The Shindig Is Coming!

by Charise Mericle Harper

Overview

From award-winning children’s book author-illustrator Charise Mericle Harper comes a one-of-a-kind chapter book perfect for fans of the Narwhal and Jelly and Kondo & Kezumi series.
 
After receiving an urgent mountaintop message from the blue jay, Mouse proclaims to all the woodland creatures: “The Shindig is coming!” The entire forest is soon abuzz with everyone asking the same question: What is a shindig? Meetings are held. Assumptions are made. Honey cake is served. Finally Bear declares the answer. A shindig is a party, which is just like a meeting only fun. Problem solved! . . . Or is it? 
 
When the blue jay finally reaches the party-prepping crew, all that pep turns to panic. The blue jay's message wasn’t an invitation. It was a warning! THE SHINDIG IS COMING! Hooves, claws, and paws scatter when the mysterious forest visitors arrive at last. And opossum faints. Again. 

Find out what Mouse heard, what Bear said, and what Opossum missed in The Shindig Is Coming! Charise Mericle Harper’s hilarious storytelling and dynamic line art are on full display in this laugh-out-loud original chapter book for readers ages 7 and up.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781454965374
Publisher:	Union Square & Co.
Publication date:	08/26/2025
Sold by:	Hachette Digital, Inc.
Format:	eBook
Pages:	120
Age Range:	6 - 10 Years

About the Author

Charise Mericle Harper is the award-winning author of more than fifty children’s books, including recent hits I Cannot Draw a Horse and I Cannot Draw a Bicycle. Harper’s signature wit, kid-friendly illustrations, and wholly original style have made her a familiar name with caregivers, educators, and librarians looking for books that encourage imagination and showcase art education. Charise lives with her family and furry pets in Portland, Oregon.

Editorial Reviews

A singularly beautiful book”
—Kirkus Reviews—Kirkus

“There’s pure kid appeal in over-the-top narration by Davies (the One Little series) and cartooning by Elliott (I’m Not Scared, You Are!), which goes above and beyond with intriguing textures and dramatic compositions.”—The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books

From the Publisher

2025-05-03
Is the Shindig a soiree? A creature? A warning? Mysteries abound in this oddball chapter book.

Mouse runs into the forest shouting at the top of her lungs, “THE SHINDIG IS COMING!” The other animals immediately gather for an important meeting, but they soon realize that nobody knows what a shindig is—not even Mouse, who heard the news from the blue jay. The others speculate wildly until Bear informs them that a shindig is a kind of party. All is well and good until the blue jay arrives and makes it clear that his announcement wasn’t an invitation but a warning. Throughout the book, Harper makes unexpected choices, as when the narrative switches its point of view among three characters in sections subtitled “What Mouse Heard,” “What Bear Said,” and “What Opossum Missed.” Opossum drifts between consciousness and unconsciousness (she’s prone to fainting when danger arises), making the end of the book a puzzle to decipher. And thanks to its mysterious open-ended finale, young readers may come away with more questions than answers. Meanwhile, Harper peppers the pages with meticulously detailed illustrations, rife with intricate linework and eye-catching typography. It’s a singularly beautiful book, if strange to its core.

Evocative and mysterious, this book frustrates even as its artwork enthralls. An intriguing head-scratcher.(Chapter book. 5-8)

Kirkus Reviews