(1) 1-3 Marisol, the anxious heroine of Maybe Maybe Marisol Rainey (rev. 5/21), makes lists of favorite and least favorite things, with gym class--specifically the kickball unit--topping the latter. Although she has never played before, she dreads it because she knows that "the spotlight shines on you when you kick. The spotlight shines on you when you pitch... Surely Marisol will burst into flames under all those spotlights." Her worries only grow as classmate Evie brags about her own kickball prowess. Kelly shows her deep understanding of the emotional lives of her characters. When Marisol is angry and embarrassed about Evie's unkind comments and her own poor skills, she lashes out at best friend Jada. "Marisol thought it would make her feel better to snap at Jada, but it doesn't. She only feels worse." The action takes place over two weeks, during which Marisol tries a variety of techniques to first avoid and then overcome (at least a little) her fears. ­Supporting characters--Marisol's father, away all week working on an oil rig; her athletic older brother, who teaches her the Ultimate Rule of Kickball; classmate Felix, who claims to talk to animals--are all fully developed and engaging contributors to the lively, realistic, and emotionally honest story. When ­Marisol finally kicks the ball and makes it to first base, readers will be cheering "way to go, Marisol" along with her classmates, teacher, and family members.

Reviewer: Maeve Visser Knoth | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 2022

(2) 1-3 Illustrated by Daniel Miyares. This quiet chapter book is pure MacLachlan: lots of warmth and family love; a sensitive protagonist adapting to change; and spare, evocative prose that cuts to the heart of matters. Nine-year-old Jacob would rather have a puppy, but he has to make do with ­newborn triplets. His first impression of his sisters isn't positive, as he records in his notebook: "They're not pretty. They look like birds without feathers. Puppies are cuter." When he needs a topic to research for a school assignment, "A Litter of Trips--from Birth On" is the obvious choice. In the beginning, the three babies seem the same ("They cry and eat, wet their diapers, and sleep"), but over time Jacob becomes aware of individual differences. As the "Trips" change, Jacob realizes that he's changing, too, and growing into his role as an older brother. His perceptive, sometimes funny notebook musings are interspersed throughout the story and set apart from the main narrative, giving independent readers a chance to pause. Miyares's lighthearted black-and-white illustrations, which match the text's gentle tone, serve the same purpose. MacLachlan keeps the first-person narrative tightly focused on Jacob and his life at home with the babies (with a few scenes in school and at the doctor's office); well-realized secondary characters add depth to the narrative.

Reviewer: Kitty Flynn | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2022

(2) 1-3 Illustrated by Benji Davies. Morpurgo writes a deliciously old-fashioned story to celebrate Puffin Books' eightieth anniversary, naming his main character after the founder, Allen Williams Lane. The story begins when a lighthouse keeper makes a daring sea rescue after a ship founders; the survivors include five-year-old Allen Williams (who narrates the story) and his mother. The solemn lighthouse keeper, Ben Postlethwait, makes a big impression on Allen, especially when Ben gives the boy one of his paintings. Throughout his childhood, the painting consoles Allen as he copes with such tribulations as a stern grandfather, an abusive governess, and a challenging boarding school. The story follows Allen to adulthood, when he returns to the island, and he and Ben become firm friends. The two nurse an injured puffin back to health and bring the puffin-less island back to life. Davies's atmospheric illustrations depict roiling seas and English landscapes, as well as Allen's own paintings of ships and seascapes. With short chapters punctuated with lots of color illustrations, the story, with its Dickensian overtones and wholly satisfying conclusion, is good both for reading aloud and for independent reading.

