Scott, Brandon James. Skeleton and the Cat, The. Brandon James Scott, Illus. HarperCollins, 07/2026. [64]pp. Picture Book. Trade $19.99. 978-0-0634-5588-7. GRADES Preschool–2. OUTSTANDING.
Established illustrator Scott offers five vignettes about a developing friendship between an unlikely pair: a curmudgeonly introverted skeleton and a perky cat. Digital illustrations are brighter than one might expect from a skeleton story. Despite being dressed in a macabre black robe and pants, there is something friendly about this skeleton and the stories impart a peaceful, quiet feeling. It provides a fun new addition to the fall cannon without being an expressly Halloween story. At 64 pages, this runs longer than the typical picture book, but includes significant breaks between each chapter, meaning it could be read in one sitting or over a few sessions, depending upon the audience’s attention span.
Beth Gousman—Montclair Elementary School / Oakland Unified School District