(3) K-3 Illustrated by Floyd Cooper. On August 28, 1963, as Dr. King delivered his "I Have a Dream" speech at the March on Washington, Sharon Langley became the first black child to ride the carousel at a previously segregated amusement park near Baltimore. Dialogue keeps the story personal in this well-paced, engaging autobiography. Cooper's warm, vintage-style art homes in on faces and, of course, the colorful carousel. Timeline. Bib.

Reviewer: Martha V. Parravano

(1) PS Armed with sword and shield, the little barbarian gallops his steed over and under hazards and monsters. On the final spread, a distraught little boy and his father walk away from--aha!--a merry-go-round. Brazilian artist Moriconi's wordless format allows for interpretation. A creatively used tall, skinny trim size; deep, transparent watercolors; masterful use of white space to build suspense; and a satisfying surprise add up to a stunningly original book.

Reviewer: Sarah Ellis | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2018

(4) K-3 The eponymous horse recounts its many adventures across time and space, yet it never travels "more than 30 feet from where [it] started." "What horse am I?" it asks. Tipped off by the carousel horse on the book's cover, readers familiar with merry-go-rounds will likely guess the answer. Both the nostalgic text and stately scratchboard art seem geared more to adults than to children.

Reviewer: Carolyn Shute

(2) YA After touching the carousel-animal cougar in his Grams's antique store, Yoshi (Feral Nights) is transported to Pine Ridge, home of secret werecat Kayla. Within a few days, more Shifters show up, all inexplicably drawn to her. Debut character Kayla--level-headed, religious, but also quietly proud of her shifter nature--holds her own. Witty banter keeps the tone light even as the stakes ramp up.

Reviewer: Katie Bircher | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2014

(4) K-3 Emma finds a note sticking out of a carousel polar bear's saddle requesting that she bring balloons. She complies, tying the balloons to the saddle, which leads to a trip to the snow-dappled Arctic for a "polar bear rumpus." It's a drama- and conflict-free adventure providing a showcase for Ward's frolicsome cut-paper, watercolor, and pencil art.

Reviewer: Nell Beram

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Johanna van der Sterre. When Feivel the woodcarver immigrates to America, he finds a job fashioning wooden carousel horses. To assuage his anguish over leaving his family behind, he imbues each creature with characteristics of one of his loved ones. Watercolor and pen-and-ink illustrations complement a text that presents more a picture of the past than the development of a character or story.

Reviewer: Amy Lois Cohn

(3) K-3 Ernst the crocodile (Ernst, The Puddle Pail) loves the carousel's wooden animals, especially "the honey-colored dog." When the dog's tail falls off, the carousel keeper asks Ernst to care for it over the winter. Ernst does that and more, infusing the tail with a life of its own. Kleven's finely detailed, vibrant mixed-media collages are a good fit for this imagination celebration.

Reviewer: Lisa Catherine Findlay

(4) K-3 When ridership on an amusement-park carousel dwindles, carousel animal Gator must go out and find another purpose in life. The narrative is poignant without being too sappy. The atmospheric oils feature neckless children with strangely shaped heads tipped in wonderment.

Reviewer: Nell Beram

(4) 1-3 Magic Pony Carousel series. Illustrated by Ron Berg. When Megan climbs aboard Sparkle, a carousel pony at the fairgrounds, she is magically transported to a circus. There, everyone is miserable because the show's stars are injured. Megan and Sparkle have to fill in and save the day. The thin plot is illustrated with static drawings that don't suit the vibrant circus atmosphere, but pony-loving readers will enjoy the ride.

Reviewer: Amanda Mc. MacGregor

(4) K-3 A stray cat lives near the carousel at a seaside amusement park. After the park goes out of business, the cat saves her kittens from a fire next door by moving them into the carousel. In spite of a bright palette, this story about death and rebirth fails to capture the drama of the rescue.

Reviewer: Maeve Visser Knoth

(3) K-3 Illustrated by David Wisniewski. A simple, poetic text with plenty of repetition and metaphors describes tools (ruler, saw, wrench, anvil, chisel, etc.), while the illustrations show a young boy helping adult craftspeople build a carousel. Wisniewski's collages make use of a variety of papers and wood veneers in highly detailed illustrations that excel at showing hard-edged three-dimensional objects.

Reviewer: Lolly Robinson

(4) K-3 Rookie Reader series. Illustrated by Patrick Girouard. Mara's brother claims that "carousels don't go anywhere, but Mara [knows] better"--while riding one, she imagines herself as a queen, a circus star, and the leader of a parade. Though its story isn't all that exciting, the book's short sentences and bright cartoon illustrations are well suited to its young audience.

Reviewer: Jackie C. Horne