(2) PS Even the youngest among us knows the pain of being misunderstood. Quinn has spent the morning in their workshop making Something Great. Then it's echoes of Krauss's The Carrot Seed as Quinn proudly shows this creation--a milk carton with a red string--to their older sister, mother, and the cat, none of whom gets it. "It was just...itself," Quinn laments. "Something Great!" Bradley's mixed-media illustrations are full of soft brushstrokes in gentle shades of blue and green, creating a safe and calm atmosphere for Quinn to exist in. Queerness is baked into the story: the text doesn't comment on the fact that Quinn uses they/them pronouns and sports a blue-grid button-down shirt with pink sneakers. The character is instead upset because no one seems to understand their artistic expression--an apt and subtle metaphor for other types of self-expression. A new neighbor sees right away just how great Something Great really is, and together the characters engage in imaginative play without having to explain or specifically define anything. Endpapers showcase a hodgepodge of art supplies and some of Quinn's other creations, perhaps inspiring viewers to make Something Great of their own.

Reviewer: Adrienne L. Pettinelli | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2022

(2) K-3 Illustrated by April Harrison. Six-year-old Lee and his big sister Zora, a.k.a. "the boss," take an embroidery class at the library. (Lee isn't really old enough, but Zora fibs to get him in.) Lee learns to thread a needle, jabs his finger, and laboriously creates...a mess. When they get home, Zora shows their parents the fine flower she embroidered; Lee says his project is a surprise, knowing he has more to do. In the middle of the night he gets to work, slowly and patiently stitching until he makes a smiling moon. With newfound confidence, he repairs his pants pocket and, in the morning, Zora's teddy bear. Edwards's (A Hat for Mrs. Goldman, rev. 9/16) spare text is powerful in its simplicity, conveying the love between a brother and sister; the determination of a small child to learn a new skill; and the threads that hold embroidered flowers, smiling moons, a Black family, and their community together. Harrison's (H Is for Harlem, rev. 7/22) folk-art style, which employs collage, acrylic, pens, and pencils and a lush, colorful palette, is the perfect complement to Lee's first-person narration. Back matter includes step-by-step instructions for making Lee's smiling moon. A wonderful read-aloud for home, the library, and the classroom.

Reviewer: Dean Schneider | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2022

(2) K-3 From within a collective of autumn leaves, readers meet three individuals, each with a distinct human-like personality. There's Birch, the optimist; Oak, the contented; and Maple, the complainer (and late bloomer). The weather turns cold, but having been "born" in the spring, the trio must rely on a pair of know-it-all squirrels to tell them what's happening: that each will change colors and then fall to the ground. Birch, Oak, and Maple meet this news with glee, acceptance, and distrust, respectively. Maple spends more time in its tree, hearing from the squirrels about the downside of falling ("bottoms of boots and gutters"), but as it turns out, they're missing some vital information. A young child collects the leaves and gives them new life as cheerful art; her designs and projects displayed on the book's final page may inspire readers to create their own leaf art. The cheerful mixed-media illustrations, personifying each character, employ fall colors and and make maximum use of white space for readers to consider the subtle but multiple themes, such as: change is inevitable; there is no single way to approach the future; and new experiences may well bring unexpected pleasures.

Reviewer: Betty Carter | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2022

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Lynn Scurfield. Before moving to America, Dandan and her family celebrate Lunar New Year in China with her best friend Yueyue and her family. They eat egg-and-chive filled dumplings dipped in black vinegar and soy sauce; later, the girls make celebratory red paper snowflakes, and Yueyue gives Dandan paper supplies to bring to America. The move proves lonely and difficult for Dandan, until she makes a friend whose favorite color is also red. With bright, warm colors and curved shapes, Scurfield enhances the tender story's hopeful tone. An author's note provides more details about Chinese New Year; instructions for making cut-paper snowflakes are also appended.

