The Weekly 411 (10/16/26)
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| © Koen Setyawan |
Oct 16, 2026 vol. 41
The Weekly 411 gathers all the links added to Kidlit411 each week. To receive this post by email, sign up for our email updates. Are you on Facebook? Join our Kidlit411 group for conversations and camaraderie. We can also be found on Instagram and Bluesky. This week's illustration is by Koen Setyawan.
About the Fried Rice Surprise: Fern loves opening her lunchbox—sometimes it holds something colorful, sometimes sweet and spicy, but always delicious. When she learns about the Japanese tradition of “mottainai”—never wasting what’s too good to throw away—Fern is inspired to create a meal to share with her friends. Together with her mama, she stirs up a wok of fried rice filled with everyone’s favorite flavors: curry spices, carnitas, pilaf, bok choy, and more.
About the Author: Patricia Tanumihardja was born in Jakarta to Chinese-Indonesian parents and grew up in Singapore, where she developed a lifelong love of food and storytelling. She is the author of several cookbooks highlighting pan-Asian flavors as well as children’s picture books that celebrate the connections between food, culture, and community, including Ramen for Everyone and Fried Rice Surprise. She now lives in Northern Virginia with her husband and son, where she continues to write and cook with equal passion.
About the Illustrator for Fried Rice Surprise: Shiho Pate was born and raised in Japan and worked for over a decade in the indie gaming industry in New York before turning to children’s books, where she brings her signature playful style to life using gouache, watercolor, and digital media. Now based in Southern California, she has illustrated numerous picture books that sparkle with warmth, humor, and cultural richness, including Fried Rice Surprise and the beginning reader series The Rescues, also from Red Comet Press.
About Kind Little Bao: When Bao’s family gathers for Lunar New Year Eve, everyone “ooh”s and “aah”s over big sister Crystal’s piano playing and little brother Wonton’s pinchable cheeks. Poor Bao feels left out! He hatches a plan to one-up his brother and sister: Bao will collect more hong bao—red envelopes with gifts that symbolize good fortune—than both of his siblings COMBINED! As he gathers hong bao, Bao helps his neighbors along the way. With every act of kindness, he discovers that what makes him special is something else entirely—and it’s been inside him all along.
About the Illustrator of Kind Little Bao: Camey Yeh is a Taiwanese American illustrator and author of children’s books, including her debut picture book, We’re Different and It’s Totally Cool! Yeh lives in San Francisco with her own Bao Bei, Otis, a cat who everyone always thinks is so cute. Like Bao and Uncle Han Bao Bao, she is a big Bay Area basketball fan. She is also a big fan of egg tarts (sorry, Mrs. Egg Tart)!
We are pleased to host a giveaway of the picture book, The Boy Who Loves Pancakes by Stephanie Carter McIntosh, illustrated by Marcellus McIntosh (KDP Publishing). Enter to win a copy via the widget below.
About the Book: Maxwell loves pancakes so much that he can eat them for breakfast, lunch, and dinner and never get tired of them. His mother warns him that if he continues to eat them, he will eventually turn into one, and one night he does. Maxwell has to go to school with a pancake shaped head. Will he be able to survive the school day, as he gets strange stares from his teachers and classmates, and almost gets eaten by some hungry students?
About the Author: Stephanie Carter McIntosh is a wife and a mother. She’s a college graduate from Virginia State University. She works at a boutique lobbying consultant firm in Washington, DC. When her son was learning to read that sparked her creative writing interest, which led her to start writing stories based on and inspired by the adventures of her son. Stephanie wants to share her stories through her son’s journeys with others.
About the Illustrator: Marcellus McIntosh is a professional photographer and artist based in Maryland near the nation’s capital. His work explores the human condition through themes of happiness, dignity, truth, and spiritual well-being. Using light, shadow, color, and carefully observed details, he creates emotionally powerful images that tell stories without words and invites viewers to connect with their own experiences. Inspired by his family, teachers, and friends, Marcellus learned from an early age to nurture his imagination and pursue artistic excellence. Whether painting, drawing, or photography, he finds great joy in creating work that moves people and brings them happiness. Marcellus holds associate degrees in Visual Communication and Graphic Arts.
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