(3) 1-3 Illustrated by Rea Zhai. Aspiring robotic engineer Parker navigates social interactions in her quest to win her elementary school's Science Triathlon. The focus on friendship and teamwork, alongside believable scientific endeavors, gives this cheerful addition to the tinkering-girl sub-genre greater emotional depth. Cartoon-style digital illustrations match the light tone.

Reviewer: Dorrie Karlin

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Olivia Holden. "Once there was a girl who had a little seed of an idea." Against a spare text, gentle, naive-style pastel illustrations show people slowly gathering in the child's gray neighborhood. A lot is cleared. Seeds are planted. Neighbors work together, talk, and share snacks. Ultimately, the dull buildings fade behind the colors of a community garden party in this satisfying tale of hope and cooperation.

Reviewer: Gail Hedges

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Greg Paprocki. George visits twelve different dwellings, including a lighthouse and a castle. In each, rhyming text invites readers to find a list of objects. It's cutely illustrated, and the familiar game of seek-and-find will appeal to a wide range of children; the thick pages and simple picture puzzles are appropriate for the very young. This unremarkable package isn't likely to receive repeated readings.

Reviewer: Maeve Visser Knoth

(3) PS Illustrated by Hannah Whitty. Mama Mouse and her child venture out to gather items from their neighbors--the bees, cows, miller--until they have all the fixings to prepare a huckleberry pie. All the while, the little mouse learns a gentle lesson in patience. Soft pastel-colored animals and landscapes surround mother and young one as they make the pie from scratch and eat it up together.

Reviewer: Sophie Williamson

(3) PS Illustrated by Veronica Vasylenko. A hungry panda searching for "snacks to chomp," i.e., delicious bamboo shoots, unwittingly leads a bouncy game of follow-the-leader through hills, fields, flowers, and forests. Breezy illustrations saturated with greens and yellows--and pandas--accompany an energetic text with varied rhyme schemes and meters that will keep young listeners and readers on their toes.

Reviewer: Bethany Templeton Klem