(4) 4-6 Poisons of Caux series. Illustrated by Jennifer Taylor. In this labyrinthine sequel to The Hollow Bettle, apothecary and "Noble Child" Ivy must find the door to Pimcaux and prevent evil Vidal Verjouce from obtaining scourge bracken; if he does, "Caux's green earth will be reduced to ash." The adventure is imaginative and exciting, though in the end, it feels a bit like a wild goose chase.

Reviewer: Tori Funkhouser

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Jennifer Taylor. In this counting book, cat Frankie ostensibly works at a hardware store at night ("He empties one wastebasket...He cleans two counters," and so on), but the quasi-photorealistic digital art tells the truth (he upends the trash can, knocks things off the counters, etc.). The book passes quite pleasantly but would have been better served by a sharper ending.

Reviewer: Nell Beram

(3) 4-6 Poisons of Caux series. Illustrated by Jennifer Taylor. Ivy lives in a "poison or be poisoned" society. Her uncle, an apotheopath, disappears after a visit to the wicked king, leaving Ivy to venture out to find him--and save the entire kingdom. Appelbaum has created a wildly inventive, fully realized, and mysterious world. Taylor's eerie green-and-white illustrations help readers visualize some of the story's fantastical details.

Reviewer: Lauren Aimonette LIang