New Releases: The Quiet Ocean and The Gilded Age: Stone by Stone
Plus coming soon: Pufflings Fly Free! and No Brain the Same: Neurodivergent Young Activists Shaping Our Future
Out Now
The Quiet Ocean by Charlotte Offsay, illustrated by Abi Cushman (May 5, 2026 | Beach Lane Books): When a playful pufferfish’s actions cause a snowball effect disrupting the peace of the other sea creatures, it’s up to the ocean and a baby whale to restore quiet once more in this delightfully funny picture book companion to The Quiet Forest.
Deep beneath the waves, a pufferfish putters alone. A playful puffer in a quiet, nothing-much-happening ocean. Until…one small pop! sets off a chain of outrageous events, causing the whole ocean to have a very frazzled day indeed!
Can the sea creatures find a way to bring quiet back to their underwater home?
Pre-order this book on our Bookshop (affiliate link)
Free Download
Download THE GILDED AGE: STONE BY STONE, a new historical fiction chapter book by Sibert Honor Author Colleen Paeff for free from educational publisher Core Knowledge at https://www.coreknowledgefreelibrary.org/library/the-gilded-age/.
Coming Soon
No Brain the Same: Neurodivergent Young Activists Shaping Our Future, edited by Lindsay H. Metcalf, Keila V. Dawson and Jeanette Bradley, illustrated by Jeanette Bradley (June 2, 2026 | Charlesbridge): Through powerful poems, this book honors neurodivergent youth activists transforming their communities and invites kids to act—continuing the spirit of No Voice Too Small and No World Too Big.
Featuring Billie Eilish, Dara McAnulty, and Ly Xīnzhèn M. Zhangsūn Brown, these fourteen poems spotlight neurodivergent activists inspiring kids ages 5 to 9 to make change.
Pre-order this book on our Bookshop (affiliate link)
Pufflings Fly Free! A Rescue Tale from Iceland, written by Colleen Paeff and illustrated by Linda Ólafsdóttir (June 9, 2026 | Margaret K. McElderry Books): From Sibert Honoree Colleen Paeff comes a quietly powerful picture book about one young girl’s courageous mission to save a baby puffin, or puffling, with the support of her community on the Icelandic Westman Islands, exploring themes of environmental conservation, animals, family traditions, and girls in science.
Pre-order this book on our Bookshop (affiliate link)
Awards
Congratulations are in order! THE GREAT STINK: HOW JOSEPH BAZALGETTE SOLVED LONDON’S POOP POLLUTION PROBLEM by Colleen Paeff and illustrated by Nancy Carpenter won a California Young Reader Medal in the picture books for older readers category.
Upcoming Events
Online
Jun 16, 7:30am-8:30am - Join Valerie Bolling for Maine Writers and Publishers Alliance VIRTUAL Presentation: Luscious Layers: Creating an Irresistible Picture Book
California
May 31 at 12:30 - Colleen Paeff will be reading from FIREFLY SONG: LYNN FRIERSON FAUST AND THE GREAT SMOKY MOUNTAIN DISCOVERY (illustrated by Ji-Hyuk Kim) at the Bay Area Book Festival in Berkeley, CA
June 13 at 2:00pm - Launch party for PUFFLINGS FLY FREE!: A RESCUE TALE FROM ICELAND by Colleen Paeff and illustrated by Linda Ólafsdóttir at Once Upon a Time bookstore in Montrose, CA.
Connecticut
May 27, 4:30pm - Join Carrie Finison for a Plenty of Pancakes Story Time at River Bend Bookshop in West Hartford, CT
Jun 13, 2:00-4:00pm - Join Valerie Bolling for a signing at Barnes and Noble, North Haven, Stamford, CT
Wed Jul 22nd 3:30pm-4:30pm - Join Valerie Bolling for storytime at Weston Library, Weston, CT
Illinois
Thu Jun 25th-Sun 28th - Join Valerie Bolling and Lindsay H. Metcalf at the ALA Annual Conference, Chicago, IL
June 27 with Lindsay H. Metcalf:
9:30-10 am CT: Tomatoes on Trial book signing, Astra booth, #2726
1 pm: Neuropositive Picture Books panel, McCormick Place Convention Center W 183 A
3 pm: No Brain the Same book signing, location TBA
Kansas
June 13th, 10am - Join Lindsay H. Metcalf for a No Brain the Same storytime at Watermark Books in Wichita, KS
June 13th, 11am - Join Lindsay H. Metcalf for a Footeprint book signing at Watermark Books in Wichita, KS
Minnesota
Fri Jun 26th - Join Vicky Fang at AAJA26 for a panel with Hachette at the Hyatt Regency Minneapolis, MN
New York
May 30th, 10am-3pm - Join Carrie Finison and Valerie Bolling for the Sullivan County Youth Book Festival at Ethelbert B. Crawford Public Library in Monticello, NY
Pennsylvania
Wed Jul 8th-Sun 12th - Join Valerie Bolling at Boyds Mills Summer Camp for Writers and Illustrators, Milanville, PA
About Soaring ‘20s
We are a diverse and award-winning group of authors and illustrators. We create books for all ages including board books, picture books, early readers, chapter books, middle grade, YA, and adult—with over 150+ books published collectively. Read more about us here.