Reviewer: Susan Dove Lempke | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2022

(2) 1-3 Illustrated by Binglin Hu. Color design by Ashanti Fortson. Country dwellers Mole and Vole are the stars of this engaging and enjoyable nature-themed graphic novel told in five chapters, or "expeditions." "Expedition #1: Forest Adventure" introduces readers to the creatures' natural environs and their primary character traits (Mole = excitable; Vole = more cautious). "Expedition #2: House Adventure" brings them inside a nearby cabin where they are mistakenly packed into moving boxes. They arrive (unbeknownst to the humans) in a city where the rest of the expeditions take place. With some trepidation, but with appetites for adventure, Mole and Vole set out at various times throughout the day and night. They encounter such familiar city creatures as pigeons, raccoons, and opossums, along with others such as a black-crowned night heron, a DeKay's brown snake, and many more examples of flora and fauna, all identified in clear illustrations with eye-pleasing earth-tone hues and including occasional, informative entries from Mole's sketchbook. Throughout, Vole insists on having seen a lion, a narrative thread that offers in-the-know humor for readers and ties in with a theme of new friendships--for animals and humans alike.

Reviewer: Elissa Gershowitz | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2022

(2) 1-3 The peacocks at the Athensville zoo have the privilege of roaming the premises, welcoming visitors with their impressive fantails with instructions to "Mingle! Guide! Delight!" Jealous ningbing Itch, a resident of the Small and Unusual Mammal Pavilion, decides that he has had enough of the free-ranging peacocks. With the help of some squirrels, Itch frames the peacocks for a series of small thefts. The ensuing drama stars Plum, a peacock with a huge heart; Jeremy, a stray kitten; Lizzie, a lonely new zookeeper; and Itch, the egotistical villain. Add a broken monorail, a habitrail that allows small mammals to journey through the zoo, and unsuspecting visitors, and the stage is set. The brief, heavily illustrated novel, like Phelan's Knights v. Dinosaurs (rev. 10/18), has the visual presentation, lively characters, and fast plot that make for a friendly experience for early-chapter-book readers. Copious spot illustrations in black and shades of gray feature a loose, energetic line. Peacock tails swirl proudly, and animals caper across the pages. By story's end, Itch has been given a new assignment that allows him to use his knowledge, and his belief in his own superiority, to good effect. The zookeeper has a new pet and the peacocks are back welcoming visitors, so "all's well at the Athensville zoo."

Reviewer: Maeve Visser Knoth | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2022

(2) 1-3 A gentle but fiercely loyal ladybug knight is joined by his faithful herald (a roly-poly bug who gets a little nervous sometimes but loves to loudly tell anyone who'll listen how great his friends are) and his steed/squire (a snail with a surprisingly spacious shell and a love of adventure) in Geisel Award–winning (for Fox at Night) and Caldecott honoree (for Mel Fell, rev. 3/21) Tabor's first two installments of a graphic-novel series for the early-reader set. These small-scale quests are packed with referential jokes and friendly banter as the trio heeds the call of creatures facing trouble, including themselves. It takes teamwork and problem-solving, for example, to stop a hungry chickadee from eating them for dinner. Sometimes it's good deeds that save the day, but sometimes the only solution to a big problem is an exceptionally delicious lemon cake. And you never know when the tale might be briefly interrupted (chapters titled "Interlude") by, for example, a poem celebrating Sir Ladybug in the style of William Carlos Williams. The neat and precise illustrations reflect the warm, understatedly funny tone of the stories, with soft colors and simply but expressively drawn creatures. Tabor's celebration of friendship will have readers joining Pell the Roly-Poly Herald in loudly singing Sir Ladybug's praises. Review covers these titles: Sir Ladybug and Sir Ladybug and the Queen Bee.

Reviewer: Laura Koenig | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2022

(2) 1-3 A gentle but fiercely loyal ladybug knight is joined by his faithful herald (a roly-poly bug who gets a little nervous sometimes but loves to loudly tell anyone who'll listen how great his friends are) and his steed/squire (a snail with a surprisingly spacious shell and a love of adventure) in Geisel Award–winning (for Fox at Night) and Caldecott honoree (for Mel Fell, rev. 3/21) Tabor's first two installments of a graphic-novel series for the early-reader set. These small-scale quests are packed with referential jokes and friendly banter as the trio heeds the call of creatures facing trouble, including themselves. It takes teamwork and problem-solving, for example, to stop a hungry chickadee from eating them for dinner. Sometimes it's good deeds that save the day, but sometimes the only solution to a big problem is an exceptionally delicious lemon cake. And you never know when the tale might be briefly interrupted (chapters titled "Interlude") by, for example, a poem celebrating Sir Ladybug in the style of William Carlos Williams. The neat and precise illustrations reflect the warm, understatedly funny tone of the stories, with soft colors and simply but expressively drawn creatures. Tabor's celebration of friendship will have readers joining Pell the Roly-Poly Herald in loudly singing Sir Ladybug's praises. Review covers these titles: Sir Ladybug and Sir Ladybug and the Queen Bee.

