(4) K-3 Illustrated by Brothers Hilts. "The day was set; we called New York, / and they decreed you'd come by stork." A parent tells the convoluted tale of how a child joined the family: the stork, distracted by a fish, put the baby on a rock; a crocodile gave the baby to a bream; etc. The rhymes scuttle by smoothly, swept along by the chunky, vaguely retro mixed-media art.

Reviewer: Nell Beram

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Brothers Hilts. Seaver is an orb spider, but unlike his multitudes of siblings, he doesn't weave circular webs. Inspired by the constellations to weave triangular, square, or even hexagonal patterns, he stays true to himself despite others' scorn. The storytime-perfect repetitive structure and lightly spooky, limited-palette illustrations work together to build tension while breezily tying in learning opportunities about shapes, constellations, and self-expression.

Reviewer: Claire E. Gross