(4) K-3 Illustrated by Suling Wang. Raymond plans to surprise his ailing mother with home-cultivated flowers, but she is in the hospital when they bloom. She returns to find some equally dazzling birds nibbling at the plants' seeds. The book's digitally enhanced illustrations have an incongruously synthetic quality but manage to convey the story's myriad emotions, with which Louie, to her credit, doesn't clobber the reader.

Reviewer: Nell Beram

(4) 1-3 Illustrated by Suling Wang. Ten-year-old Ursula discovers her face is permanently scarred by smallpox, and she becomes reclusive, hiding in her Montana home and refusing to see her friends. When her family's Chinese cook suffers from discrimination, Ursula overcomes her fears and helps her small town accept differences. Accompanied by black-and-white drawings, the story entertains despite its heavy-handed message.

Reviewer: Lauren Aimonette LIang