Reviewer: Laura Koenig | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2022

(1) 1-3 Idiosyncratic picture-book creator and consummate wordsmith Agee has crafted a graphic novel pulling together work from several past titles (including Go Hang a Salami! I’m a Lasagna Hog!; Sit on a Potato Pan, Otis!, rev. 3/99; and Palindromania!, rev. 9/02) along with new material to create an altogether original example of sequential storytelling--with a text written entirely in palindromes. Drawn into a daydream by some hypnotic soup, young protagonist Otto suddenly finds himself on a beach. When his dog, Pip, runs off after a human-sized rodent holding a boogie board ("Was it a rat I saw?"), the search begins. Non sequiturs abound, with one surreal scene transitioning to the next, such as when Otto leaves a costumed, ­cat-stacking adult ("Put a cat up!") to meander through a graveyard of cheeky ­gravestones ("So, Ida, Adios!"). Smartly, many of the pages adhere to a fast-moving nine-panel structure, while single pages and double-page spreads serve as visual transitions between scenarios. A muted color palette and thick, sketchy black lines result in an assured cartoon style. The book is immersive and impressively cogent, with Otto returning from his soup-induced reverie to find himself back at home, yet readers will be left wondering whether things are actually as they appear. Acknowledgments credit the creators of palindromes not composed by Agee while also citing his friendly rivalry with fellow palindromists as a source of inspiration for the book. Simply put...WOW!

Reviewer: Patrick Gall | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2022

(2) 1-3 Illustrated by A. N. Kang. A routine tandem bike ride to the park with Dad ends in surprise when Starla Jean discovers a lost chicken scratching in the dirt. "'If you can catch it, you can keep it,' Dad said. He was laughing like he didn't think I could do it." In response to that challenge, Starla Jean gets the hen secured in her arms and named Opal Egg before the end of chapter two. This entertaining early chapter book is heavily illustrated with eye-catching, dynamic art that extends the story. The quaint town is full of beguiling details and neighbors, including the one whose chicken has gone missing. Interjections from Opal Egg are scattered throughout in bright red bawks! as she wiles her way into the hearts of Starla Jean's skeptical family members and accidentally teaches baby sister her first word. Starla Jean initially describes Opal Egg as skinny and ugly, but the illustrations show the hen also to be irresistible with her giant, expressive eyes. Large font and a snappy text with plenty of subtle repetition make this story approachable for new readers, while the content works equally well for those enjoying longer read-alouds. The book starts off identifying what Starla Jean knows, or thinks she knows, about chickens but concludes with accurate and interesting chicken facts, including that chickens enjoy sitting on a swing and can do very simple math. The ending indicates further adventures for Starla Jean.

Reviewer: Julie Roach | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2021

(1) 1-3 Illustrated by Onyinye Iwu. Tola is small, but she is mighty. In three episodic chapters, Tola uses her not-inconsequential perseverance to help her grandmother, other family members, and those in her wider Lagos community. As she does in her chapter books about Anna Hibiscus (Welcome Home, Anna Hibiscus!; You're Amazing, Anna Hibiscus!, both rev. 11/17; and others), Atinuke provides child-friendly particulars that create a vivid picture of the setting (and just as in the Anna Hibiscus titles, continually re-sets the scene: "Tola lives in a run-down block of apartments in the megacity of Lagos, in the country of Nigeria"). When the water is not working in their apartment building, Tola and her siblings must fill jerry cans at a nearby tap, lining up with their neighbors before school. When Abdul the tailor visits Tola's family to measure them for their matching Easter outfits ("Easter and Eid do not often happen at the same time, and celebrations are all anybody is talking about"), he rides his bicycle with his sewing machine strapped on the back. Atinuke's writing is rich with imagery and replicates the music and rhythm of Tola's daily life. The stories are copiously illustrated with line drawings of a round-faced, appealingly welcoming protagonist. The friendly format, universal emotional truths, helpful illustrations, and strong writing work together to immerse young readers in Tola's world.

