The Late Bloomer's Book Blog: fall

Sunday, May 10, 2026

Summer and Autumn Pop-Up Books from Phaidon

Summer Pops Up!

by Aurone Petit

Expected Publication May 20, 2026

Phaidon Press

Fiction

Pop Up Book

12 Pages

Review copy provided by publisher

Summary From Publisher

Winner, 2025 Best Baby Book Prize from the French Ministry of Culture

From family trips to ocean dips, experience summer’s everyday magic in this sturdy, neon pop-up book. With playful illustrations, engaging text, and pop-up surprises that toddlers (and parents) will love!

Designed especially for little hands, this bright, bold pop-up book brims with the joy of summer in every turn of the page. Perfectly portable and shaped for toddlers’ hands, this sturdy board book features six playful pop-up scenes that leap from the pages with high-contrast neon images – the yellow of sunshine and the pink of summer sunsets.

Celebrate the magic of summertime, from a busy bee zipping between blossoms to a bumpy ride in the family van, from spreading sunscreen on our faces to enjoying bare feet on a beach, and from diving into sunset seas to counting the stars at night. This book brings all our most-loved summer moments to life in a way that’s both familiar and fresh, clever and surprising. Every page bursting with the warm wonders of the season.

With Aurore Petit’s vibrant, playful illustrations, simple, engaging text, and pop-up surprises that toddlers (and parents!) will love, this book is a sensory celebration of summer’s everyday magic.

This is the first title in Aurore Petit’s seasonal pop-up series, publishing alongside Autumn Pops Up! and to be followed soon by winter and spring-themed books.

Autumn Pops Up!

by Aurone Petit

Expected Publication July 29, 2026

Phaidon Press

Fiction

Pop Up Book

12 Pages

Review copy provided by publisher

Summary from Publisher

From falling leaves to Halloween, experience the delights of autumn in this neon, sturdy pop-up book. With playful illustrations, engaging text, and pop-up surprises that toddlers (and parents) will love!

Designed especially for little hands, this bright, bold pop-up board book brims with the magic of autumn in every turn of the page. Perfectly portable and shaped for toddlers’ hands, this sturdy book features six playful pop-up scenes that leap from the pages with high-contrast neon images that brighten even the most dreary of days – featuring the orange of pumpkins and fallen leaves.

From autumnal walks through woods filled with mushrooms, to tucking into a steaming bowl of pumpkin soup, sharing an umbrella on a rainy day to Halloween costumes, admiring the falling leaves to watching birds fly away for warmer weather, each spread captures the joy and beauty of the season in a way that’s both familiar and fresh, clever and surprising.

With Aurore Petit’s vibrant, playful illustrations, simple, engaging text, and pop-up surprises that toddlers (and parents!) will love, this book is a sensory celebration of autumn’s everyday magic.

This is the second title in Aurore Petit’s seasonal pop-up series, publishing alongside Summer Pops Up! and to be followed soon by winter and spring-themed books.

My Thoughts

What is more fun than a pop-up book? I remember looking at pop-up books as a child and being mesmerized. I could read them over and over again. These adorable pop-ups are made for the youngest readers. I have not read them with toddlers or babies, but my kindergarteners really love them, and they have stood up to repeated use.

Each book uses the colors of the season (bright colors for summer and muted earthtones for autumn).

Images from Amazon.com

Young readers will love these fun seasonal pop-up books!

Friday, October 7, 2016

Brunhilda's Backwards Day by Shawna J.C. Tenney + Giveaway!

Brunhilda's Backwards Day
by Shawna J.C. Tenney
Published August, 2016
Sky Pony Press
32 Pages
Review copy provided by publisher

Goodreads Summary

Brunhilda the witch loves making trouble. Each morning, she wakes up on the wrong side of the bed, puts on her ugliest dress, eats spider mush for breakfast, and brushes her teeth with candy. Then she looks in the mirror and happily observes, “You are utterly repulsive!” As soon as she leaves the house, she begins to spread her misery. No one is safe from her rainy-day spells or her wart-growing charms!

But one night, Brunhilda’s cat makes trouble instead.

When Brunhilda wakes up that next morning, she is on the rightside of the bed. All she can find to wear is a fluffy pink ball gown. And her spider mush is replaced with oatmeal; her candy replaced by toothpaste! The day has gone completely backwards. What will happen when Brunhilda casts her all-time favorite misery-inducing spells?

This is a silly story about how sometimes being nice can be more rewarding than being mean. Brunhilda may decide to keep some of her warts in the end, but she’s a changed witch. Waking up on the wrong side of the bed just doesn’t work for her anymore.

A picture book for 3 to 6 year olds, this book teaches kids that being kind and nice to people actually makes you feel better than playing tricks and being mean. A good lesson for young children, teachers and parents will enjoy the message while kids will be enthralled with the bright, colorful illustrations and the silly, warty witch.

My Thoughts
What a great new book for fall!
This book shares the universal message that being kind feels good. Kids will love watching Brunhilda as she tries to do unkind things and they backfire causing her targets to be happy instead.
I LOVE the big, colorful cartoonish illustrations. The children are adorable and Brunhilda's slick, black cat is endearing. Brunhilda is just the right combination of sort of ugly, but sort of cute. Even the cover is a beautiful, shimmery silver.

I can see groups of children reading this book with giggles and shrieks as the story unfolds. It offers an opportunity to discuss kindness and how being kind makes a person feel good.

I would highly recommend this story for ages 3-8.