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Pomona: Stories of the Cat Witch by Tor Freeman

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ACHUKA Book of the Day 8 Oct 2026
Indie Book of the Month October 2026

Publisher: Guppy Publishing Ltd
ISBN: 9781916558823

See also:
Boss Of The Underworld [ACHUKA Book of the Day 5 Mar 2025]

Pomona lives in a little house in the forest, near her friends Ratso, Prince Frog, Elfis and Grandma Wyona.

In this funny and charming collection of stories, she learns how to bake a cake with love, finds a friend for her lonely pet caterpillar, discovers empathy and confirms that there definitely isn’t enough room for anyone else in her hammock!

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Class Pets: Snack Attack! by Beach

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ACHUKA Book of the Day 27 Aug 2026

Publisher: Simon & Schuster 
ISBN: 9781398532588

We’ve been making a special effort to highlight graphic novels on ACHUKA this year. This one is published today!

The full Graphic Novels listing is to be fund under the Illustrated tab. Check it out now.

A new animal is arriving at St Bernard’s Academy, and the current class pets could not be more excited. That’s until who they find out their new friend is actually a terrifying, and very hungry, snake! He’s already eaten the headteacher and has his eye on some more furry snacks.  

It’s up to the class pets to join forces and save the day, but everything they know will be tested in an epic fight to survive. Can Goldie the fish find a use for school cafeteria food? Will Mrs Sprinkles the Guinea pig discover if there’s ever a wrong time for glitter glue? Can Ken the stick insect survive being cut in half?  

These questions and MORE answered in a the first of a riotous new young fiction series from best-selling picture book superstar Beach.  

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Night Chef by Mika Song

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ACHUKA Book of the Day 20 Aug 2026

Publisher: Pushkin Press
ISBN: 9781782696032

“Song’s lighthearted, expressive character studies and simple, specific scenery, rendered with textural ink-and-watercolor artwork, blend into a true visual treat. Intimately realized scenes of kitchen life envelop readers; Song’s imaginative specificity revels in small moments of plating and serving, cleaning and closing, as well as the rich rewards of working as a team. A deeply satisfying adventure for readers young and old.” KIRKUS
“Fluid ink and watercolor art bring the world of food-obsessed animals to life as Night Chef uses her wits and cooking skills to brave the outside world. Amiable critters are always eager to lend a hand in this heartwarming tale about sharing the joy of food with family and friends, and paying it forward.” PublishersWeekly
“In this warm, endearing graphic novel…” MUSE

THIS IS NO ORDINARY RESTAURANT. AND NIGHT CHEF IS NO ORDINARY CHEF.

For years she has lived inside the walls, honing her cooking skills. But though her talented paws can transform the humblest ingredients, the humans will never accept her – so she remains hidden, and alone.

Then a fateful ramen mishap leads her to Ichi – a lost baby crow. As they search for his home together, Night Chef discovers that good food tastes even better when shared with those you love.

 

Mika Song makes children’s books about sweetly funny outsiders. Henry, Like Always by Jenn Bailey and illustrated by Mika received the Schneider Family Award and a Geisel Honor from the American Library Association. Her graphic novel for early readers Donut Feed the Squirrels was nominated for an Eisner award. She co-founded the weekly free kids comics collection Sundayhaha.com with Jen de Oliveira. She lives in Queens, NY in walking distance to all her favorite places to eat.

Here she is showing and talking about the US hardback edition (published last year):

Betty and the Yeti: Disasters of Disguise by Hugh Raine

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ACHUKA Book of the Day 18 Aug 2026

Publisher: HarperCollins
ISBN: 9780008755263

The 3rd and most recent title in this popular BEANO comic book series…

Yeti has become a slob – a very STINKY slob that just so happens to be messing up Betty’s bedroom and disrupting her peace. So when Dad suggests she goes outside more, Betty decides to make it her mission to get Yeti out of her room and experiencing everything Beanotown has to offer …

But can Beanotown survive everything Yeti has to offer in return?

Join Betty and Yeti for another year of disasters of disguise!

