(3) K-3 Illustrated by Mike Curato. One person's angry words (a gray scribble in a speech bubble) hurt another. An empathetic witness reaches out: "One good listener...can make even the smallest voice heard." Curato's expressive mixed-media art, color illustrations with black-and-white photographic details, convey much of the quiet text's meaning, literally and figuratively. One newly blossomed friendship leads to more friends gathering to transform an abandoned space into a community garden. As for the original pair, "One sincere apology...can help heal big and little hurts." Thoughts on "Planting Seeds of Kindness in Your Community" and lists of books and websites conclude the offering.

Reviewer: Kitty Flynn

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Mike Curato. A little black girl with flowing violet hair guides readers through her creative process, guided by a limitless imagination: "what if that pencil one day disappeared? / I'd fold up the paper till stories appeared." The popping pink-and-purple mixed-media illustrations--incorporating sculpture, origami, collage, photography, and more--gorgeously underscore the message that an artist is more than her tools.

Reviewer: Robyn Bahr

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Mike Curato. A contemporary Cuban boy and his family drive to Havana to visit a newborn cousin. Before they can set off, however, the boy must help repair the family's 1954 Chevy (one of the many pre-Revolution cars that are by necessity still widely used in Cuba), using "wire, tape, and mixed-up scraps of dented metal." Mixed-media illustrations capture the brilliant colors and scenic beauty of the island.

Reviewer: Celia C. Perez | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2017

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Mike Curato. When Worm and Worm decide to marry, their animal friends offer "that's how it's always been done"–type advice, some ridiculous ("You'll need to get rings"); characters appear against white backdrops, which distills the story's abiding humor. Readers will be won over long before this higher-order message book gently broaches its love-is-love concept ("which one of you is the bride?").

Reviewer: Nell Beram