(3) K-3 Illustrated by Teresa Martínez. Directly addressing a young person, a narrator recommends starting with “something simple,” such as a toy robot, when educating a grownup about robotics. Two characters with dark skin -- a child and an adult who uses a wheelchair -- play out the lesson: the child defines robots; lists some of the tasks they can do; and explains how these machines solve problems, while the adult mostly looks humorously clueless. Martínez’s digital illustrations help clarify robot-related concepts. A glossary and a list of robots’ “SUPERHUMAN” abilities are appended.

Reviewer:

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Holly Hatam. Tinkerer Maxine learns persistence as she ensures that her beloved goldfish, Milton, can participate in the class pet parade. This well-defined challenge propels the plot. Digital-collage illustrations contain delightful details--including Maxine's clever inventions and an ever-present little brother--and although it's supposedly "hard to tell" how Milton is feeling, he clearly adores Maxine.

Reviewer: Dorrie Karlin

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Thor Wickstrom. Like Uncle Edgar (Degas) and Cousin Paul (Cezanne), Lester has an artistic talent: blowing bubbles. His bubble-gum renditions of The Thinker and the Mona Lisa are eye-popping. But just as he's poised to blow a bubble masterpiece, his tooth falls out. Humor, alliteration, and references (in the text and illustrations) to famous artwork and artists abound in this appealing tale.

Reviewer: Patricia Riley