(2) K-3 Illustrated by Laura Park. Three endearing felines, named Big, Little­, and Middle, enjoy a happy life until a scraggly stray cat enters their backyard yowling and hissing. The mother of the cats’ young owner warns the child, who narrates the book, that this furry stranger might have fleas or even rabies, and the other cats regard the intruder with wide eyes and arched backs. However, when the persistent visitor starts exhibiting signs of friendliness (including bringing a dead mouse as a present), the narrator can’t resist giving the kitty some food and a bath. A bond develops, and even the other cats, once ­apprehensive, start accepting this raggedy new arrival. Sumovich fills her clever narrative, spanning four seasons, with such lines as “she appears like a magic trick, mowling like a banshee” that make this entertaining to read aloud. Park gives each cat a distinct personality and look and excels at rendering comical facial expressions and limber body language. The illustrations also deftly mix in some pathos, especially in an evocative wintry spread that shows the child inside a warm house looking out the window at the freezing feral cat. After some climactic drama, the story reaches a satisfying conclusion. Even the endpapers, packed with the child’s cat-centered drawings, are delightful.

Reviewer: | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2025

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Gracey Zhang. A close-knit family living in a small blue house treasures the sprawling mulberry tree that grows in their yard. They drape it with "sparkling baubles and beads" to keep the birds away from the delicious fruits, which they harvest to make jam. Repeatedly, Sumovich sets up the conditional: "If you ever have a mulberry tree," marking off the joys of living near one--until the tone shifts. The young protagonist lies awake as a storm rages, wondering "if the berries will hang on for one more jar of jam." But winds topple the tree. The family members go through the subsequent seasons without their beloved tree, yet they still gather to celebrate it. In a spread that depicts the protagonist hugging her grandmother, the text poignantly notes: "If you ever have a mulberry tree, you might love it now more than ever. Now that you know it's enough just to grow." With sketchy lines and highly textured watercolor washes, Zhang captures the affection family members have for one another and the love they have for the outdoors; her opening depictions of the mulberry tree as it blooms are particularly vivid. This story of loss ends on an optimistic note when "silent, shiny leaves" burst forth from the trunk that remains after the storm. The family celebrates, shouting and dancing and waiting "for one more jar of jam."

Reviewer: Julie Danielson | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2023