(2) K-3 Illustrated by Sophie Fatus. DePalma and Fatus joyfully highlight some rituals, customs, and foods that Christians around the world enjoy at Christmastime. Each spread features one of thirteen countries (­including Colombia, Ethiopia, Serbia, and Iceland) and contains four simple lines of pleasing rhyming verse (plus occasional pronunciations in small print). The vibrant, textured mixed-media illustrations show families and friends celebrating together, because "though we might gather in different ways, / Christmas for many brings meaningful days." The extensive back matter offers additional fascinating details perfect to share at holiday festivities. For example, did you know the holiday season lasts almost five months in the Philippines? One plane ticket, please!

Reviewer: Cynthia K. Ritter | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2021

(4) PS Illustrated by Sophie Fatus. A bear in love with a bunny describes his anxiety about telling her how he feels. The lovesick bear will amuse adults who have been there ("Right now, I'm watching how Bunny's nose twitches and wiggles...Amazing!"), but the book's preoccupation with romantic love may mystify the young audience to whom the animal cast and eye-pleasing childlike art are purportedly pitched.

Reviewer: Nell Beram

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Sophie Fatus. Primo, the king and queen's eldest son, must marry a real princess, so his mother employs the classic pea-under-the-mattress test. Two contenders sleep comfortably (and end up marrying Primo's younger brothers), but the third tosses and turns all night--proving she's the real deal. The promised math content is tangential to the tale. Rich-hued, round-edged acrylic and collage illustrations add whimsy.

Reviewer: Tanya D. Auger

(3) PS This book illustrates the routines of four children from different parts of the world as they get ready for school. The double-page spreads, rendered in bold acrylics, are separated into fours to show the kids side by side. This artfully underscores cultural diversity while uniting the children though their similar routines. Music and a CD of the song are included.

Reviewer: Rebecca Reed Whidden

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Sophie Fatus. When Mama Fox leaves the den to hunt for dinner, her five little foxes sneak out to play. The approaching darkness forces a sibling head count, yet each cub fails to count him or herself and thinks someone's lost. A passing hen counts correctly and calms the weeping foxes. Playful deep-hued paintings complement the clever tale, which ends with a twist.

Reviewer: Carrie Harasimowicz Sullivan

(3) PS Illustrated by Sophie Fatus. A repetitive, songlike text describes a family's ride home from Grandpa's, during which they observe a purple train, a blue barge, and a red fire engine, among other vehicles. Acrylic illustrations echo the palette of each featured vehicle and include sweeping curvilinear lines that convey the journey's twists and turns. The final double-page spread shows a map of the trip.

Reviewer: Sheila M. Geraty

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Sophie Fatus. Young readers count, review colors, and learn the names of animals and their young in this cumulative tale in which a boy acquires sixteen pets, starting with a clucking red hen. When he gets a guitar, all the animals dance together. The jovial illustrations feature the Aymara people of Chile. A CD of music accompanies the book and an author's note is appended.

Reviewer: Melinda Greenblatt

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Sophie Fatus. Clear, step-by-step instructions and diagrams on how to achieve each of nine yoga poses such as tree, plow, and fish are illustrated with brightly colored art of Gumby-limbed characters demonstrating the different poses. The fictional framework, however, of a boy describing the careers of his yoga classmates' parents ("Emmie says her daddy's a farmer. Sometimes, my daddy's a plow") feels forced.

Reviewer: Bridget McCaffrey

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Sophie Fatus. The title character, looking like a valentine cut-out with her pink body and heart-shaped wings and tail, can't find a mate until, following the advice of her owl neighbor, she changes her bird call from the desperate "Love me!" to the unselfish "Love you!" Colorful childlike paintings help make what amounts to a blueprint for finding romance accessible to child readers.

Reviewer: Christine M. Heppermann

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Sophie Fatus. Unfortunately, the monsters in these six stories look very sweet, and the stylized human figures with their big eyes and round noses look the same from culture to culture. The stories, including a Nepalese tale about the abominable snowman and a Micmac/Passamaquoddy tale about the Terrible Chenoo, are deftly told. Sources are appended.

Reviewer: Melinda Greenblatt

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Sophie Fatus & Sophie Fatus. "What has a bottom at the top?" "A leg." The riddles in this welcome, browsable volume require readers to look beyond the obvious and think in terms of metaphor, allegory, and wordplay. The book contains teasers, riddle poems, and stories gathered from India and Russia, as well as other cultures. The amusing, detail-rich illustrations sometimes provide clues to the riddles' solutions.

Reviewer: Peter D. Sieruta

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Sophie Fatus. After she dreams that a baby is born in a cold, dirty stable, Babushka sets off, intent on tidying up and bearing gifts for the Christ child, but she can't resist giving them to those in need along the way. Horn's writing is as gentle and precise as Fatus's remarkable acrylic illustrations, in which even minor details are graceful.

Reviewer: Nell Beram

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Sophie Fatus. A rhythmic, informal narrative style with just the right amount of repetition enlivens this collection of seven tales from around the world. Fatus's expressive, folksy illustrations move the amiable characters about expansive double-page spreads. Text and art successfully combine to make this a read-aloud favorite. Source notes are included.

Reviewer: Tamara DePasquale