Pepper and Me

A New York Times Best Children’s Book of 2024
A Bookshop.org Best Picture Books of 2024
A 2024 Kids’ Indie Next List pick
A Kirkus Best Picture Book of the Year
A Kirkus Best Picture-Book Conversation Starter of 2024
A Favorite Children’s Book of 2024—Growing Book By Book
2025 Kansas NEA Reading Circle List


“How could you not immediately adore and trust this voice?….A reluctant love story…whimsy…but also truth, in the way children process the yucky yet intriguing surprises served up by their bodies.” —New York Times Book Review

“Alemagna deftly captures feelings of loss over something inconsequential to adults but of outsized importance to a child….Uniquely moving.”—Kirkus Reviews

“A relatable, very unique story of acceptance, unexpected friendship, and letting go with stunning, eye-catching artwork.” —Imagination Soup (Best Picture Books of 2024 — so far)

“Imaginative…the kind of picture book that seems straight out of a kids’ imagination.”—Book Riot

“It’s easy for readers to see their own concerns reflected in the narrator’s—and to breathe a sigh of relief when the ordeal is over—in this slice-of-life portrait of life’s small comings and goings.”—Publishers Weekly

“From the mind of internationally acclaimed author/illustrator Beatrice Alemagna comes the next essential duo in children’s literature: a child and their scab….unforgettable.” —Kirkus Reviews

“Intimate and indelible….[an] exploration of pain, healing, change, wonder and time.” —Horn Book

“Pepper and Me deftly taps into the wondrous and curious mind of a child–a scrape-turned-surly-scab-come-to-life!–alongside the surprising, inventive, and perfectly askew drawings I’ve come to expect in a new Beatrice Alemagna book. I am a huge fan–of Pepper and Ms. Alemagna.” —Matthew Cordell, Caldecott Medalist for Wolf in the Snow

“This beautifully illustrated story made me want to befriend all the bruises, scars and scabs that my inner child carries with her. I feel like hugging this book!” —Elise Gravel, creator of the Disgusting Critters and Olga series

“The story of a girl and her relationship with her scab. The book was magically odd and the kids had so much to say about. I LOVED IT! “ —Colby Sharp, educator