Reviewer: Maeve Visser Knoth

(2) YA Two teens--both brown, trans, and neurodivergent--reunite years after a chance meeting and find themselves bound together by their most personal experiences and by the magic of a local lake. Bastián copes with ADHD and the next step of their gender transition by creating alebrijes--brightly painted, fantastical, papier-mâché creatures--and sending them into the lake. Lore, who is dyslexic and was bullied at their old school, moved to town after a devastating fight. As the lake's magic breaks its usual boundaries, seeping into Bastián's and Lore's lives on dry land, they realize that it is responding to the painful emotions they've released into the water (Bastián via alebrijes, Lore through cans of paint) and that they can't reject their own pain or imperfections. The book is committed to its characters' gender, racial, and neurodivergent identities; while this focus can feel overworked at points, the intimacy and seriousness with which it addresses neurodivergence in particular is welcome. McLemore (The Mirror Season, rev. 5/21) successfully binds the novel's fantasy elements to the inner lives of their characters, strengthening the narrative effects of both the mundane and the magical. Readers with identities in common with the protagonists will find relief and recognition in this impassioned book, and teens in general should feel welcomed by its warmly open storytelling.

Reviewer: Anne St. John | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2022

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Anne Lambelet. "Let's build an insect. Where should we start?" In digitally colored pencil drawings, someone (only their hands are visible) constructs an insect model using craft materials. Information about insect anatomy and physiology is doled out conversationally ("Extra feelers on the abdomen are called cerci") and in decisions the crafter encounters: "Some insects have clear wings that are easy to fold. Others have hard or leathery wings." This engaging, entertaining, and educational process will leave readers buzzing to create their own insect models--directions and materials list appended. Also appended: "More about insect body parts" and a glossary.

Reviewer: Kitty Flynn

(4) K-3 Illustrated by George McClements & Stéphane Kardos. Bonnie brings Forky to school, which inspires a "Craft Your Own Buddy Day" in her classroom. Forky teaches the newly created toys how to accept who they are. Inspired by Toy Story 4, the franchise matters more than the story, which is fine since the target audience will love it. The illustrations, fonts, and speech bubbles are an amalgam of styles, leading to a chaotic layout.

Reviewer: Miriam Steinberg-Egeth

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Taia Morley. For weeks, Jack wishes for snow. Near Christmas, he and his classmates (a racially diverse cast) have a substitute teacher, Mr. Clausen, who acts suspiciously like...well, you know. Their homework--write a wish on a homemade paper snowflake--culminates in a Christmas-morning surprise: snow. Morley's textured mixed-media illustrations in bold colors have an old-fashioned look and feel in this tale imbued with holiday wonder. Paper snowflake–making instructions appended.

Reviewer: Jeannie Coutant | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2019

(3) 4-6 Checkerboard Library: Toy Trailblazers series. Each of these engaging biographies introduces readers to the creator of a popular classic kids' toy or game. The texts are generally positive (and overuse exclamation points) but don't ignore difficulties and hardship, both personal and business-related. Captioned photos, archival reproductions, and "Fun Fact" boxes liven up the pages. The topics have ready-made kid-appeal; readers will glean insight into product development and the challenges of running a business. Timeline. Glos., ind. Review covers these Checkerboard Library: Toy Trailblazers titles: Hot Wheels Developer, Lincoln Logs Creator, My Little Pony Pioneer, Nerf Genius, Nintendo Innovator, and The Slime Queen.

Reviewer: Kitty Flynn

(4) 1-3 Makers Make It Work series. Illustrated by Barbara Bongini. In each of these early-reader stories, the main character employs a makerspace skill--chemistry, rocketry, beekeeping, and sewing--to solve a problem. If the child's first effort fails, he or she persists to achieve success. The various illustrations (by different artists) are serviceable and the stories are fairly engaging, but kids will likely be more interested in the instructions for hands-on activities. Useful for early-elementary classrooms and makerspaces. Review covers these Makers Make It Work titles: Slime King, Rocket Rivals, The Broken Bees' Nest, and The Lost and Found Weekend.

Reviewer: Janet Dawson

(2) 4-6 Forty-four contemporary children's book people each contribute a writing prompt. Then each one responds to someone else's prompt. The result is a combination anthology and inspiring craft manual. Both prompts and responses include prose, poetry, photographs, drawings, and comics. The emphasis is on pleasure, but readers will notice an aspect to creativity that isn't made explicit in the introduction: almost none of the contributors obeys the rules. Ind.

