(2) PS A child and father spend the day together on a tugboat, guiding a log boom to a Vancouver sawmill. After the boom ("a collection of floating logs") is assembled, the father and child set out, pulling the massive boom behind them. They steer wide around a tanker; encounter a swell that lifts the boom, causing the loss of a log; spot a deadhead (a partly submerged log); and hurry to reach the river before the tide turns, pulling "anything that isn't anchored or tied up...out to sea." The first-person narration is simple and specific, introducing young readers and listeners to terms of the trade (a helpful glossary is appended). The eye-catching large-format ink and pencil illustrations, colored in Photoshop, use a blue, green, and brown palette. It's an outing full of fun, but the child is truly helpful, too, and is duly appreciated by Dad: "Thanks, buddy!" The story ends with the narrator declaring, "Maybe I'll drive the tug one day." Front endpapers feature a large map of the rivers and inlets around Vancouver; back endpapers provide a diagram of the different elements of the boom. An appended "Dear Reader" letter from the author provides additional information and raises questions about climate change and sustainability.

Reviewer: Dean Schneider | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2022

(3) K-3 Exploring Our Community series. Five friends learn about mindfulness to help them cope with strong feelings--especially Pedro, who's anxious about moving. Over the course of a day together and a sleepover that night, the kids focus on nature in the park, use their sense of smell at a community garden, contend with negative thoughts during a rainstorm, mindfully eat dinner, perform a "body scan," and visualize positive outcomes. The text's light tone is carried over in Bob Graham-esque illustrations. The book concludes with a few "Mindful Games" and a brief glossary.

Reviewer: Kitty Flynn

(3) K-3 Exploring Our Community series. The five friends from Ritchie's informational series prepare for an upcoming swim meet. Coach Penny makes sure they stretch, get good sleep, support one another, eat nutritiously, and have fun. The informal narrative is accompanied by bold-faced health-science facts or suggestions on every spread. Sunny digital illustrations include bird's-eye, close-up, and panoramic views of the diverse group of healthy kids. Includes ideas for active play. Glos.

Reviewer: Gail Hedges

(3) K-3 In this informational picture book, five friends decide to make apple crisp to serve at their community's harvest potluck. Over the course of the story, the kids learn about nutritional groups, foods from each that a farm provides, and how foods get to warehouses and grocery stores. Bright digital illustrations show a diverse collection of kid chefs enjoying a sunny day and a shared meal. A recipe is appended. Glos.

Reviewer: Gail Hedges

(3) K-3 Here's a switch: a girl dislikes her parents' slobbish ways at home. She hatches a plan, arranging for some park animals to clean the house while she and her family are at the park. Her new problem: the animals don't work out as long-term house cleaners. It's an unpredictable yarn featuring spirited ink and digital art with a washy watercolor look.

Reviewer: Nell Beram

(3) K-3 This clearly written, instructive, and entertaining book explains the noises children may hear--and fear--in their homes, including the trickle of the refrigerator defroster and the creaking of wooden floors. Ritchie's whimsical green-and-yellow-tinged illustrations contrast the real and imagined explanations for each noise and depict oversize household items coming to life. Hand this to young scientists and young insomniacs alike.

Reviewer: Jack Forman

(3) K-3 During a fundraising fair for the library, five friends and a dog visit various important community places, including the library, park, police station, and a retirement home. Information is packed into the age-appropriate text. The cartoonlike pictures are full of action; kids can look for the diverse group of friends in each double-page spread. Instructions for making a community puzzle are included. Glos.

Reviewer: Melinda Greenblatt

(4) K-3 Before the First Salmon Ceremony, P'ésk'a sees that a ceremonial tray has been left behind and must bring it to the chief. As P'ésk'a walks through the village, the text introduces his people, the Sts'ailes. Compensating for the meager plot are breezy Photoshop-colored line illustrations depicting Canadian land and life on the imagined day a thousand years ago. Further information is appended. Glos.

Reviewer: Bridget McCaffrey

(3) K-3 Five young friends discover some elementary principles of architecture. They romp through their town noticing foundations, structural beams, arches, columns, and domes. Simple definitions and cartoon illustrations make the concepts accessible, showing that they're embedded in the children's everyday life. A (slightly babyish) project involving craft sticks, marshmallows, and construction paper is appended. Ind.

Reviewer: Paula M. Cairo

(4) K-3 Each double-page spread introduces a different skill or map type that Sally and her friends can use to find Max and Ollie, her missing pets. Boldface instructions explain each map. Readers will enjoy looking for the kids and pets in the cartoon illustrations, but may struggle to learn how to read a map from this book. Ind.

Reviewer: Miriam Steinberg-Egeth