(2) K-3 Illustrated by Brooke Boynton-Hughes. Winding through thirty-two pages of enchanting illustrations, one long sentence with a “once upon a time” feel deftly takes readers through the life story of Hans Christian Andersen (1805–1875). Each word must earn its place to make this construction work: “He was a boy who lived with a mother who could not read, but remembered every fairy tale she’d been told…” The text juxtaposes the in-congruences of Andersen’s life: someone who cannot write as a child but wants to be a poet; later, a beloved author who is personally lonely. The soft watercolor, graphite, and pen-and-ink illustrations capitalize on these contrasts by bringing out details that invoke emotional response -- a lanky teenage Andersen crouching at a child-size desk among very young children while learning to read is comical, heartrending, and hopeful all at once. The illustrations are especially effective when they incorporate Andersen’s own fairy tales, whether through small visual references or more fully realized scenes springing from his work or daydreams. For those just starting to learn about Andersen’s stories and life, the details included are engaging, and the text leaves enough that is open-ended to encourage further exploration. Yolen’s long poetic sentence ultimately ends in tribute: “Hans Christian ­Andersen -- your own story more like a fairy tale than a life.” Back matter includes an extended biographical note and suggested additional reading.

Reviewer: Julie Roach | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2025

(2) PS Illustrated by Brooke Boynton-Hughes. This lively book captures the excitement of a dog park from the canine perspective, celebrating the opportunity to run free, befriend other dogs, roll in the mud, etc. Krisher's punchy couplets are composed of short phrases, and the text features a catchy refrain: "Dogs at the park... / Bark! Bark! Bark!" There's lots of humor and detail in the watercolor, colored-pencil, and pen-and-ink illustrations.

Reviewer: Julie Hakim Azzam | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 2018

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Brooke Boynton-Hughes. The lyrics to country music icon Parton's signature song--about having suffered childhood teasing for wearing a patchwork coat that her mother, too poor to buy one, made for her--are paired with Holly Hobbie–conjuring art. Parton's lyrics plod without music, subduing her emphatic message, highlighted again in the afterword: "There is absolutely nothing wrong with being different."

Reviewer: Nell Beram