Booklist calls MIA’S CHEETAH by Amelia Bothe a “cozy, admirable call to find wonder in an ever-more digital world” in starred review

★ Mia's Cheetah by Amelia Bothe
Sept. 2026. 48p. Clarion, $19.99 (9780063472662). PreS–Gr. 3

“Little Mia's not looking forward to another grueling car ride to Nana's house: it's a long way, and there's not much to see on the dull, grey streets on their route. But, this time, her father suggests she find her “cheetah.” Freeing her mind by feeling the wind through her fingers out the window, Mia glimpses a pink cheetah with gossamer butterfly wings keeping pace with the car, and suddenly a new world unfolds before her. Mia’s imagination runs wild as she conjures up other fantastical road-trip companions out of thin air—dinosaurs, enormous insects, red elephants, birds of all feathers, and otherworldly creatures big and small—all galloping, swimming, or flying their way toward Nana’s. The thrill of the ride ends after an imagination-fueled traffic jam and the arrival at Nana’s, though not before Mia bids her cheetah farewell, for now. Bothe’s illustrations are like something out of a dream; tranquil blues suffuse the passage through a tunnel that's no longer frightening, thanks to bioluminescent critters, while sunset oranges and reds bathe Mia’s surreal creatures in a warm evening glow as they cross the bridge just before Nana’s. Mia’s pink cheetah is a playful symbol of the imagination’s infinite and eternal power in this cozy, admirable call to find wonder in an ever-more digital world.”

— Nick Mullenmeister