(4) K-3 Illustrated by Mai S. Kemble. Before Polka-dot's first day of kindergarten, fix-it king Grandpa gives her a fix-it kit, which comes in handy after she tussles with (implausibly nasty) classmate Liz. The germ of a good idea--Grandpa's influence sees Polka-dot through a rough patch--is hampered by some unconvincing dialogue. Watercolor, colored-pencil, and graphite illustrations show characters with Raggedy Ann–ish patches on their cheeks.

Reviewer: Nell Beram

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Janine Dawson. Rosy-cheeked Emma is super-excited for her grandma to visit kindergarten. With one phone call, though, everything changes: Grandma's in the hospital. Emma finally gets to ask the question that "scritch-scratched in her throat": "Are you going to die?" ("Sometime...But not now," is Gran's answer.) Useful primarily as bibliotherapy, the text is effectively reassuring, while pen-and-ink and watercolor illustrations keep things relatively light.

Reviewer: Elissa Gershowitz