Reviewer: Maeve Visser Knoth | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2021

(2) 1-3 Fabled Stables series. Illustrated by Olga Demidova. Auggie, the boy who cares for one-of-a-kind creatures at the Fabled Stables on an island at the top of the world (Willa the Wisp, rev. 9/20), returns for his second lively adventure with a new set of challenges. In the village of Rainbow's End, the newly arrived Tattle-Tail has escaped its box and multiplied. By the time Auggie and his partners, Fen the Stick-in-the Mud and Willa the Wisp, arrive, the Tattle-Tails have attached themselves to the behinds of every resident. These Tattle-Tails tattle on the town's ­residents with great enthusiasm, broadcasting all the wrongs they have witnessed. "She cut in line." "He didn't wash his hands." "She said a bad word." All this exposure of bad behavior adds a lot of humor to the story as well as making trouble for Rainbow's End. The tattling creates so much bickering and disruption that no one can address truly important issues--such as the town's stolen pot of gold. Bright cartoon art and speech-bubble dialogue help add character and detail to the story. The silly imaginary creatures combined with a gentle plot work well for early chapter book readers as well as for those eager to listen to longer stories read aloud. The solution to the Tattle-Tail dilemma, and the problems it caused, offers a number of points for engaging discussion.

Reviewer: Julie Roach | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 2021

(2) 1-3 Ivy + Bean series. Illustrated by Sophie Blackall. The twelfth (and final) book about Ivy and Bean finds these best friends still in second grade but hurtling toward their futures by way of career day at school. Bean wants to be an arborist because of the potential for tree-climbing, but the career fair doesn't offer that. Bypassing the banker, dentist, plumber, yoga instructor, and others, the two join a crowd at the back of the room where "Herman, Treasure Hunter" is holding court with his metal detector and a few of his discoveries. ("Ms. Aruba-Tate seemed surprised that all the kids in her class wanted to be treasure hunters when they grew up.") Blackall's spot art captures the fervor and diligence of the friends as they undertake their search for treasure, making each page more entertaining as well as more convincing. New readers will find funny situations and a fast-moving plot to enjoy; and although Ivy and Bean unfortunately end up with little to show for their efforts, they find there are other ways to score treasure. The girls' infectious spirit, combined with their unique skill sets, should prepare them well for any careers they decide upon.

Reviewer: Julie Roach | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2021

(2) 1-3 Illustrated by Nancy Meyers. In "The Problem of Thor Bridge," Sherlock Holmes states this maxim of detecting: "We must look for consistency." With her seventh series entry about amateur investigators King (a dog) and Kayla (his human), Butler continues to follow Holmes's advice in the development of both plot and structure. This time, the two intrepid companions search for a missing ring, making a hypothesis and then either confirming or rejecting it through careful study of the facts. King narrates their adventure in his now-established animated voice that enthusiastically repeats familiar phrases: "I LOVE [insert King's place of the moment or what he's doing or eating]. It's my favorite thing!" Along with such familiar refrains, this book contains short chapters, natural language, and numerous digitally colored illustrations that mirror the text, giving newly independent readers a boost when navigating all those pages. As Kayla and her friends search the spots where they think the ring may have been dropped, King operates under his own theory. Although they don't have to, readers can test their individual problem-solving skills and crack this mystery before its heroes do.

