Once in a Blue Moon

Emily Hawkins has a proven track record in exactly this category — a New York Times bestseller and a travel book award — and the cross-disciplinary scope covering space, plants, animals, weather, and wild places gives curious 8-to-12-year-olds a lot to explore. The illustrations by Vlad Stankovic appear to be the visual anchor the series relies on, and early signals are promising. The only real caveat is that it published in December 2025, so there is not yet a meaningful critical or reader record to confirm the quality holds across all five chapters.