(2) K-3 Illustrated by Katie Kath. Although our two protagonists spend little of the book together, they are connected throughout by their hard work and achievement. This family of two starts the day in a groggy daze as the sun rises over the breakfast table. Tate's text is concise, with many pages featuring only a brief list. "Cereal. Bananas. Milk" describes the daughter's breakfast, while mom takes "Orange juice. Toast. Coffee." In the car, the daughter anxiously taps her fingers on the backseat while mom does the same on the steering wheel. "Nervous?" the mother asks. "A little. You?" the daughter replies. Over the next several pages we watch the day unfold in side-by-side illustrations, often displayed in multiple panels. While the daughter tackles baseball tryouts, the mom starts a new bricklaying job. What's touched on in the text is made specific in Kath's watercolor and pastel illustrations. Daughter's successful base hit is shown opposite two panels of mom's construction project ("Butter. Scrape. Smooth"). We feel mom's pride in her handiwork and see it reflected in her smile across the spread from her daughter's own satisfied stance on the pitching mound ("Catch. Toss. Grin"). After their eventful day, each sleeps soundly, ready to give it their all again the next time. Details such as the umpire's bubblegum bubble as our ballplayer prepares her pitch, and Mom's colorful arm tattoo, add comfort and, for many, familiarity to this welcome and unconventional family story.

Reviewer: Hill Saxton | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2020

(3) 4-6 Orca Origins series. Starting with the pre-Christian Midwinter celebrations that preceded it in ancient Egypt, Greece, and Rome, this is an informative history of the Christian holiday that is now celebrated in many parts of the world. The narrative is well illustrated with color photos and sprinkled with the authors' own stories and the Christmas memories of their family and friends. Several recipes are also included. Bib., glos., ind.

Reviewer: Melinda Greenblatt

(4) 4-6 Orca Origins series. These installments are attractive but rather diffuse in focus. Chinese New Year offers substantive information about the holiday and its celebration in China, North America, and other places where Chinese people have settled. Birthdays covers customs in historical times and in modern-day countries. Excellent color photographs and intimate personal anecdotes are highlights. Recipes and activities are scattered throughout both texts. Bib., glos., ind. Review covers these Orca Origins titles: Chinese New Year and Birthdays.

Reviewer: Melinda Greenblatt

(3) 4-6 Orca Footprints series. Divided into the chapters "Earth," "Air," "Water," and "Fire," this book focuses on how trees help the earth and people by fortifying soil, cleaning the atmosphere, filtering the water supply, providing fuel, and more. Attractive photos from around the world of trees or their uses, including some of the author's personal shots, round out this comprehensive book of arboreal appreciation. Reading list, websites. Glos., ind.

Reviewer: Bridget McCaffrey

(3) 4-6 Orca Footprints series. The myriad definitions of home are explored in this survey of domestic dwellings people have built across the world and over time. Arranged by structure type and filled with colorful photographs, chapters describe the materials and ingenuity involved in designing teepees, yurts, capsule hotels, and more (including many of the authors' past homes), spanning diverse socioeconomic situations and natural resources. Websites. Ind.

Reviewer: Grace Enriquez

(3) 4-6 Orca Footprints series. With chapter titles such as "Seeds and Plants," "Feathered Friends," and "Multi-Purpose Animals," this book adeptly explains different types of farming around the world. While a section discussing the 4-H program is included, it is mostly the well-chosen color photos, showing children from a variety of cultures harvesting crops or tending animals, that justify the subtitle. Reading list, websites. Ind

Reviewer: Bridget McCaffrey

(4) YA Orca Soundings series. Tara copes with her sister Hannah's suicide by performing slam poetry. Her poems are presented in italics throughout the book; first-person narration describes performance aspects ("Here's where I speed up and get louder") and tells Tara's story. The dialogue occasionally strains for a teen voice, but detailed descriptions of the competitive slam poetry world are vivid and engaging.

Reviewer: Katrina Hedeen

(4) 4-6 A brief history of horse breeding segues into step-by-step details of racehorse training and care. Topics include grooming, special horse-racing equipment, and race-day procedures. Information about related jobs (e.g., jockey, trainer, groomer, veterinarian) provides career advice for interested readers. The pages are crowded with main text, sidebars, and illustrations; the copious photographs are eye-catching, but some are too small. Ind.

Reviewer: Ernie J. Cox