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A post shared by Beano (@beano_official)

Also, check out his HughTube Channel :)

 

Rune: The Tale of the Winged Sorceress by Carlos Sanchez

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ACHUKA Book of the Day 13 Aug 2026

Publisher: Flying Eye Books
ISBN: 9781838744076

Graphic novel adventure on an epic scale, the third instalment in Sanchez’s award-winning fantasy series sees Chiri on a quest to find Dai with a dark herald hot on their heels.

To celebrate the release of RUNE: The Tale of the Winged Sorceress, creator Carlos Sánchez has given a sneek peek into where it all started, his sketchbooks…

 

 
 
 
 
 
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A post shared by Flying Eye Books (@flyingeyebooks)

With Dai missing, Chiri is desperately rallying her fellow adventurers on a quest to find him. But with the darkness creating a fearsome army of creatures and planning on total domination of the kingdom, finding her best friend is starting to feel impossible. With another dark herald hunting Chiri down, it’s going to take every drop of magic she can summon to protect the friends she has left – and find the one she’s lost.

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A post shared by Carlos Sánchez (@g_haller)

See all three titles:

Lord of the Flies: The Graphic Novel ill. Aimée de Jongh from the novel by William Golding

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ACHUKA Book of the Day 24 June 2026
2026 Carnegies Shadowers’ Choice for Illustration

Publisher: Faber & Faber
ISBN: 9780571374250

Leinahtan from the College Francais Love Books Carnegie’s shadowing group said this graphic novel contained “some of the most mind-blowing & jaw-dropping illustrations” they had ever seen, with Keval from Willow Book Whisperers calling it “a true masterpiece”.
Arshdeep from Sale High Readers praised the way “the illustrations add a new layer of depth and emotion to the story” with many shadowers confirming that the graphic novel format helped them understand the story, including Bella from TGGS Carnegie Readers who said the artwork helped the story “come to life”.

Aimée de Jongh (illustrator, adaptor) is a renowned graphic novelist. Her debut, The Return of the Honey Buzzard, won the Prix Saint-Michel and was adapted into a live-action film, while her graphic novel Days of Sand was an international bestseller and nominated for two Eisner awards. She has been published in eleven languages to date.

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Pablo and Splash: Viking Voyage by Sheena Dempsey

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ACHUKA Book of the Day 15 Jun 2o26

Publisher: Bloomsbury 
ISBN: 9781526690876

See also:
Pablo and Splash: Roman Holiday [winner of 2026 FCBG Children’s Book Award]
Pablo and Splash 1 [ACHUKA Book of the Day 22 Jan 2024]

In this fourth title in the highly popular graphic novel series, when Pablo and Splash tell their cheeky friend Benji about the Vikings and their impressive longships, Benji is desperate to steal a time machine to go plundering for treasure with those ancient warriors. Our intrepid time-travelling heroes Pablo and Splash must get to Viking-era Ireland in time to warn the monks about the imminent invasion – and make their own mark on history.

Sheena Dempsey is an Irish children’s book illustrator and author from Cork. She moved to the UK in 2009 to study for a Masters in Illustration at Kingston University and now lives in Folkestone. Follow her on

 

 
 
 
 
 
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A Fishboy Named Sashimi by Dan Santat

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Publisher: Macmillan
ISBN: 9781250360007

See also:
The Aquanaut [ACHUKA Book of the Day 1 Apr 2022]

“Goofy, exaggerated facial expressions telegraph Sashimi’s shock, Joey’s worry, and Poopdeck Pete’s comedic determination to face his aquatic foe. A yellow-green color scheme evokes bayside swampiness. Introducing a hero who’s both relatable and ridiculous, this first in a new series promises more compelling adventures ahead… Silly yet sincere, a satisfying start to a serial story of self-discovery.” KIRKUS
“My 8 yo son asked us to purchase this book after Mr. Dan Santat visited his school. He loved this book, so much so that he has now read it 2 times. While he was reading, I would catch him giggling and smiling the whole time. He talks about Sashimi all the time…” Amazon reader
“Slapstick adventure, middle school hijinks, and churlish humor drip from this literal fish-out-of-water tale…” PublishersWeekly

A graphic novel aimed at the 7-11 readership.