Reviewer: Betty Carter | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2021

(2) 1-3 A trio of best friends--a worm (named Blue), frog (Barry), and rabbit (Pancakes)--cheerfully careens through an action-packed adventure in this graphic novel for the primary set. At its core, the story is about listening to your friends and respecting that their needs may be different from your own. But that moral center is secondary to a frenzied chase after a beach ball, which catapults the three into contact with a jumbled cast including aliens, flying mustachioed pigs, and a duck celebrating a birthday inside a volcano. The illustrations feature simple shapes and saturated colors, with objects and characters almost constantly darting around the pages or shooting through the bright pink-and-orange sky. This book is in many ways a celebration of the comics form, and despite the goofy chaos of the story, the authors carefully incorporate new visual storytelling strategies one at a time, making this a strong introduction for readers who are still learning how comic tropes work. The book ends with illustrated character sketches of the three friends. A joyful, slapstick romp.

Reviewer: Laura Koenig | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2021

(2) 1-3 Illustrated by Akeem S. Roberts. J.D. is excited about starting third grade at Douglass Elementary School. At least he was excited before his mom gave him a disastrous haircut that makes him the laughingstock of the whole school. Unable to withstand any more teasing, he decides to literally take matters into his own hands and fix his hair. After using his little brother, Justin, for practice, J.D. realizes he is good at cutting hair and starts a barbershop out of his bedroom. Artistic by nature, and with skill and creativity, he attracts lots of customers, not to mention the owner of the only barbershop in town, Henry Hart Jr. When Hart follows through with a threat to shut J.D.'s business down, our protagonist has to use his wits to save everything he has worked so hard for. This early-to-middle-grade chapter book delivers lively black-and-white illustrations and laugh-out-loud moments. At its heart is J.D.'s loving, hard-working, multigenerational family and his close-knit, small-town ­Mississippi community. While there are subtle references to separation (J.D.'s parents) and money struggles (he sports hand-me-downs and gets his video-game and junk-food fixes at his best friend's house), these are not personal deficits. Rather, they fuel J.D.'s entrepreneurial spirit and his mathematical prowess. The African American cultural references and community values will resonate with readers of all ages, while the joyful, wholesome story will give them something to look forward to in subsequent entries.

Reviewer: Monique Harris | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 2021

(2) 1-3 Fox & Rabbit series. Illustrated by Gergely Dudás. Fox and Rabbit are back in their third series entry with five new stories, most of which center on throwing a ­birthday party for Sparrow that involves making "the biggest, roundest, yummiest pizza in the world." Animal friends from the previous books return to help and partake in the festivities, including Tortoise, who always arrives too late for any ­activity. This volume introduces a surprising new ­creature as well--Dragon--whom Fox and Rabbit nervously visit when they need help cooking that giant pizza. This large, purple fire-breather turns out to be harmless and lonely. Dragon has never even been to a birthday party, a situation immediately remedied. Each chapter is full of amusing situations and appealing characters taking care of one another and getting themselves into trouble despite their best intentions. Bright colors and soft, bubbly shapes make every creature, even the dragon, seem cuddly and soothing. The idyllic community offers a pleasant cartoon landscape to visit, where there is always a welcoming friend, something special to do, and something good to eat.

Reviewer: Julie Roach | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 2021

(2) 1-3 Translated by Alexandrea Mallia. Illustrated by Kazue Takahashi. In this appealingly illustrated chapter book, Mayu, a city-dwelling first grader, spends a holiday with her grandparents in the country and becomes enthralled by the adjacent woodland. When she discovers a private mailbox deep in the forest, she posts a letter, and soon she has become pen pals with the mysterious Konta. They share information about their families, and an alert reader might begin to suspect that Konta has a secret. On a glorious watercolor spread glowing with the gold of fall foliage, Konta is revealed as a fox child. Mayu is due to return home and wonders how she and Konta will be able to maintain their epistolary friendship; happily, a bird suggests a creative solution. Occasional culturally specific Japanese references, such as making a teru teru bozu doll to discourage rain, are perfect for early-chapter-book readers, whose horizons are expanding. A subtle subtext suggests that Mayu is ambivalent about her new baby sister and that time spent with indulgent grandparents, the freedom to explore nature, and making a new friend are just what is required to weather that potentially sticky family shift.

