(2) K-3 Translated by Kathryn Bishop. Illustrated by Annika Siems. On the title page, a boy boasts to his friends that he is going fishing with his grandad: "We'll catch a big fish, and I'll pull it out of the water all by myself!" The friends are unimpressed and laugh at him ("as usual"). Nevertheless, grandfather and grandson set off in their canoe, paddling through giant water lily pads, and begin fishing. Siems's painterly illustrations fill each spread, showing the scenes underwater and in the boat, using muted browns, blues, greens, and grays. One especially effective spread provides an overhead view of the lily pads and the boy's finger creating concentric circles in the water, capturing the luminous natural beauty. When they finally net a big fish, Grandad shows the boy the babies inside the creature's mouth, ­explaining that it's a father fish who will carry them for a month. He offers the child a choice--taking the fish to show to his friends, or allowing it to live with its children in peace. The understated story allows readers to see a community living close to the natural world (although the setting is unspecified in the text, the back-cover copy describes "a little boy of the Amazon"), and they will appreciate a tale in which a young person has an important decision to make.

Reviewer: Susan Dove Lempke | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2020

(3) K-3 Translated by Kathryn Bishop. Illustrated by Eve Tharlet. Tiny elf-like Oli finds a large blue stone. The forest creatures tease him for keeping it, but Oli says: "I'm sure I will find a use for it one day." And in fact, he eventually meets a distraught child whose doll is missing an eye. The dreamy illustrations, in which perspective is skewed and emotions are stronger than reality, suit the text’s sense of longing.

Reviewer: Maeve Visser Knoth

(3) K-3 Translated by Kathryn Bishop. Illustrated by Eve Tharlet. Farm child Lena describes waiting for hen Alma to produce a chick. Lena (presumably like the reader) has much to learn: Mom explains that a hen must sit on her egg for twenty-one days before it hatches, etc. Accompanying the well-articulated facts are marvelously truth-telling illustrations, as when four panels show Alma preparing to release an egg from her body.

Reviewer: Nell Beram

(4) K-3 Translated by Kathryn Bishop. Illustrated by Eve Tharlet. Even though marmot Bruno knows it's time to hibernate, he doesn't want to sleep. His animal friends suggest Bruno spend the winter (awake) with them, but he reluctantly hunkers down. Then, as Bruno hibernates, his winter dreams have him flying alongside swallows, climbing mountains with goats, etc.: "Anything is possible in dreams." Full-spread, earth-toned paintings create an attractive rural landscape for the heavy-handed story.

Reviewer: Grace Worcester Greene

(4) K-3 Translated by Kathryn Bishop. Elschner's retelling of the Epiphany story (with its yearly celebration detailed on the last page) focuses on the Magi and their journey to and gifts for the "new-born king." Children might require additional context to connect this to the Nativity story (Jesus is unmentioned by name). The various handsome Renaissance images may require adult elaboration, as they don't always clearly illuminate the meaning of the poetic text.

Reviewer: Melinda Greenblatt

(4) K-3 Translated by Kathryn Bishop. Written in short, powerful phrases and illustrated with historical paintings, this is an introductory biography of the priest who upended Roman Catholic practices in the sixteenth century. Fleeing the church, Luther translated the Bible into German for commoners, sparked the Protestant Reformation, and would become an influence for many activists. Source notes are included for the (uncaptioned) paintings but unfortunately not for the text's quotations.

Reviewer: Christina Dorr

(4) K-3 Translated by Kathryn Bishop. Illustrated by Giotto. The Christmas story is retold to accompany close-ups of frescoes by Renaissance artist Giotto. Like the art, Elschner's text is formal (if a bit awkwardly translated), and it is more detailed than the familiar Gospel of John. Handsome bookmaking will appeal to an audience looking for a classical interpretation of the birth of Jesus.

Reviewer: Maeve Visser Knoth

(3) K-3 Translated by Kathryn Bishop. A cat narrates this (slightly fantastical) fictionalized account of the life and death of famous Hiroshima bombing victim Sadako Sasaki. The bombing, Sadako's leukemia diagnosis, her goal to fold one thousand origami cranes, and her death are all related in lyrical, somber text. Stylized mixed-media illustrations with a range of perspectives feature paper cranes and origami patterns. An appended note provides context.

