PICTURE BOOKS

The Alphabet Thief by Bill Richardson, illustrated by Roxanna Bikaoroff ( Groundwood Books, 40 pp; $ 17. 95) – Mar. 1

A stolen ‘A’ means coats are turning into cots, and a missing ‘B’ is making owls out of bowls in this tiny, non- traditional alphabet book about a letter lifter who causes chaos. For readers who like: clever play with language.

Triangle by Mac Barnett, illustrated by Jon Klassen ( Candlewick, 48 pp; $ 22) – Mar. 14

The start of a new trilogy about shapes and friendship, from a powerhouse team whose previous two collaborations produced Caldecott nods. For readers who like: books that get funnier with every read.

The Gold Leaf by Kirsten Hall, illustrated by Matt Forsythe ( Enchanted Lion, 48 pp; price TBD) – Mar. 24

A former Adventure Time artist creates lush landscapes for a modern fable about a pack of forest animals who inadvertently destroy a cherished gold leaf. For readers who like: timeless tales for adults as much as children.

Bill Bowerbird and the Unbearable Beak-Ache by Tyler Clark Burke ( Owlkids, 32 pp; $ 18.95) – Mar. 15)

Wickety- tickety- woo- hoo- hoo. Bill the Bowerbird uses energetic onomatopoeia when he turns to his oddball animal friends for help with a sore tooth. For readers who like: a zany cast of characters.

Colette’s Lost Pet by Isabelle Arsenault ( Tundra Books, 48 pp; $ 22.99) – May 23

The boundary between picture book and comic is delightfully blurred in this sensitive story about a girl with a yellow raincoat and a fictional lost pet, set in Montreal’s distinctive Mile End neighbourhood. For readers who like: relatable protagonists.