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

(3) 4-6 Checkerboard Library: Cool Makerspace Gadgets & Gizmos series. Checkerboard Library: Cool Makerspace Gadgets and Gizmos series. This short volume introduces makerspaces and architecture, providing instructions for six projects that use Legos, K'NEX, and cardboard. Photographs accompany clear instructions, and brightly colored backgrounds and lively fonts create an engaging aesthetic. The finished projects should foster interest in tinkering. Includes tips for "Makerspace Maintenance." Glos., ind.

Reviewer: Dorrie Karlin

(3) 1-3 Illustrated by Jessica Meserve. Lucy really wants to join Songwriting Club but instead goes to self-centered neighbor Scarlett's Craft Club. Scarlett tricks Lucy into doing all the work and blames Lucy when things go wrong. Eventually, Lucy learns her lesson--and also how to play the ukulele. This charming story of a kid who still loves being a silly, messy kid has spot illustrations that support readers transitioning to longer chapter books.

Reviewer: Amy Seto Forrester

(3) PS Illustrated by Samantha Cotterill. A girl and her pet cat decide that glitter fixes every problem. Boring rooms, pictures, or walls? "Just add glitter!" But is there such a thing as too much glitter? The simple rhyming verse moves the story along at a quick, lively pace. The textured (and ultra-sparkly) mixed-media illustrations set in three-dimensional paper scenes dazzle on every page.

Reviewer: Mariko Turk

(4) K-3 Filled with colorful photographs of people, plants, animals, and landscapes in a lively format, this book combines very simple and somewhat sophisticated information about the arrival of spring. The brief text mainly focuses on the science of spring but occasionally strays to present more superficial information on seasonal cultural traditions. Craft and activity ideas are appended.

Reviewer: Cyrisse Jaffee

(3) 4-6 In chapters that focus on materials, machines, and optical illusions, Grandin encourages readers to use creative thinking to explore, invent, and see the world differently. Step-by-step instructions for projects such as stereoscopes, kites, and homemade stilts are woven around Grandin's reminiscences of her own tinkering and historical profiles of inventors and their inventions. Numerous patent application illustrations and historical photographs are included. Bib., ind.

Reviewer: Danielle J. Ford

(4) 4-6 Birdie wants to be a butterfly in the class play...as do many others, particularly her nemesis Anya. But never fear: where there are costumes, there's a chance for Birdie's alter ego, Crafty Cat, to shine. Series fans will find familiar absurdist humor amid the clean-lined panel illustrations, but they may be disappointed that Crafty Cat has fewer scenes than in previous installments. Craft instructions are appended.

Reviewer: Shoshana Flax

(4) 4-6 Makerspace Models series. Each book presents eight engineering projects with a materials guide, step-by-step directions (most six to eight steps plus one longer project), helpful photos, and sidebars touching on how the project works and real-world connections. Safety tips appear before the table of contents. The engaging, relatively simple projects would work well in makerspaces. A larger trim size might have made the pages less cramped. Glos., ind. Review covers these Makerspace Models titles: Build Your Own Boats and Build Your Own Robots.

Reviewer: Janet Dawson

(4) 4-6 Makerspace Models series. Each book presents eight engineering projects with a materials guide, step-by-step directions (most six to eight steps plus one longer project), helpful photos, and sidebars touching on how the project works and real-world connections. Safety tips appear before the table of contents. The engaging, relatively simple projects would work well in makerspaces. A larger trim size might have made the pages less cramped. Glos., ind. Review covers these Makerspace Models titles: Build Your Own Boats and Build Your Own Robots.

Reviewer: Janet Dawson

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Kristina Swarner. This useful volume features brief, short-lined, free-verse poems and "reflections" for each night of the holiday, connecting the ritual of candle-lighting to broader themes. It also provides Hebrew blessings with English transliterations and translations, historical background, dreidel-playing instructions, recipes, crafts, and sheet music. Mottled illustrations in warm pinks and blues evoke the hushed atmosphere around a lit menorah, while the text provides room for contemplation along with practical information.

Reviewer: Shoshana Flax | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2018