Reviewer: Sarah Ellis | Horn Book Magazine Issue: January, 2022

(1) 1-3 When Billy Miller fell on his head at the beginning of The Year of Billy Miller (rev. 9/13), he worried about forgetting things and whether he was smart enough for second grade. In this welcome sequel, school is over for the year and Billy is a "second-and-a-half grader" now worrying about his eighth birthday wish. Fearing a long, boring summer, he'd wished for excitement. But "excitement" comes in the form of an ambulance arriving at his neighbor's house, and when Mr. Tooley dies, Billy thinks maybe his wish was responsible. Then there's a bat in the basement, a chimney fire, and his younger sister, Sal, tattooing her legs with his special birthday markers. And why is his mother so tired all the time? Billy must also put up with Sal, who is almost four, and he doesn't always find her as amusing as readers will. In fact, he wonders "how long big brothers had to suffer because of their little sisters." Henkes is a master of characterization, deftly using dabs of telling details to build his characters (Sal, for instance, with her collection of whale-shaped erasers she calls the Drip Sisters, the "symphony cards" she makes for Mr. Tooley's family, the birthday present she wrapped all by herself that looks like "a big ball of crumpled tissue paper"). But when Mama and Papa share exciting news at the end of the story, Billy changes his mind about that wish he had regretted. "Now he wouldn't change it for anything."

Reviewer: Dean Schneider | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2021

(1) 1-3 Illustrated by Pete Oswald. Harry Bergen-Murphy is worried about a lot of things on the night before starting first grade--getting lost, mean kids, and "scary classroom guinea pigs," among others. Fortunately, he has a deft teacher in Ms. Peek-Schnitzel, who assigns him the task of sharpening pencils as the other children arrive--the activity and knowing that "he is the special person who gets to do the pencils" ease his worries. Jenkins structures the book using the first hundred days of school; by day four, Harry, now the confident one, can distract his friend Mason when he's upset. The entire book is solidly grounded in the slice-of-life details of first grade, with the wall of sight words and "sparkly words," the science unit on apples, and activities like making family circle charts (instead of family trees). Jenkins shows everything through Harry's perspective, as when he names the other children at his table: "Wyatt, a boy with a loud voice. Abigail from kindergarten, who looks down at her hands a lot. Kimani, a girl who prints very neatly. And Diamond, a girl with a big laugh." Harry is believably imperfect in a Ramona-like way, as he squabbles with other kids, gets mad at his teacher, and gradually begins to better understand people and their feelings. Though long for an early chapter book, the book's large print, plentiful white space, short sentences with simple words, and very engaging characters will make new readers want to tackle it. Oswald's lively color pictures sprinkled throughout the book also add to its ­accessibility and show a diverse group of kids. It's funny, authentic, and insightful, with an appended author's note providing details about some of the many children's book references Jenkins has worked in.

Reviewer: Susan Dove Lempke | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 2021

(1) 1-3 Kelly (Newbery medalist for Hello, Universe, rev. 3/17, and honoree for We Dream of Space, rev. 5/20) reaches out to a younger audience in an approachable chapter book about thoughtful worrier Marisol. Marisol has what everyone describes as the perfect climbing tree in her Louisiana backyard, but the list of things she fears is long, and the magnolia tree she's named Peppina (after a Mary Pickford character--she's a silent movie buff) is at the top of the list. She can't imagine giving a book report without quaking, or visiting her extended family in the Philippines--much less what it would feel like to be brave enough to climb the tree. The story covers several days during summer vacation when Marisol decides that she will, like her idol Pickford, face up to frightening things and climb Peppina. Kelly's writing has the unhurried pace of an unscheduled summer day (Marisol and her best friend Jada spy on Marisol's brother Oz, act out silent movies, and ride bikes around the neighborhood). The story's tension is built from the skillful accumulation of small moments and the strong character development. Frequent delightfully quirky line drawings by the author add humor and personality. Give this to readers of Dominguez's Stella Diaz Has Something to Say (rev. 5/18) and Henkes's Billy Miller books (rev. 9/13 and 3/21).

Reviewer: Maeve Visser Knoth | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2021