(4) K-3 Illustrated by Ellen Shi. When Mama's wish for "world peace" is interrupted by a sneeze, she gets "world pizza" instead. Shi's engaging illustrations depict people the world over enjoying pizzas falling from the sky. Pirates drop their swords to eat pizza, angry neighbors open their doors to eat pizza, etc., until everyone goes to sleep happy. The one-note joke wears thin, though the message is a hopeful one.

Reviewer: Lisa Catherine Findlay

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Jago. Old Turtle has died, and the other sea creatures enumerate the things they will remember him for: the humpback whale will remember Turtle's friendship, the dolphins will remember his curiosity, the sea otters will remember how he made them laugh. Jago's beautiful digital illustrations of marine life swimming against richly colored ocean backgrounds are more remarkable than the sentimental text.

Reviewer: Maeve Visser Knoth

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Aurélie Neyret. A note reading "Bedtime is canceled"--penned in jest by two siblings--blows onto the desk of a reporter and ultimately becomes a newspaper headline. Meng sees her promising concept through, showing not just the comedic anarchy resulting from exhausted adults but also the downside of a bedtime-free world for kids. The cartoonish digitally rendered art employs an unattractive palette.

Reviewer: Nell Beram

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Joy Ang. A boy says he'll read after performing routine bedtime tasks. But then: "WAIT." He changes his mind because "reading is hard and I don't read fast and..." His anxiety takes over, and he lists the many tortures he'd endure before reading. The saccharine resolution to the goofy cumulative story feels slightly superficial; Ang's cartoony digital illustrations humorously reflect each spread's addition.

Reviewer: Katrina Hedeen

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Melissa Suber. Chick sisters Penny, Polly, and Molly's idea of fun (worm wrestling, rooster roping) is mistaken for trouble-making by the farm animals and Farmer Fred--until their boldness and ingenuity save the day. Meng's be-who-you-are message, evident but unobtrusive, is affirmed in Suber's humorous acrylics, in which the protagonists' delicate appearances belie their power.

Reviewer: Nell Beram

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Janet Pedersen. A bad case of loud hiccups in the library starts the ball rolling in this circular adventure involving a hippo, a little sister, a sprinkler, a dog, an ice-cream cart, a humongous burp, and a courageous librarian. The pen, watercolor, and crayon illustrations add appropriate motion to the frenetically paced text. A humorous list of library rules is appended.

Reviewer: Rebecca Reed Whidden