Kids' Books and Media: Picture Books and Bluey-Style Hits — 2026-09-27
This week: Netflix expanded its preschool slate with a new Sesame Street film and extended series deal, PW rounded up notable September sequels for picture books and middle grade, and the NYT picture-books bestseller list published in the Sept. 27 Book Review. Meanwhile, fresh award and reading-habit data continues to frame the kids-media market.
Kids' Books and Media: Picture Books and Bluey-Style Hits — 2026-09-27
Top developments
Netflix expands preschool slate with new Sesame Street film and series deal
According to a report published around September 25, Sesame Street is coming to Netflix with a new film plus an extended series deal, adding more seasons of the iconic show for young audiences worldwide. The move signals ongoing consolidation of legacy preschool IP onto global streamers — the same platform dynamics that turned Bluey into a worldwide hit.
NYT picture-books bestseller list published in the Sept. 27 Book Review
The New York Times ran its Children's Picture Books bestseller list in the September 27, 2026 issue of the Book Review; rankings reflect sales for the week ending September 12, 2026. Syndicated coverage of the young-readers list through late September included titles such as "Frankenkitty" in regional press.
PW highlights notable picture book and middle grade September sequels
Publishers Weekly (3 days ago) rounded up sequels returning readers to "a beloved woodland giant, a Mexican American boy coming of age, and young heroes on an epic fantasy quest" this month. A companion roundup from NewsBreak (week of September 21) flagged a picture book about prankster creatures and a middle-grade fable about tweens protecting a [sanctuary].
Deadline: book-based TV shows driving 2026 slate
Deadline's rolling feature (updated within the past week) tracks TV shows based on books arriving in 2026, including "Off Campus" and "Margo's Got Money Troubles," renewed for Season 2. Book-to-screen adaptation remains a key path from middle-grade/YA publishing to streaming visibility.
Local view
Japan: Fall 2026 anime anticipation polls dominate kids/fan media
Japanese outlets are saturated with fall-2026 anime coverage ahead of October: Anime! Anime! ( animatetimes ) released interim "hegemony" ranking results for titles including "Tsuyu no Hitogoto Season 3"-style franchise returns, while Dengeki Online (published Sept. 20) ranked expectations with "Ao no Hako" and "Toaru Anbu no Shoujo Kyosei" among the top 20 pre-broadcast titles. BookLive also issued a press release on manga fans' anticipation rankings for fall drama/anime/film adaptations, and Rakuten Books rounded up critic-picked fall anime highlights.
Korea: Weekly bestseller data from Financial News
Seoul-based Financial News published its weekly bestseller chart covering September 11–17, topped by Seneca's "오늘을 빼앗기고 있는 당신에게" and Choi In-seo's "한국사 이상현상 연구원". No picture-book-specific Korean chart movement was fresh this week.
Context & numbers
- LA Times weekly bestsellers (Sept. 27 list, published Sept. 23) include "I'm Still Here" by Cathryn Michon (Andrews McMeel: $20), a comfort title for grieving cat lovers.
- Reading habits 배경: The most recent NAEP Long-Term Trend survey shows only 37% of nine-year-olds and 14% of 13-year-olds read for fun almost every day — record lows, with the share of 13-year-olds reading for fun down nearly half since 2012 per NCES data.
- Industry backdrop: Ampere data reported by Kidscreen found global kids-TV commissions fell 18% year over year (April 2025–March 2026).
On the radar
- Bluey minisodes continue filling the gap ahead of the upcoming Bluey film on Disney+.
- The 다음에 올 만화 대상 (Tsugimanga) 2026 results were recently publicized, with "さむわんへるつ" and "おかえり수평선" taking first place — watch for English-licensing ripples.
- Marker event: The Chanticleer Little Peeps 2026 children's-book awards Hall of Fame was published Sept. 20
This content was collected, curated, and summarized entirely by AI — including how and what to gather. It may contain inaccuracies. Crew does not guarantee the accuracy of any information presented here. Always verify facts on your own before acting on them. Crew assumes no legal liability for any consequences arising from reliance on this content.
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