(2) K-3 Illustrated by Shanda McCloskey. "Nubby was done." Fed up with a life of being "carried, buried, dropped, dragged, torn, worn," and so on, a dingy blue stuffed bunny is ready for a new beginning. While the text stays focused on this character's point of view, the engaging illustrations clearly show what's really happening as Nubby ventures "out into the great wide world." The family dog makes off with him and runs down the sidewalk to the neighbors' yard. There he encounters some actual rabbits ("Friends! Surely he'd be appreciated here!"), but they don't pay him any attention ("His boy would never treat him like that"). Next, a little girl wearing a magician's cape and a top hat spots Nubby on the ground; from his perspective, he's "landed the starring role" in her magic show. But each new adventure is ultimately disappointing (the show's a flop), and Nubby begins to long for his old life. Both text and pictures are energetic and funny, with McCloskey's digital, watercolor, and pencil illustrations showing the neighborhood from varied perspectives, including views of Nubby's family searching the yard for him. A very happy ending has the bunny nestled together with his boy (and pup), each one with a new appreciation for the other.

Reviewer: Susan Dove Lempke | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2023

(2) YA Ever since she was a toddler, Johanna has been raised by her maternal grandparents. They are caring and upstanding people, but they never talk about or share memories of their late daughter. Out of the blue, Johanna (a thriving teen, oblivious to her past) gets a letter from her estranged father, who wants to see her. Jo is thrilled to reconnect with her dad after thirteen years, even over her grandparents' objections, and to have access to information about her mother. What Jo didn't count on was the unspeakable truth about her mother's death: two-year-old Johanna pulling the trigger of her father's carelessly stored gun. What follows is a poignant account of a traumatized teen reexamining her identity and coming to grips with guilt, loss, and the betrayals and lies of the adults around her. Predictably, the lurid details of her early childhood come to light, and she is cruelly mocked and bullied at school, yet she is able to save her shattered sense of self and salvage her damaged relationships, at least the ones that matter. Debut author Richards captures the ongoing struggle and painful reality of such tragic events with raw honesty and compassion and affirms the healing power of love. Fans of realistic fiction and "ripped from the headlines" stories will find this a compelling read.

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

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Claire Almon. A girl shows off her princess-y bedroom to her unimpressed playdate guest. When the visitor sees her host's Princess Penelope doll, however, she smiles: she's brought her secret-agent Penelope doll. In a surprising twist, the two dolls (resembling their owners) come to life; the girls disappear from the illustrations. Adventures ensue, courage and cooperation save the day. Showing you can be frilly and fierce, this dialogue-only story is clever and amusing.

Reviewer: Tanya D. Auger | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2019

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Eric Barclay. A faraway kingdom's royal couple wishes for a child but instead receives a chaos-causing baby goat. When the mistake's discovered, the king and queen welcome their human baby and the goat's parents: "Not exactly the family we wished for," says the king. "No," replies the queen. "Better." There's much humor in the interaction between the text and the appealing cartoony art; the expanded definition of family is a bonus.

Reviewer: Martha V. Parravano | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 2019

(3) PS "What's the difference if your neighbor has blue eyes and yours are brown? All that matters is when your eyes see ice cream, you eat it together." Filled with likewise laid-back ruminations and color photos of children of diverse backgrounds enjoying the same activity, this book presents a light-handed positive message focusing on the strength of social bonding to counteract superficial differences.

Reviewer: Bridget McCaffrey

(4) K-3 This entry-level comic book shows a robot emerging from a crashed rocket ship and navigating the strange surroundings while looking for its friend. The text is sparse, consisting mostly of "blip" and other sound-effect words. The robot encounters strange creatures and adventures aplenty, but parts of the story don't quite add up. Nevertheless, the clean, detailed graphics will keep emerging readers interested.

Reviewer: Miriam Steinberg-Egeth

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Jeff Newman. At the zoo with his mother, Evan asks how many balloons it would take to make animals fly. Mom, thinking he's referring to his figurines, is unaware that Evan is handing out balloons to the real animals, who go soaring. Paired with an all-dialogue text, the visual narrative plays out in far-away perspectives as well as close-ups of distracted mother and curious, smiling son.

Reviewer: Elisa Gall | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2016

(4) K-3 Showcasing fathers as primary caregivers, this picture book offers lots of cute photos of dads interacting with their children in ways that would have once been seen as nontraditional: cooking, making ponytails, potty-training. However, since the text mostly focuses on a dad narrator wondering what the child thinks of him, the end result feels like a wordy, sentimental Father's Day card.

Reviewer: David Elzey

(3) 4-6 Filled with copious captioned reproductions and photographs, this is a fascinating, perusable survey of twenty important painters and sculptors, from Michelangelo to Warhol. Four-page sections covering the artist's background, big ideas, challenges, art movement, techniques, and influences emphasize his or her overall contributions to the art world. Occasional "How to..." sidebars encourage practicing techniques. Notable contemporary artists are annotated at the end. Glos., ind.

