Picture book roundup: Post Wave Publishing

Discovering the World, One Page at a Time: A Look at Post Wave’s Translated Picture Books
Post Wave Books specialises in bringing global children's literature into English, and I had the joy of exploring a selection of their titles - some fictional, some factual, all beautifully made. These picture books range in tone and age group, but they each offer something fresh, whether it’s a gentle laugh, a fascinating fact, or illustrations you’ll want to linger over. Below are the covers and links to find out more, followed by some thoughts on each book.

Bad Influence by Claire Ahn

In this contemporary YA novel, high school student Charlotte Goh is an aspiring Asian American fashion influencer desperately trying to lift her family out of hardship, only to find it may come at a cost higher than any Chanel bag.

Seventeen-year-old Charlotte Goh is juggling two very different personas: the dutiful Korean daughter, and the hustling NYC fashion influencer. Her best friend Steven scoffs at her ambition, but she secretly hopes that her posts will help financially support her struggling family. Then one night, after posting about a racist experience she had at an influencer event, Charlotte finds herself going viral and garnering the fame she’s always craved. And as much as she doesn’t want her newfound popularity to change her, she can’t help but be swept away by the exciting perks: chic new friends, the attention of one of Hollywood’s hottest heartthrobs, and a slew of companies clamoring to sponsor her.

But as she falls deeper into the influencer world, she finds that she may have to sacrifice more than she bargained for—including her unexpected new feelings for Steven. Will Charlotte be able to stay true to herself, or will she lose the things that are most important to her?

Colony by Ron Wolff

Adam Flynn is the only human ever born on Mars. After seventeen years of isolation with only a handful of scientists for company, the arrival of new colonists is a dream come true-until that dream becomes a nightmare.

Beneath the planet's barren surface, something ancient stirs. Something hungry.

When an alien swarm ravages the colony, Adam finds himself leading a band of teenage survivors in a desperate battle against an enemy that doesn't just kill-it can think, plan, and burrow its way into human minds.

This adrenaline-fueled sci-fi thriller weaves heart-stopping horror into a story of survival, found family, first love, and the true meaning of home-even when home wants to kill you.

Happy #Bookbirthday! 3 Apr, 2025

Happy Thursday! This week there are NINE books on our lists publishing!

Blog tour: The Notorious Virtues by Alwyn Hamilton

At sixteen, Honora Nora Holtzfall is the daughter of the most powerful heiress in all of Walstad. Her family controls all the money--and all the magic--in the entire country. But despite being the center of attention, Nora has always felt like an outsider. When her mother is found dead in an alley, the family throne and fortune are suddenly up for grabs, and Nora will be pitted against her cousins in the Veritaz, the ultimate magical competition for power that determines the one family heir.

But there's a surprise contestant this time: Lotte, the illegitimate daughter of Nora's aunt. When Lotte's absent mother retrieves her from the rural convent she'd abandoned her to, Lotte goes from being an orphan to surrounded by family. Unfortunately, most of them want her dead.

And soon, Nora discovers that her mother's death wasn't random--it was murder. And the only person she can trust to uncover the truth of what happened is a rakish young reporter who despises everything Nora and her family stand for.

With everyone against her, Lotte's last hope is hunting for the identity of her father. But the dangerous competition--and her feelings for Theo, one of the Holtzfalls' sworn protectors--turns her world upside down.

Incredible tests, impossible choices and deadly odds await both girls. But there can only be one winner.

The Secret Collector by Abigail Johnson

When an elderly eccentric collector and a troubled teen become each other's only hope of getting their lives back on track, what can possibly go wrong?

Alfred is an elderly widower who uses antiques and collectibles to fill the hole in his heart left by his late wife. Kian is a lost teen who has been let down by the care system and finds it difficult staying on the straight and narrow.

After Kian throws a brick through Alfred's window, the shock sends Alfred to hospital and a social worker to his home, where his hoarding becomes impossible to ignore.

Begrudgingly, and at the request of the authorities, they both agree to enrol Kian on a restorative justice programme, helping to make Alfred’s home liveable again. The only problem: Alfred doesn't want to throw any of his treasures away, and he certainly doesn’t want Kian for company.

What unfolds is a surprising and delightful journey of two characters who help each other more than they ever could have anticipated and, along the way, form the unlikeliest of friendships.