(1) 4-6 Mouse siblings Violet and Jobie live a cozy life in a human house where they are warm and comfortable, have plenty to eat, and sometimes watch Nature Magnificent on television. They like to play the "cheese game," where they use a pencil to spring a mousetrap and then enjoy its bait--until one careless day, they find themselves trapped inside. The humans, a benevolent mother and child, release the mice in a distant state park, and the young rodents find themselves in a new environment that they are ill-equipped to navigate. The first night they sleep in a creature's den, with near-tragic results: "Because suddenly, [Violet] realized that's what the creature was: a fox. Thanks, Nature Magnificent!" Mercifully, they meet a wise old mouse, Zolian, who helps them learn to stay safe and also how to appreciate the world around them. Thoughtful Violet grows close to the elderly Zolian, while extroverted Jobie cultivates a large group of friends. When Jobie leaves to start a family of his own, Violet must figure out what comes next for her. The fast-paced plot keeps this gentle survival story moving. As in Perkins's Newbery winner Criss Cross (rev. 9/05), spot-art vignettes appear frequently, full of insights about life and the natural world along with imaginative and funny details about how the mice might get along in it. Violet and Jobie ultimately discover their own ways, leaving their adventurous stories behind to inspire future generations of wide-eyed rodents (and humans).

Reviewer: Julie Roach | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2022

(1) K-3 In this big, noisy world, a museum, even if it's only in one's imagination, is a place of quiet contemplation. With this absorbing and original picture book, Perkins offers a special sanctuary for curious and creative dreamers, a space to think about, explore, and possibly curate a few collections of their own. No exhibit or artifact is too small or ephemeral to be included. The unnamed child narrator considers establishing a Museum of Hiding Places; a museum made up exclusively of shadows; and, of course, a Sky Museum, which is open all the time, with exhibits that change daily. The child envisions a Museum of Bushes, complete with an interactive exhibit--a roomful of "bushskirts" for visitors to try on and twirl in. Other intriguing installations include a model of "an island in a pond on an island in a pond on an island in a pond on an island in a pond" and a Museum of Little Things (a.k.a. a windowsill), with found treasures to look at one at a time, or all together. The book features Perkins's vibrantly colored (and beautifully displayed) 3-D art, shadow boxes, dioramas, and miniature displays, complete with curtained backdrops and prosceniums. Many of the pages include photographic elements and realistic detail, with dashes of whimsy and creative flair to match the child's inventive musings. A perfect lead-in to a museum visit or a STEAM-based contemplation titled the "Museum of Things I Wonder About."

Reviewer: Luann Toth | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 2021

(2) K-3 His dried fruits missing, forest creature Thomas despairs about making a wintercake for Winter's Eve. Bird Lucy overhears a "vile beast" say he found the fruit--then witnesses the stranger returning them. After baking a wintercake for the (now) "noble chap," Thomas and Lucy undertake a dark, perilous journey and find him, alone and sad. Descriptive language and dry humor shine in this warm-hearted winter story. Perkins's earth-toned illustrations are rich in detail, patterns, and textures.

Reviewer: Julie Danielson | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2019

(2) 4-6 In every episode of this tale of Alix and her family's beach vacation, Perkins zooms in. Not only do we taste the salty crunch of deep-fried periwinkles and hear the specific sound of a flat tire but we get to know the characters in an intimate way. Perkins's black-and-white illustrations--beautifully composed, slightly mysterious, gently funny--add to the intensity and authenticity.

Reviewer: Sarah Ellis | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2018

(1) K-3 Frank is having a terrible, horrible, etc. day, but then he gets pooch Lucky, who becomes Frank's faithful companion in learning about the world. How Perkins manages to include so many actual, useful facts in the story is an education in itself, especially in the way text and pictures so thoroughly trust the obligation of one to complete the other. Who needs the Core Standards?

Reviewer: Roger Sutton | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2016

(1) 4-6 Jed the squirrel escapes a hawk (using an "ancient squirrel defensive martial art") and so begins his journey home. Meanwhile, his best friends Chai and TsTs set off to find him. The three make it safely home only to face their biggest challenge: convincing their conservative community to relocate before humans destroy their homes. Part satire, part environmental fable, and all playful, energetic hilarity.

Reviewer: Sarah Ellis | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2014

(1) 4-6 On his way to summer camp, fifteen-year-old Ry discovers that the camp has gone out of business; when he hops off the train to call his grandfather, it leaves without him, stranding him in the middle of nowhere. A lot happens in the novel--parents, grandfathers, and dogs go MIA--and wherever Perkins's warm, funny, wise narrative goes is where a reader wants to be.

Reviewer: Christine M. Heppermann | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2010

(1) K-3 Debbie and Tina have lots in common, and a lot uncommon; "mostly it evened out." Debbie is learning to play the piano, so she makes Tina a cardboard keyboard. Tina isn't compelled by the gift, dumbfounding Debbie. Perkins's text is straightforward yet emotionally complex; conversational asides in word balloons develop characterization. Intricate pen-and-ink and watercolor illustrations include spot art and double-page spreads.

Reviewer: Nina Lindsay | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2008

(1) K-3 With insight, warm humor, and close observation, Perkins tells the story of a family's summer vacation. Perkins is exhilaratingly free in her approach to the picture book form; here she incorporates the girl's snapshots and notebook entries into text and art (lush but down-to-earth watercolors) and plays with type placement where appropriate. Throughout there is an attention to the details of childhood.

Reviewer: Martha V. Parravano | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2007

(1) K-3 "Everyone whisper," Perkins begins, setting the mood with a page patterned in quiet blues and dotted with a soft, repeated syllable--"peth peth peth"--like the flakes of snow that blanket the world. Onomatopoeic language, offbeat details, and skillfully nuanced tones of earth and sky all convey the charms of quiet observation--of looking and listening, and of whispering, like softly falling snow.

Reviewer: Joanna Rudge Long | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2003

(1) K-3 As Andy and his mother, grandmother, and aunt sit at the vet's with their injured cat, Andy asks his mom to tell him about when she broke her arm as a girl. Perkins gets the telling of an oft-told family story just right. Thought balloons reveal each person's memories; illustrations correct each other, just as the characters do. The result is a highly engaging interaction of text and art. This is a paean to the ability of stories to comfort and connect.

Reviewer: Martha V. Parravano | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2002

(1) 4-6 Sketched simply, this exceptional first novel is a story about the year two best friends became quietly less so; painted fully, it's a portrait of a girl's (and an author's) intent observation of the ordinary, and the power of language to make it art. Debbie's adjustment (a far too clinical word for the resolutely down-to-earth story) is painful but unmelodramatic, and her wry little pen drawings reveal a sense of humor and proportion that will serve her well.

Reviewer: Roger Sutton | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 1999