(3) K-3 Illustrated by Ellie Arscott. Cree, a young Nehiyaw girl, never fails to marvel at the neat stuff her vivacious aunt collects from garage sales. But this time, Auntie has brought a surprise from the reservation where she lives -- a surprise that growls and sniffs. Unable to guess what it is, Cree is delighted when Auntie reveals a “rez puppy.” Nehiyaw people consider dogs their relatives, Auntie explains, and describes the integral role they have historically played in Nehiyaw communities -- providing protection, furnishing warmth, and transporting goods. Cree learns the importance of caring for bowwows with heart and hands, then chooses a Nehiyaw name for the new family pet. Arscott’s sunny hand-drawn illustrations incorporate comic-book elements, such as speech bubbles and emanata. O’Watch’s conversational text includes Nehiyaw words with English translations alongside.

Reviewer: Summer Edward

(3) 4-6 This timely nonfiction book focuses on the biographies of ten Black Canadian women whose stories are often overlooked or untold. Written for middle-grade readers, the biographies are brief but informative, and the powerful collage illustrations depict the women as warriors. This text can easily be a springboard for deeper discussion around African enslavement and racial oppression outside the U.S.

Reviewer: Monique Harris

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Josée Bisaillon. Poetic text alternates between a worried daughter's remarks to her mother ("I see your hands, / Coarsened and scratched... I will stay with you") and hard-at-work Mama's clear-eyed responses ("Ten cents a pound is what I'll earn / To buy these books and set you free"). Set at a coffee field, the collage-like art finds the rumpled beauty in Mama's sacrifice.

Reviewer: Nell Beram

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Gabrielle Grimard. A girl tries to help her grandfather after she asks him what the Cree word for grandfather is; he says Cree was stolen from him as a child at boarding school. Despite its too-simple resolution, the story, illustrated with soft, pleasing art, could serve as an emotional introduction to the topic of Indian boarding schools.

Reviewer: Bridget McCaffrey

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Renné Benoit. Although "girls can't fish" in her Filipino village, Nina persuades her grandfather to take her fishing with him and watches closely as Lolo shows her what to do. She waits patiently and finally triumphs, landing a big fish. Repetition in the lively prose conveys the steady rhythm of the craft ("hand over hand, fish after fish"). Simple illustrations in muted blues and greens complement this empowering story.

Reviewer: Alicia K. Long

(3) K-3 Haunting photos of refugee children and adults in different countries (identified in tiny print) and situations pair with spare text that reflects these children's concerns; in the last image, a child in Niger looks straight at the young reader and says, "I hope someone smiles and says 'Welcome home.' I hope that someone is you." A powerful introduction to the world's refugee crisis.

Reviewer: Melinda Greenblatt

(3) K-3 An Ojibwe woman and friends, concerned about human carelessness for Nibi (water), walk around the Great Lakes, the Saint Lawrence River, and more to bring attention to the problem. Illustrated with simple childlike art (the human faces have dots for eyes and no other features) and sprinkled with Ojibwe words, this eco-story is based on the life of Nokomis Josephine Mandamin, who formed the Mother Earth Water Walkers. Glos.

Reviewer: Bridget McCaffrey

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Gillian Newland. The author shares a story based on her grandmother Irene's experience in an Indian residential school in Ontario, Canada. Taken away from her family, Irene suffers emotional trauma and abuse at the hands of Christian missionaries. Featuring powerful watercolor and ink illustrations, a straightforwardly told first-person narrative of resistance and strength. Author's note included.

Reviewer: Alia Jones

(3) K-3 This small book about big ideas features excellent photos of boys and girls from many countries with just a line of text on each page. Adult interpretation could help children think intelligently about the ways in which boys can grow up to create a world in which all will have equality. Created by Plan International, a charity that seeks "to improve the lives of children."

Reviewer: Melinda Greenblatt

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Qin Leng. Joseph is thrilled when he finds money on the playground, but his friend Devon thinks they should try to find out who lost it. Devon is torn between loyalty to his friend and his sense of what's right until a wise teacher helps him find a way to honor both. A wordy text effectively delivers the lesson. Cartoon illustrations show diverse students with particularly expressive faces.

Reviewer: Gail Hedges

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Gillian Newland. In a fictionalization of a true story, young Auschwitz inmate Werner is befriended and sustained by his bunkmate Herr Levin, a magician. Dark sepia and charcoal illustrations capture the concentration camp's bleakness, with playing cards and Nazi armbands the only flashes of color. Werner's unrealistically wide-eyed perspective offers a gentle entrance to Holocaust history. Appended notes add more historical information.

Reviewer: Claire E. Gross

(3) K-3 With Plan International. Accompanied by a simple text, large, dramatic color photographs capture children from many countries as they travel to school by wading across rivers, zip-lining, climbing ladders over cliffs, using a dog sled, and more. Countries--including Indonesia, Uganda, Canada, Brazil, and Haiti--are identified in tiny print sometimes obscured in the photos. Still, the message is clear: education is "always worth the journey!"

Reviewer: Melinda Greenblatt

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Qin Leng. After his parents' death, Maiko moves from Africa to North America to live with his aunt and uncle. He misses his baobab tree but finds solace in a small spruce growing (too) close to his relatives' home. When his uncle decides to cut it down, Maiko runs away. The story is wordy but heartfelt. Expressive, uncluttered illustrations help convey emotion.

Reviewer: Patricia Riley

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Gillian Newland. Intrigued by the Christmas preparations in her new French town, Charlotte wants to participate--but learns that her family will observe Chanukah instead. Bringing presents and food to a poor classmate, however, Charlotte gets the best of "Christmas and Chanukah together." The text is a little wordy and the muted illustrations somewhat dreary for an otherwise optimistic tale of compassion and celebration.

Reviewer: Rachel L. Smith

(4) K-3 This book profiles kids who have created organizations dedicated to helping the environment, such as twelve-year-old Adeline, working to save coral reefs in Indonesia. Though the author's description of the children as "Rainbow Warriors" and her saccharine art threaten to derail the project into "We Are the World" sappiness, the stories and photos of the young activists are truly inspiring.

Reviewer: Bridget McCaffrey

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Renné Benoit. After Lisabeth disses her dinner, Mom boasts that "When I was a little girl I ate everything I was given." Poof!: an apparition of young Mom shows up to model perfect behavior. In a twist, Grandma arrives and gives adult Mom a reality check. The grand premise would have been better served by fresher prose and a livelier palette.

Reviewer: Nell Beram

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Alice Priestley. While Rosie is thrilled that her two moms are getting married, she's disappointed that it won't be a fancy wedding, just family and close friends for "a Saturday party at the cottage." Rosie's dashed flower-girl fantasies don't provide quite enough plot, but the text is easygoing and conversational and well matched by gently-toned and -textured illustrations.

Reviewer: Roger Sutton