Humorist David Sedaris and illustrator Bob Staake are collaborating on a picture book set for release in 2026.
Astra will publish Sedaris and Staake’s The Selfish Sister next spring, the press announced in a news release. The press calls the book “a hilariously twisted take on selfishness and greed.”
Sedaris first rose to national prominence in 1992 with the broadcast of his humorous essay “Santaland Diaries” on National Public Radio. He included the essay in his first book, the 1994 collection Barrel Fever. He went on to write books including Naked, Me Talk Pretty One Day, Let’s Explore Diabetes With Owls, and Happy-Go-Lucky.
He published his first children’s picture book, Pretty Ugly, illustrated by the late Ian Falconer, last year. In a starred review, a critic for Kirkus wrote of the book, “Consider this little monstrosity a much-needed corrective to smarmy platitudes.”
Staake is a prolific author and illustrator of children’s books. His previous titles include Pigs Rock!, written by Melanie Davis Jones; Don’t Splash the Sasquatch!, written by Kent Redeker, and Welcome to Bobville, written by Jonah Winter.
The Selfish Sister, about an entitled sibling who demands everything, “presents a refreshingly candid portrait of childhood greed, leaning into the messier emotions—jealousy, frustration, and the occasional petty act—that so many families know well,” Astra says.
The book is scheduled for publication on March 17, 2026.
Michael Schaub is a contributing writer.
