(2) K-3 Illustrated by Qin Leng. Russell and his father build a simple tree fort in their new house's maple tree. While their neighbor's newly erected fort, fancy and customized, is objectively "better," the time Russell and his father spent together makes theirs more valuable. Leng captures the loving father-son relationship in a warm palette balanced with generous white space; Kerrin includes subtle moments of humor throughout the story.

Reviewer: Minh Lê | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2018

(1) K-3 After seeing three magnificent-looking people dressed as mermaids, Julián creates a makeshift mermaid outfit. Abuela discovers her grandson's attire; how will she react? She helps Julián complete the outfit, then proudly takes him to a festive sea-creature-attire parade. Small but important details add depth to Julián's emotional journey. Vibrant watercolors with gouache and ink create lively scenes that splash and swirl on the page.

Reviewer: Minh Lê | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2018

(2) K-3 Illustrated by E. B. Goodale. Morning arrives, and Caroline can't get herself out of bed. There is something coming later that day, and the anticipation is affecting her. Mallery and Goodale skillfully embed clues throughout the text and illustrations. Mallery's calm but full-of-undercurrents text and Goodale's warm colors and use of texture sustain the suspense, until at book's end we learn why it's an unusual day: Caroline meets her adopted baby sister.

Reviewer: Minh Lê | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2018

(2) PS "Sssh! Listen, what's that noise?" A child gives a tour of his or her home, pointing out the sounds that surround us yet largely escape our notice--the burbling of a coffeepot, a whirring laptop, etc. The text incorporates copious sound effects in a lighter font, a visual reminder of the home's sonic landscape; illustrations feature bright greens, reds, and yellows, recalling the iconic decor of Goodnight Moon.

Reviewer: Minh Lê | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2017

(2) K-3 This entertaining book opens with two young badgers, Tic and Tac, beset by boredom. They help hang the laundry for their mother and, when they run out of clothes, hang any random household object they can find. Featuring warm watercolors and attention to detail, Bagley's illustrations give readers plenty to pore over. This story injects a touch of the ridiculous into the mundane.

Reviewer: Minh Lê | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2017

(3) K-3 A girl looks out from the page and asks the reader: "Are you ready?" So begins this interactive staring contest. The game escalates with each page turn, as first a bird, then a fox, and then more animals eagerly join the fun. The book, with its animated-cartoon look, will leave wide-eyed readers ready for another round.

Reviewer: Minh Lê

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Bianca Diaz. Spending time with an older neighbor, a boy named Wilson daydreams of "one day" fixing up her house, which has fallen into disrepair. The determined Wilson shares his ideas with his whole community. The payoff comes when "one day" arrives, and readers discover that Wilson was not just daydreaming but thoughtfully putting a plan into action. Diaz's sunny mixed-media art mirrors the collaborative spirit of the story.

Reviewer: Minh Lê | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2017

(1) PS Illustrated by Christian Robinson. In her rhythmic, stream-of-consciousness text, Fogliano captures the intensity of children's feelings about birthdays by repeating the word birthday with a playful obsessiveness: "when's my birthday? / where's my birthday? / how many days until / my birthday?" Robinson mixes his signature cut-paper and paint style with photo-collage elements, giving an added layer of texture. The tall, narrow trim size mimics the shape of a birthday card.

Reviewer: Minh Lê | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2017

(2) K-3 When a whale gets caught in a father-son pair's only fishing net, the father goes off in search of a replacement net, while the boy risks his life to free the whale. The art is dazzling: a cinematic, dramatically paced series of spreads captures the boy's joy at freeing the whale, his uncertainty when it dives and disappears, and his awe when it explodes out of the water.

Reviewer: Minh Lê | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2017

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Natalie Nelson. Young Holland gets caught stealing one too many times and joins the army instead of going to jail. Sent to a sumptuously tropical location, he becomes captivated by its beautiful fish and replaces petty theft with a new hobby: painting. The overall tone of the book, based on Lawson's uncle, is irreverent, due largely to Nelson's playful digital collages (which incorporate found photography) and energetic ink drawings.