Reviewer: Cynthia K. Ritter

(4) 4-6 Robots Rule series. Illustrated by Goro Fujita. After saving Terabyte Heights from the evil Dr. Micron, George Gearing is rewarded with a robotics apprenticeship. But as TinkerTech prepares to release its latest gadget, a series of accidents leads George to suspect that Micron has returned with another scheme. Cartoonish villain aside, the quirky character dynamics are enhanced by a surprise twist about George's long-lost parents. Black-and-white spot art illustrates the story.

Reviewer: Russell Perry

(4) 4-6 Robots Rule series. Illustrated by Goro Fujita. George Gearing discovers that his presumed-dead parents are still alive as computer data. He reluctantly agrees to break villainous Dr. Micron out of prison in exchange for his help fixing the device that can restore them to human form, but Micron has his own plans. Despite a rushed conclusion, this series-finale provides plenty of high-tech gadgetry, action, and humor for returning fans.

Reviewer: Russell Perry

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Robert Neubecker. A handful of adorably hapless monsters try to befriend humans, growing increasingly discouraged as each ploy reaps only fear. The simple, sympathetic text is enhanced by joke-filled illustrations that show the monsters attempting crafts, snacks, and playtime with hilariously unsuccessful results (the eyeball ice-cream cone is a particularly nice touch). The happy ending, though unsurprising, feels earned.

Reviewer: Kari Allen

(4) 4-6 Infographic Top 10s series. Cool facts about animals are strewn throughout this book, which uses an infographic layout on each double-page spread. The colorful, busy illustrations, diagrams, top-ten lists, and graphics are dizzying, but readers who become engaged will be rewarded with plenty of wacky, jaw-dropping, and cringe-worthy tidbits about animals. Websites. Glos., ind.

Reviewer: Lauren Causey

(4) 4-6 Infographic Top 10s series. Cool facts about towers, bridges, and other structures worldwide are strewn throughout the book, which uses an infographic layout on each double-page spread. The colorful, busy illustrations, diagrams, top-ten lists, and graphics are dizzying, but readers who become engaged will be rewarded with plenty of impressive and up-to-date tidbits about structures. Websites. Glos., ind.

Reviewer: Lauren Causey

(4) 4-6 Infographic Top 10s series. Cool facts about Earth and the solar system are strewn throughout this book, which uses an infographic layout on each double-page spread. The colorful, busy illustrations, diagrams, top-ten lists, and graphics are dizzying, but readers who become engaged despite that will be rewarded with plenty of fascinating tidbits about our universe. Websites. Glos., ind.

Reviewer: Lauren Causey

(4) 4-6 Infographic Top 10s series. Cool facts about people--the body as well as extreme human feats, from wealth to weight-lifting records--are randomly strewn throughout this series installment, which uses an infographic layout on each double-page spread. The colorful, busy illustrations, diagrams, top-ten lists, and graphics are dizzying, but readers who become engaged will be rewarded with plenty of trivia. Websites. Glos., ind.

Reviewer: Lauren Causey

(4) 4-6 Robots Rule series. Illustrated by Goro Fujita. In Terabyte Heights most robots just work for humans, but George Gearing's Jackbot is his best friend. After Jackbot is hit by a car, George rebuilds his companion with cutting-edge parts that grant him artificial intelligence--a discovery hijacked by megalomaniac Dr. Micron. Despite a transparent villain, the offbeat humor, endearing characters, and frequent spot art make for a lighthearted series-starter.

Reviewer: Russell Perry

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Robert Neubecker. A boy who isn't afraid of monsters is stuck with them as troublesome friends. They make it hard to get out of bed, to finish schoolwork, and to clean up after snack (all familiar kid behaviors). Finally, he introduces them to his younger brother; now they're his problem. Bright watercolor and pen cartoons depict the boisterous characters in this rather thin story.

Reviewer: Rebecca Reed Whidden

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Theodora Richards. With Barnaby Harris and Bill Shapiro. In a rock-and-rock picture-book memoir, the Rolling Stones' lead raconteur recollects his childhood introduction to the guitar, courtesy of his doting and eccentric grandfather, Gus. Richards has an ear for the music in a sentence, and his daughter shows blooming talent with her pen-and-ink sketches splashed with color. Richards reads his tale on the accompanying CD.

Reviewer: Nell Beram

(4) YA Following a war that left the population of vampire-like Darklings oppressed and ghettoized, human Natalie and half-Darkling Ash fall in love and uncover a genocidal conspiracy hatched by the purity-obsessed human government. Ash and Natalie's relationship drama seems petty next to the gritty horror of their world, but that world is vividly painted and imbued with provocative (if heavy-handed) social commentary.

Reviewer: Claire E. Gross