(2) K-3 Illustrated by Raissa Figueroa. A Black child looks out the window as a white child moves in next door. Sanders's lyrical text celebrates the in-between of opposing ideas: "Between yesterday and tomorrow...Today." "Between strangers and friends...'Hello.'" "Between an idea and ta-da...Tinkering and trying." And so on, until the conclusion: "Between you and me? Not one thing. And everything." Between the tidy, hopeful daylit bedroom on the front endpapers and the messy, joy-filled moonlit bedroom on the back endpapers, a friendship evolves through shared moments, big and small, "ordinary and magical." Figueroa's fanciful digital art expands on Sanders's imaginative text. The newcomer sports a froggy hat throughout. The welcoming child expectantly carries a toy sailboat to their first encounter. Much of the duo's creative play involves repurposed moving boxes, and paper cups serve as communication devices on one page and glowing lanterns on the next. Highly saturated colors dominate, but Figueroa also dramatically manipulates color to emphasize the power of liminal spaces. On a page that reads, "Between a sunny day and 'Run! Run! Run!'...Thunder. Lightning. Rain," for example, the friends fly in cardboard-box airplanes through a safe, pale-pink break in dark, swirling, orange-red storm clouds. Between Sanders's words and Figueroa's images -- a reminder that there are wonders to observe in the gaps between one moment and the next.

Reviewer: | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2025

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Byron McCray. This necessary backstory of the 1963 March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom illuminates the significant role played by activist Bayard Rustin in that immensely successful event. Born in 1912, Rustin was raised by his grandmother on Quaker values of nonviolence and awareness of injustices suffered by fellow African Americans. In later years, he "put his feelings about equality and pacifism into action." Undeterred in his resolve, he was beaten, arrested, and jailed for refusing to give up his seat on a bus or to fight in World War II. Upon his return from India, where he traveled to learn about nonviolent protest from Gandhi's followers, he introduced the philosophy to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. It became the strategy that anchored the civil rights movement. Although rebuked and sidelined because he was gay, Rustin remained committed to his personal cause of equality for all. Weatherford and Sanders's engaging and fluid narrative is accentuated with titles of protest songs, alluding to Rustin's love of music and its importance in the civil rights movement. Acrylics in bold, vibrant colors with collage elements convey the quiet, unassuming demeanor of Rustin as well as the triumphant spirit of the March on Washington. Back matter includes a timeline, information on music and peaceful protests, a copy of the official program, and references.

Reviewer: Pauletta Brown Bracy | Horn Book Magazine Issue: January, 2023

(2) PS Illustrated by Helen Yoon. With swoops and swirls, a helium-filled blue Balloon shows off for an envious earthbound red Ball. The despondent Ball mopes--until a young "someone" begins to roll, bounce, and throw Ball across the playground. Disregarded Balloon feels "a bit deflated," so Ball generously leaves the playground fun to commiserate. Wordplay abounds in this otherwise minimal story (both text and art) of envy and competition, empathy and acceptance.

Reviewer: Patrick Gall | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2019

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Jamey Christoph. When police raided Greenwich Village's Stonewall Inn in June 1969, its LGBTQ+ patrons decided to stand up, heralding that "a new day was dawning for the gay rights movement." The text is engagingly narrated by the nineteenth-century-constructed building itself while handsome digital illustrations show the historic changes in architecture and occupants. Appended with a photo gallery, historical note, and participant interview. Reading list, websites. Glos.

Reviewer: Melinda Greenblatt

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Jared Andrew Schorr. "March. Mediate. Meditate. Motivate." Loosely adhering to alphabet-book conventions, Sanders provides suggestions of actions for children to take to fight injustice (with adult guidance and buy-in likely required: "Boycott! Boycott! Boycott!"). The cheery, approachable cut-paper illustrations exemplify diversity. A "Peaceful Protests" page is appended, with more information about the civil rights movement, civil disobedience, etc. Glos.

Reviewer: Melinda Greenblatt

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Steven Salerno. Bold colors and a rainbow motif decorate this picture book introduction to Harvey Milk, his cause, and the symbol he helped create (with designer Gilbert Baker) for gay equality. The book's first half focuses on Milk's biography; the second tells of gay rights achieved after his assassination and the evolution of the pride flag. Back matter includes notes and photos of pride demonstrators. Reading list, timeline, websites.

Reviewer:

(3) PS Illustrated by Dan Santat. A pudgy, giant, T-shirt-clad monster wreaks havoc--stomping on city buildings, shooting stink-rays and slime missiles, etc. When "Rodzilla" injures himself and needs his parents' comfort, the creature turns out to be human toddler Rodney using his imagination during playtime. The humorous text's style and pacing resembles comic-book narration, while watercolor, pencil, and digital illustrations enhance the goofy chaos with cartoonish energy.

Reviewer: Russell Perry

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Debbie Ridpath Ohi. Busy ballet dancer Ruby Rose is back (Ruby Rose on Her Toes), and this time she and (teddy-bear) dance partner Bearishnikov are putting on a recital in the house. Will the rain keep their audience away? The alliterative language incorporates lots of ballet lingo and speeds the story along at Ruby Rose's active pace; Ohi's digital illustrations capture the girl's dancerly spirit.

Reviewer: Mariko Turk

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Debbie Ridpath Ohi. Dance enthusiast Ruby Rose can't help herself: she has to dance. When she starts school, she's shocked to learn that "there's no time to dance." She's so shocked she knocks over the classroom ant farm, which gets everyone twisting and stomping. The story, laced with lots of dance lingo, tries too hard, but the friendly digital illustrations are as lively as Ruby Rose.

Reviewer: Rebecca Reed Whidden

(3) PS Illustrated by Brian Won. Aliens from the seven other planets (plus "poor Pluto") are racing to bed in their own absurd alien ways, and sleepy little Earthlings should do the same, suggests the bouncy verse. The art is pitch-perfect, with round-bodied, googly-eyed aliens contrasting amusingly with beautifully illuminated, multicolored night skies. The text suggests soothing, silly dreams; and parents won't mind the tidbits of astronomy on the side.

Reviewer: Claire E. Gross

(3) K-3 Illustrated by John Manders. Three lonesome cowboys, stuck on the range with only cows and Cookie, their cook, are overjoyed to find Santy Claus serving their Christmas dinner on Cookie's day off. Kids will notice both the Santa hat in Cookie's back pocket when he returns and Cookie's clear surprise at finding a gift--from Santa. The amusing tale is illustrated with humorous cartoon art.

Reviewer: Luther B. Clegg