

Fabulous Creatures by Cornelia Funke. Illustrated by Ruby Warnecke. Translated by Anna Schmitt Funke. North South Books, 2026.

Frog: A Story of Life on Earth by Isabel Thomas. Illustrated by Daniel Egnéus. Bloomsbury Children’s Books, 2025.

Arthur’s Cat by Johan Leynaud. Translated by Sarah Ardizzone. Eerdmans Books for Young Readers, 2026.

Written by well-known children’s author Cornelia Funke, Fabulous Creatures is a terrific compendium of all kinds of beasts—from a variety of folk traditions around the world—ranging from the dragon-like qilin and the giant-feathered serpent kukulkan to the better-known unicorn, phoenix, and more. As Funke, who wrote the book in collaboration with Warnecke, notes, “…people all over the world have been telling stories about so-called fabulous creatures for a very long time.” Some stories were “likely inspired” by real animals, but the “unstoppable human desire to imagine and spin takes” is another likely inspiration.

Each full-color spread of this oversized book features a different hue, vibrant colors, swirling designs and borders, and of course the creatures themselves. The brief text describes the creature, its origins, and its powers. Written in an informal, conversational style, this will not only appeal to kids as a read-aloud or independent reading, but the book may also inspire them to imagine heir own “fabulous” creatures.

In contrast, Frog: A Story of Life on Earth by Isabel Thomas couldn’t be more realistic. It traces the story of not just a frog, but all life, from the beginning of the universe. The lively, detail-filled, full-color illustrations perfectly complement the text, which delivers complex ideas in easy-to-understand language.

Beginning slightly before the Big Bang, the book describes how the solar system developed: “Eight billion years after the Big Bang, stardust formed our Sun—a new star surrounded by swirling dust and gas. Gravity got to work again, gathering the gas and dust into eight planets.” On Earth, cells developed, which then “clumped together to form larger living things.” Gradually life in water began, amphibians emerged, and eventually…”the very first frog!”

It’s not easy to weave the science of how an entire universe evolved into a narrative that will hold a kid’s interest, but Thomas succeeds. As readers wait to meet the very first frog, they are treated to a wealth of scientific information, unfolding as an exciting story, building until all is revealed. An afterword provides the kinds of details that curious kids will love (and adults will appreciate.) Even for kids who don’t love frogs (or have never met any), this is a great introduction to our planet.

From fabulous creatures to the story of the universe to…an ordinary cat. In Johan Leynaud’s Arthur’s Cat, a little boy loves his cat Zeffo. What he wants most of all is to “hold him every day. But Zeffo? Not so much.” A big hug, in fact, is what Arthur yeans for. But no matter how hard Arthur tries, Zeffo stays at arm’s length. The comic illustrations, in cartoon style with dashes of color and lots of line drawings, show poor Zeffo trying to escape the well-meaning but too-rough ministrations of Arthur.

Finally, one day Zeffo has had enough and scratches Arthur, who is devastated. But gradually, the two friends reconcile. Arthur learns that he needs to keep his distance so “Zeffo can be free” and come to him on his own terms. They play together more amicably and, one night when Arthur is sad, Zeffo is able to comfort Arthur—close up.

As anyone who has ever had a cat in their lives knows, this story rings true. Most cats can’t be coerced and learning how to understand animals, including household pets, is an important childhood lesson. Zeffo is an adorable blue blob of a cat and Arthur is a typical, exuberant little kid. The underlying messages or metaphors that adults may infer, about love and letting go, are secondary to this simple story that kids, especially those who have ever encountered a cat, will instantly understand.

Cyrisse Jaffee is a former children’s and YA librarian, children’s book editor, and a creator of educational materials for WGBH. She holds a master’s degree in Library Science from Simmons College and lives in Newton, MA.