Reviewer: Minh Lê | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2017

(2) PS A solitary figure skater launches into an elaborate routine conveyed through fluid pencil work. When the skater flubs a landing, the perspective zooms outward--and the ice is revealed to be an artist's blank page, now crumpled paper; however, that mistake opens the creative floodgates. For a wordless book, Lines has a lot to say about the artistic process.

Reviewer: Minh Lê | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2017

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Felicita Sala. Rather than being discouraged or intimidated by other students with greater drawing skills, a child realizes that coloring can convey just as much as, if not more than, drawing. Sala's illustrations demonstrate how varying color, line thickness, and intensity can indicate different emotions. Lehrhaupt ends the book on an open-ended invitation to explore the color wheel and look past self-perceived artistic limitations.

Reviewer: Minh Lê | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2017

(2) PS In this nearly wordless book, a woman bakes red heart-shaped cookies to mail to her grandson. It takes almost every mode of transportation imaginable before the package arrives at its destination. In a visually effective touch, some part of each vehicle (e.g., the tractor's exhaust) turns into a heart, tracing the package's progress. Meshon's digital illustrations feature simply drawn characters within cheerfully cluttered landscapes.

Reviewer: Minh Lê | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2017

(1) K-3 Illustrated by Thi Bui. Hours before sunrise, a Vietnamese American father and son go fishing for that night's meal. This powerfully understated picture book shifts the usual focus of the refugee narrative to the reality awaiting a family once they reach their destination. With evocative detail and a keen ear for metaphor, Phi hints at the family's joys and struggles. Bui sets the mood with expressive brushwork and alternating colors for home and outside.

Reviewer: Minh Lê | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2017

(1) PS Now is an affirmation of the present: a girl, eyes closed and arms raised toward the sky, declares, "This is my favorite breeze"; she continues with a string of celebratory declarations. Vibrant colors brighten each page and expressive ink adds energy to the illustrations. The girl is not celebrating the things themselves, but the experience of them; the focus is on being mindful of and appreciating the moment.

Reviewer: Minh Lê | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 2017

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Terry Fan & Eric Fan. Inquisitive fox Marco joins a ship's wayward deer and pigeon crew, and they battle a fearsome sea, hunger, and pirates. The Fan brothers create mood through rich textures and a soft color palette, giving the book a nostalgic feel. The journey turns out to be the destination, made even better in the company of curious--in every sense of the word--companions.

Reviewer: Minh Lê | Horn Book Magazine Issue: January, 2018

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Karen Hibbard. Nimoshom ("my grandfather") is a beloved school bus driver who sometimes speaks in Cree. A brief text about his daily routine incorporates Cree words. "In the morning, nimoshom would greet the kids. He would say: 'Tansi!' Tansi means hello." The story's rhythmic pacing and conversational quality makes for an enjoyable read-aloud experience. Loose, expressive mixed-media illustrations capture the warm relationship between nimoshom and the children. Glos.

Reviewer: Minh Lê | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2018

(2) PS Young elephant Pete concludes that because he is big, gray, and pants-less, he must be a...boulder. When Pete's exasperated mother insists that he put on some pants, Pete's spirits are clearly diminished: conformity is an uncomfortable fit. Dialogue balloons incorporated into the muted art provide a sense of forward propulsion. Pair with Mr. Tiger Goes Wild for another story about sartorial freedom and self-knowledge.

Reviewer: Minh Lê | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2017

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Kris Di Giacomo. In this third wordplay story (Take Away the A; Where's the Baboon?), each spread poses a question, with the answer cleverly nested within; for instance, the answer to "Who is playing frisbee?" is revealed--through different-colored text and the wry illustration--to be a bee. Throughout the humorous beach scenes, a girl searches for her trumpet, leading readers to a surprisingly sweet conclusion.

Reviewer: Minh Lê