In the town of Barnacle Bay, a creature lurks. He’s come from the ocean, in search of others like him. He is… a fishboy named SASHIMI!

To fit in with humans, Sashimi sneaks into an elementary school and pretends to be a student. But he’s clearly a fish out of water!

When Sashimi finds out the whole town is on the hunt for the Beast of Barnacle Bay – a creature who sounds a lot like Sashimi – hijinks ensue! Fortunately, with the help of a new friend and the class goldfish, Sashimi figures out a way to stay afloat.

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The Crystal Vase by Astrid Goldsmith

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ACHUKA Book of the Day 5 Jun 2026

Publisher: Jonahan Cape
ISBN: 9781787334311

“What’s extraordinary about The Crystal Vase is just how much family history Goldsmith manages to squeeze into 200 pages without overloading the narrative. She takes us as far back as Kristallnacht in 1938, when the Nazis ransacked [Astrid’s grandmother’s] magnificent childhood home in Bad Homburg, smashing everything to pieces.” Observer
“One of the book’s great strengths is its tonal balance. Goldsmith writes with warmth and sharp humour, finding comedy in family negotiations and absurd demands without diminishing the weight of historical loss. The strained yet affectionate relationship between father and daughter grounds the story emotionally, showing how inheritance is as much about responsibility and misunderstanding as it is about love.” VoiceMag
“History is made tangible.” Financial Times

This memoir in graphic novel format, by the stop-motion animator Astrid Goldsmith, is published on an adult list but can be recommended for young adults, especially those interested in the history of Jewish displacement.

When her imperious, chain-smoking German Jewish grandmother dies, it falls to Astrid and her father to drive a hire van to the Black Forest and collect the family heirlooms from Gisela’s nicotine-stained apartment.

In Freiburg, they are faced with several lifetimes’ worth of belongings to sort through – infested Persian rugs, mysterious photographs, a toy monkey that started a marriage – and a grasping landlord, impatient to renovate.

As the list of demands from uncles, sisters and cousins grows longer, the rabbit-holes of history and memory grow deeper. Long-buried secrets and tales of survival are revealed – from Nazi Germany to colonial Africa – and old feuds are reignited, as father and daughter struggle with the responsibility of preserving the family legacy. More importantly, will they be able to fit everything into a medium wheel-base transit van?

Funny, bittersweet and beautifully drawn, The Crystal Vase is an odyssey of family arguments, identity crises, and late discoveries.

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Here is a short film about Mock Duck Studios, her other career as an animator:

Juniper Mae: Journey to the Levels Below ill. Sarah Soh words by Tim Fraser (author)

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ACHUKA Book of the Day 22 Apr 2026

Publisher: Flying Eye Books
ISBN: 9781838741716

“The cute, bubbly art style, manga-flavored emotional expressions, and pleasant palette with many glowing elements continue are engaging and exciting. With no wasted words or space, this short but action-packed series entry makes dynamic use of panels…” KIRKUS

 

 
 
 
 
 
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A post shared by Andrea • Book Reviewer • Primary Tutor (@educa8wirral)

The third Juniper Mae title and the first to be featured by ACHUKA, in a year when we are trying to highlight as many good graphic novel titles as we can.

Juniper Mae’s about to face her toughest challenge yet – and she’s going to find out just how far evil will go to discover her technological secrets!

sample page spread

Safe at home, Juniper Mae, Albie, and BOT-L have no idea that the sinister President Onyx is about to turn their lives upside down in his quest for Juniper’s powerful technology. Can the tiny inventor and her even tinier friends team up with an unlikely ally to break into Tykotech Tower itself, and save Juniper’s family from danger?

Sarah Soh grew up in Virginia then moved to Los Angeles, where she attended Otis College of Art + Design and graduated with a BFA in Illustration. A year later, she started working in the animation industry as a storyboard artist at South Park Studios. Afterwards, she has worked at Nickelodeon, Cartoon Network and Netflix, all as a Storyboard Supervisor. She is currently a Supervising Director at Atomic Cartoons.

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A post shared by Sarah Soh (@sohsilly)