By Matthew Cordell
Little, Brown, 2026
48 pages
978-0-316-58095-3
Ages 6-10
In this magical and masterfully illustrated fever dream of a story, George (white) is at home at 102 Greenbriar Drive on October 2 with a 102-degree fever. Tucked into bed by his doting mom, George is awakened at 1:02 a.m. by a chirping cricket who beckons to him. Shrinking in size, George follows the cricket through a crack in the wall, where he meets a trio of insects and sidesteps paperclips, a marble, and other tiny human relics. The cricket guides George to a moonlit tea party that’s interrupted by the swoop of a silent owl. Finding respite in a mouse house at the base of a large oak, George is greeted by a familiar smell: Mama Mouse is making 102-bean soup for Junior, who is sick in bed. Father has not returned from fetching the crucial final bean. George remembers the mouse with the black bean that his mother had captured in their kitchen! Retracing his steps, he hurries home to release Father Mouse and get some sleep. At 1:02 p.m., he wakes as his mom enters with a tray of bean soup. Was it just a dream? The 102-year-old narrator confirms the truth for attentive readers. Well-designed layouts match the urgency and mystery of this midnight journey. Decorative frames, circular close-ups, and full-page spreads offer drama, coziness, and clues. Executed with multicolored, scented ballpoint pens, the illustrations are a marvel. ©2026 Cooperative Children’s Book Center