Reviewer: Katie Bircher

(4) K-3 Translated by Kathryn Bishop. The book's raven narrator informs an ostracized younger raven, "You just have to fly up to the moon, and when you come back we will play with you." The little raven's brush with death forces the narrator into contrition. Pfister can capably pace a story, but the illustrations--black-dominated against white--grow monotonous.

Reviewer: Nell Beram

(4) K-3 Translated by Kathryn Bishop. Illustrated by Eve Tharlet. Mouse Jenny hears terrifying stories about Lorenzo the cat, so she decides to find him and see if he's so bad. When she finally meets him, she's "so excited she [can't] help herself" and laughs. This makes Lorenzo laugh, and a friendship blossoms. Although the narrative is in prose, all the animal characters speak in the same indistinct rhyming voice. Tharlet's illustrations are joyful.

Reviewer: Patricia Riley

(4) K-3 Translated by Kathryn Bishop. Whether going on outings, dancing, or whipping up some cookies, five friends show that little old ladies don't "just sit around all day feeding the ducks in the park." Tidy, studied illustrations feature funny repeated elements (one character always has her fishbowl nearby, another is never without her dangly red earrings), but this offbeat homage to seniors could do with a bit more plot.

Reviewer: Rebecca Reed Whidden

(4) K-3 Translated by Kathryn Bishop. In this tale of friendship found and lost again between two bashful children, Bunge's art is the true star. Delightfully skewed perspectives, such as the never-ending staircase up to school, are calibrated to convey a child's worldview. Small fantastical details--pigs in a distant hot-air balloon, birds snuggled in armchairs--add gaiety. Abrupt shifts in the wordy narrative, however, can be disconcerting.

Reviewer: Miriam Lang Budin

(4) K-3 Translated by Kathryn Bishop. Illustrated by Mandy Schlundt. Sophie and Grandma Elizabeth go to the local dance, just like Grandma used to do with Grandpa. Sophie is jealous when Grandma finds a partner but then realizes that Grandma always saves a special place for her. The wordy, nostalgic text is enhanced by Schlundt's richly colored, intentionally grainy illustrations, which indicate emotions with the curve of a line.

Reviewer: Sheila M. Geraty

(4) PS Translated by Kathryn Bishop. Illustrated by Yusuke Yonezu. When Nori can't sleep, he pays a nighttime visit to four friends who generously offer items or ideas they think will help. Nothing remarkable happens in this straightforward yet cozy story that provides a gentle reminder that "Night-time is a growing time for children." Yonezu's illustrations are skillfully textured, and his round little animals are as warm and comforting as late-night lullabies.

Reviewer: Sethany Rancier Alongi

(4) PS Translated by Kathryn Bishop. Illustrated by Yusuke Yonezu. Nori loses his beloved binky. One by one his animal friends find and use it inventively (e.g., Lottie Lamb uses it as a hair clip). At story's end, Nori reaffirms that he is a big boy and no longer needs it. Although the resolution is pat and the text stilted, the textured illustrations with expressive baby animals will delight preschoolers.

Reviewer: Rebecca Reed Whidden

(3) K-3 Translated by Kathryn Bishop. The narrator's grandparents decide to separate, complaining that they're "just so different" ("...her favorite color is blue. / ...his favorite color is red"). However, it soon becomes apparent that they miss each other, so the narrator hatches a plan to reunite them. The textured illustrations and eye-catching décor in the grandparents' apartments cleverly reflect their changing moods.

Reviewer: Martha Sibert

(4) K-3 Translated by Kathryn Bishop. Illustrated by Sarah Emmanuelle Burg. When a freezing fox cub looks for help in the hen house, only Little Chicken will come to his aid, despite being warned against helping a fox. At the end of the story Little Fox, in turn, saves his new friend from his predatory parents. Expressive, gently humorous illustrations lighten this sweet (but somewhat didactic) tale about acceptance.

Reviewer: Sheila M. Geraty