For the two children at the center of this blissful picture book, a carefree summer day is capped with a spectacular show. After a warm breakfast made by their grandmother, the Asian American siblings “venture out across steamy city sidewalks.” A splash in a leaky fire hydrant cuts the heat (“Whoop! Weee! Woohoo!”) as the kids wander their bustling neighborhood. Later, “shining red wedges” of watermelon quench their thirst, and salsa music drifts through open windows, inviting them to dance. As the sun sets, the siblings return home for Grandma’s sizzling dinner before climbing to the rooftop of their building. They wait. “POP! A comet streaking across the sky BURSTS into a flower of fire. (THE FIRST!)” The next several two-page spreads are devoted to the magnificent fireworks bursting in vibrant shades against black, onomatopoeic words in various sizes scattered across the pages. “Pop POP / Swish / Zing / Tizzle-ting / POOF!” There comes a lull in the excitement. “‘Is it over?’ ‘Wait!’” A vertical gatefold reveals the cacophonous finale in all its glory. Afterward, with only the “ghosts” of the fireworks drifting in the sky, the children return home “to be tucked in with summer on our skin, listening to the gentlest kaboom kaboom kaboom within.” Glorious. Honor Book, 2026 Charlotte Zolotow Award

WINNER OF THE 2026 CALDECOTT MEDAL!

* SEVEN STARRED REVIEWS * A NEW YORK TIMES/NEW YORK PUBLIC LIBRARY BEST ILLUSTRATED CHILDREN'S BOOK OF THE YEAR * THE SOCIETY OF ILLUSTRATORS GOLD MEDAL WINNER * KIRKUS' BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR * BOOKLIST'S EDITOR'S CHOICE PICKS OF THE YEAR * SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL'S BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR * PUBLISHERS WEEKLY BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR * A HORN BOOK FANFARE PICK * THE NEW YORK PUBLIC LIBRARY'S BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR * CHICAGO PUBLIC LIBRARY BEST OF THE YEAR * NPR'S BEST OF THE YEAR ROUNDUP * A CHARLOTTE ZOLOTOW HONOR BOOK *

Fireworks is a sparkling picture book from the award-winning team of Matthew Burgess and Cátia Chien, highlighting the simple delights of a steamy July day in the city as two siblings eagerly anticipate a spectacular fireworks display.
POP!
As a hot day sizzles into evening, everyone on stoops and sidewalks looks skyward on this special summer night--the Fourth of July! Words and art blossom into flowers of fire across the sky, making this a perfect read for firework enthusiasts in cities and suburbs everywhere.