(4) PS Illustrated by Shelagh McNicholas. "Mommy, what age was I cutest of all?" A mom responds to the question with on-the-beat (if not fresh) rhymes that describe her indeterminately gendered child's lifelong cuteness. She ultimately reassures her kid, "Of course, you're my baby, no matter what stage, / I'll love you forever, whatever your age!" This heartwarming fluff (not to be confused with Munsch's Love You Forever) is further puffed up by cotton-soft illustrations.

Reviewer: Nell Beram

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Shelagh McNicholas. A little girl describes how she was born with "a girl brain but a boy body" and that once her parents talked to a doctor to understand more about it, they let her be herself. There is little plot, but the straightforward text and friendly, pastel-hued watercolors fairly successfully simplify the issue of gender identity for a young audience and their caregivers.

Reviewer: Maeve Visser Knoth

(4) PS Illustrated by Shelagh McNicholas. A girl enumerates her boo-boos, one through ten; when she's finished, her mom treats each one in reverse order. The rhymes are sharp ("My tongue is 7. It feels awful! / I burned it on a toaster waffle"), and the art, while unremarkable, relays the young character's believable versatility: she's frills and fairy wings up top, shorts and high-tops below.

Reviewer: Nell Beram

(4) K-3 Step into Reading series. Illustrated by Shelagh McNicholas. A class of young ballet students warm up and perform in this simple rhyming text. Colorful illustrations portray the joy of the experience--no stage fright for this class. Appropriately for their age, the children are pictured on demi-toe, not en pointe; unfortunately, the cover shows two girls en pointe. Two sheets of stickers are included.

Reviewer: Amy Kellman

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Shelagh McNicholas. Consider this story every tiny ballerina's dream come true: suspension of disbelief is required to accept that Tilly's dancer aunt would give Tilly a backstage tour so close to performance time then invite her on stage to dance during the curtain call. The first-person present-tense narration reflects Tilly's excitement, though the voice isn't always believable. Soft-focus illustrations are dominated by pink.

Reviewer: Amy Kellman

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Shelagh McNicholas. Katie dreams of owning a sleek, fast, and beautiful pony. She discovers, after much trial and error, that a dirty, shaggy little pony is actually the perfect one for her. The story's message is clear but not heavy-handed; the realistic watercolors should please any horse lover.

Reviewer: Rebecca Reed Whidden

(3) PS Illustrated by Shelagh McNicholas. Young Tilly describes her ballet class and then the show they have been practicing for. The simple text with its childlike tone will appeal to non-dance-class students as well as young balletomanes. Illustrations vary from action-filled but spacious double-page spreads to smaller spot art; all are filled with humorous, realistic detail.

Reviewer: Jennifer M. Brabander