PRE-ORDER NOW: Hazel and Herbert by Alexandra Thompson | Maine Author & Illustrator

Pre-Orders will ship mid-February 2026

When a young fox rescues a baby blue bird, her life is upended by the sudden new addition.

Hazel discovers an egg while out for a walk in the woods, and much to her surprise—Tip! Tip! Tap!—out pops a baby bird. She names him Herbert, and from then on, he sticks to her like jam on toast.

But Hazel likes her routine, and Herbert’s always underfoot. No matter what she’s doing, Hazel simply can’t get a moment’s peace. What’s a fox to do?

3-7 Years

“Thoughtfulness infuses this sweet story, as do gentle humor and perfectly complementary watercolor art . . . The warmhearted ending reinforces the idea that friendships are complicated, conciliatory, and ultimately gratifying. Unfailingly tender.” —Kirkus Reviews

Alexandra Thompson is an illustrator and author creating work for picture books, children’s apparel, and magazines. She is the illustrator of Ben & Emma’s Big Hit by California governor Gavin Newsom, I Am a Masterpiece! by actress and Down Syndrome advocate Mia Armstrong, and A Family for Louie, which she wrote herself. When she’s not in the studio, she can be found exploring the great state of Maine, where she lives with her husband and daughter.