Gray Squirrel Loses It!

Coming October 21, 2025

Published by Random House

Author/Illustrator Cassandra Federman

Welcome to the forest, where a fact-filled tour awaits. That is…until a frantic squirrel bursts onto your page searching for his misplaced nut. Help him find it in this hilarious picture book, perfect for fans of The Leaf Thief and The Interrupting Chicken.

Gray Squirrel has a problem. He can’t find his nut, and he’s desperate for help. So desperate that he’s going to interrupt this tour of the forest, where cardinals eat berries that turn their feathers red, white-tailed deer lose their antlers, and wood frogs freeze… Yeah, all of that might be fascinating, but Squirrel needs his nut!

With a funny, exasperated hero like that of The Very Impatient Caterpillar, this meta picture book inspired by real squirrel behavior (caching!) delivers crowd-pleasing laughs as Gray Squirrel searches for his beloved nut and accidentally plants a tree. But this isn’t the first lost nut, and it won’t be the last…Hello, forest!

Hilarious speech-balloon dialogue makes this a dynamic and fun read-aloud—and the back of the book includes bonus educational material like additional forest facts, a food web diagram, and a bear safety song!

Aquamanatee

Coming September 2, 2025

Published by DC

Author: Ben Clanton Illustrator: Cassandra Federman

Marlow the manatee isn’t exactly superhero material. He sleeps a lot, eats a lot, toots a lot, and has never ventured out of his safe saltwater bay. And yet the sweet bumbling Marlow dreams of adventure, of derring-do, and of making a difference. He dreams of being a hero like Aquaman, of whom Marlow is a mega fan! But when a series of impossible events leads to Marlow having superpowers and not only meeting his hero but getting to team up with Aquaman himself…suddenly Marlow isn’t so sure he’s ready for his dreams to come true.

Could an awkward blundering super-powered manatee be the best man-atee for the job?

Find out in Aquamanatee, from the creator of the blockbuster graphic novel series, Narwhal and Jelly, and with utterly charming artwork by Cassandra Federman! Ben Clanton brings his delightful sensibilities for early readers to the DC Universe in this adorable graphic novel for readers 5-7.

Story Spinners: A Sisterly Tale of Danger, A Princess, and her Crew of Lady Pirates

Published by Aladdin / Simon & Schuster

Author/Illustrator Cassandra Federman

The Princess Bride meets Raina Telgemeier’s Sisters in this middle grade graphic novel about two sisters who must put aside their differences to soothe their new baby sister with the best bedtime story ever, proving to their parents—and each other—that they can get along.

REVIEWS

* Amazon’s Top 20 Books of 2025

* Amazon Editor’s Pick

“Federman spins a masterful story within a story, bringing all three sisters to life through the unusual adventures of the princess pirates. Chock-full of hilarious dialogue and comical scene-setting, the plot is nicely complemented by Federman’s layered illustrations… A great lesson on the power of imagination and the never-ending development of the sibling bond…” - Booklist

“Classic Cassandra Federman! A clever, fun, and fantastically fun story (within a story!) that caught me in its wonderful web of heart and determination”- Ben Clanton, NYTimes bestselling author of the Narwhal and Jelly series

“Story Spinners is an ingenious concept masterfully executed. Both kids AND adults will be captivated by these characters and enthralled by the brilliantly intertwined stories. I just can’t say enough great things about this one-of-a-kind, laugh-out-loud graphic novel. Now hurry up and read it!” - Jarrett Lerner, author and illustrator of A Work in Progress

“Reading Story Spinners, I couldn’t stop thinking about my own sister. We’re so different sometimes, but in the end that just makes our stories interesting. It’s a book for anyone with a sibling who’s hard sometimes, but well worth the work. In the end it made me feel happy and warm (and want to go call my sister).” - Dana Simpson, creator of Phoebe and Her Unicorn, and Ozy and Millie

“Cute and filled with the reality of sisters who don’t get along all the time, this graphic novel will appeal to fans of humorous stories with a fairy-tale spin.” - School Library Journal

This Is a Seahorse

Published by Albert Whitman & Co.

Author/Illustrator Cassandra Federman

When a child writes a report about a seahorse, the creature himself has a few things to say about the animals he’s compared to. First of all, he is nothing like a land horse. His tail is much more useful than an opossum’s tail. And his snout fits his face perfectly—unlike an anteater’s snout. Delivering fascinating facts along the way, the seahorse sets the record straight about what makes his species so special.

REVIEWS

**STARRED REVIEW!** Federman (This Is a Sea Cow) has penned another creative and thoroughly delightful tale that will be an instant hit with kids and their parents. The digitally collaged art is eye-catching and wonderfully done... A definite purchase for all collections; children will roar at the interactions between the seahorse and Cassandra. - School Library Journal

**STARRED REVIEW!** What a great concept for a book–take a class project and turn it into a super cute story about the seahorse… This book would be perfect for children ages three and older, especially if they are interested in sea creatures. - Librarians at Youth Services Book Review

It’s a nice reminder that similarities don’t erase uniqueness, but create shared experience instead. Readers who are interested in zoology and silliness will enjoy this brief but fun journey through parts of the natural world. - Booklist

This Is a Seahorse falls into the category of ‘Really Something Special.’ … There is a visual magic that happens between the covers here that really needs to be seen to be understood. - Julianne Black DiBlasi, Story Monsters Ink Magazine

AWARDS

ILA Children’s and Young Adults’ Book Awards

This Is a Sea Cow

Published by Albert Whitman & Co.

Author/Illustrator Cassandra Federman

When an imaginative second-grader writes a school report about sea cows, the subject is not happy with her portrayal. Sea Cow―or Manatee, as she prefers to be called―comes to life on the pages of the report to defend herself against unflattering comparisons and to set the record straight with fascinating facts about manatees.

REVIEWS

"This engaging account is disguised as a homework assignment on marine mammals. An appealing first look." — Kirkus

"This Is a Sea Cow will have kids laughing out loud at story time. Federman knows how to quickly pull her readers into this funny and informative story. The twist at the end will charm children. Federman’s adept use of kid-friendly prose in this light-hearted look at the much-loved manatee will make this a regularly requested read for animal lovers.” — Ronna Mandel, Good Reads with Ronna

AWARDS / LISTS
2021 Redbud Read-Aloud Book Award Masterlist