(2) K-3 Illustrated by Nahid Kazemi. On a visit to her grandfather's house the day after his death, a young girl recalls their many connections, despite a language barrier. Baba Bozorg spoke Farsi (he had been a poet in Iran); the narrator speaks only English. The girl walks through her grandfather's house, describing him and the time they spent together. She searches the pockets of clothes hanging in his closet because he was a reliable source of mints, but finds nothing. She notices his empty teacup sitting next to his samovar and recalls that he liked fig cookies and always offered one to her. Even though she didn't like them, "I always took one because we didn't share many words." Each object, each room, reminds her of their shared routines. Kazemi's illustrations have a soft, filmy quality that suits a story about memories. Distances between objects are sometimes elongated, sometimes shortened--a staircase to Baba Bozorg's bedroom looks lonely as the child heads up to face an empty room, but is a warmer, more friendly place when she descends wearing his slippers. The first-person narration, filled with childlike details and tender emotions, reinforces the equally childlike perspective of the delicate art.

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

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Frank Viva. The young boy narrator describes his first two weekends visiting his dad in Dad's new apartment. In spare, specific language, he tells of packing his bag; riding on the bus, where he tells Dad all about his week; and the scary feeling of sleeping in a strange new room. It's both home and not home: "This home is home because my dad is here. And it's nothing like home because my mom isn't here." The love between the boy and his parents is palpable throughout, and strongly reinforced when the father gives the boy a letter, worried that during the week his son "might forget that you are always in my heart." The mundane details of playing their usual card games and eating the same things they always eat ground the book in ordinary life and make the situation something to which even children who don't live in two homes can relate. Viva's retro illustrations feature thin, shaky black-ink outlines that convey uncertainty, filled in digitally with colors that initially are muted but gradually become bolder, with a shade of orange-red matching the hair of both father and son. Truthful and touching, this picture book sends the reassuring message that children can be deeply loved even when parents separate.

Reviewer: Susan Dove Lempke | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 2020

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Josh Holinaty. Ira (human) and Malcolm (anthropomorphic dog) are good friends. But when Malcolm gets all the credit for inventing the game of tag, Ira's feelings are hurt. Eventually, the friends figure out together that sadness is more tolerable with company. An emotionally genuine picture book made eye-catching and entertaining with bold colors, plenty of silliness, and cartoon elements such as speech bubbles.

Reviewer: Shoshana Flax

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Josh Holinaty. Before he starts at a new school, Ira attempts to make friends; instead he makes a fool of himself via relatable awkwardness and also in sillier ways, such as talking to a sandwich. But never underestimate the power of bonding over embarrassment. Speech bubbles, a wacky human-and-animal cast, and other cartoonish elements underscore the genuinely funny situations.

Reviewer: Shoshana Flax