(1) K-3 I Like to Read: Comics series. Emberley's crew of critters (I Did It!, rev. 9/22) returns for another exciting early-reader comic. This fast-paced story begins before its title page with a caped reptile launching a paper airplane. The plane's circuitous flight crosses two pages and multiple panels and ends at our friendly monster, toy elephant, masked raccoon, shimmery robot, and tiny penguin. It's a party invitation, inspiring the friends to immediately take off for the bash with a collective "LET'S GO!" A series of setbacks (from fatigue to snow to large bodies of water) impedes the crew's progress; however, cooperation and creative problem-solving prevail. The creatures use scraps of paper torn from the very pages of the book they are in to create skis, boats, and more and continue their journey. Emberley's cartooning is complex and compelling, while the dialogue-only text is intentionally repetitive and charismatic. Energetic pencil illustrations convey a strong sense of animation between fluctuating panel configurations and page layouts. The digital coloring is expressive, shifting between modeled realism and completely flat blocks of color--signaling shifts in tone, time, and/or setting. Imaginative, playful, and deceptively unassuming, this comic for early readers serves as a respectful (and exceedingly entertaining) introduction to the comics format.

Reviewer: Patrick Gall | Horn Book Magazine Issue: January, 2023

(2) K-3 This hide-and-seek story begins: "Tiny was giving a big party. But where was Bina Bear?" Thereafter the drama plays out through simple, comical dialogue ("'Bina? Is that you?' 'No. I am a table'") and cartoon illustrations. Bina, a large blue bear, attempts to avoid the party by disguising herself as inanimate objects--a chair, groceries. While Tiny (a small bunny) searches, the bright art showcases Bina's amusing contortions. Meanwhile, the characters' expressive faces and gestures capture their vulnerability and affection for each other. After hearing that Tiny misses seeing her, Bina opens one eye as though she may stop pretending to be a chair and finally show herself. When her friend asks if she's okay, Bina claims to be fine but sheds a tear. In the end, Bina is able to come out from hiding and tell Tiny how she really feels about parties...but also how she feels about Tiny, and so the two pretend to be lamps together in the kitchen while the party goes on without them. This warm and comforting look at friendship offers meaningful insight into the value of support and of acceptance.

Reviewer: Julie Roach | Horn Book Magazine Issue: January, 2022

(1) 4-6 Illustrated by Kat Fajardo & Azzi Mariana. All Sue (Suyapa Yisel to her family) Gutiérrez wants to do this summer is hang out with her Comics Club buddies at Camp Willow. But her overprotective mom has planned a family trip to Honduras to see Abuelita Rita and celebrate Sue's quinceañera--a party she never asked for and would rather skip. Feeling doomed to a boring and uninspiring summer, Sue finds that spending time with her abuelita, an artist herself, is anything but dull. Rita's consejos--advice, wisdom, and family stories--help Sue gain a new closeness to her family and learn to cherish cultural traditions. With the coming-of-age ceremony, she resolves to "be braver and embrace [her] true colors," adapting the longstanding tradition in a way that lets it remain relevant to her own life. Fajardo's deft graphic-novel paneling and expressive use of line and Azzi's color palette of cool blues and pinks convey the complexity and full range of Sue's feelings, both in important moments and in more mundane ones. An author's note, additional information about quinceañeras, and photographs are appended.

Reviewer: Lettycia Terrones | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2022

(2) YA The morning after attending a fair run by (fictional) Faber College's fraternities, fifteen-year-old Nora wakes up on the golf course without any memory of how she got there. Her best friend, Camille, is by her side and explains that the night before, three guys removed Nora's underwear and hung it from a flagstick at the course before their classmate, Adam, chased them away. As Nora grapples with the implications of what ­happened--and what could have happened if Adam hadn't intervened--Cam and Adam decide to find out who the guys were. Their investigation leads to unsavory revelations about one of Faber's fraternities and about the college's charismatic, beloved athletic director--who is also Nora's dad. The victim-shaming that follows is depressing but familiar; the novel unflinchingly exposes the sexism inherent in excusing men's assaultive behavior while blaming women because of how they're dressed or how much they drank. More subtle but equally devastating is the fall from grace of Nora's father, "her favorite person in the world"; his refusal to accept responsibility adds a layer of trauma and makes it more difficult for Nora to speak out. Her eventual decision to formally accuse her attackers is a powerful one as she courageously reclaims her voice and her story: it's a small, satisfying step toward justice.

Reviewer: Rachel L. Smith | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2022

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Ruth Chan. In this comic in picture-book form, Mr. Tortoise is so old that he's forgotten how old he is, prompting his friends to become preoccupied with trying to figure out how many candles to put on his cake. Walrus suggests that Mr. Tortoise must be seven (just like him!), and Pig suggests he must be twelve because he has twelve sections on his shell. The partygoers start to quiz him on what people wore when he was young, whether he'd owned a television, etc. Chan's depictions of the characters are full of expression. Mr. Tortoise's emotions, which range from excited to thoughtful to confused to triumphant, dance across his face from panel to panel, and his friends are vibrant with enthusiasm. The book alternates between pages of panels and double-page spreads, varying the pace to the story's advantage, lingering on humorous moments and adding to a sense of things spiraling a bit out of control. Mr. Tortoise doesn't care how old he is or how many candles he has: "I'm the birthday tortoise and I would really like to have cake!" Anyone who's ever had to wait for a treat will empathize.

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

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Daphna Awadish. Mendel loves Hanukkah but is prone to, and known for, making mistakes. He over-onions the latkes, for example, and uses sparklers in place of Hanukkah candles. "Oy, Mendel!" When Rabbi Klein asks him to drive the Mitzvah Mobile to spread the word about the big Hanukkah bash, everyone is nervous. Things go surprisingly well--at first. Details in the childlike illustrations give this community lots of personality; and Mendel's personal journey very loosely mirrors the Hanukkah story in a lighthearted way. "A Brief History of Hanukkah," a glossary, and some holiday activities are appended.

Reviewer: Elissa Gershowitz | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2022

(2) PS There's plenty to do when a girl and her mother move to a new town, but after the novelty wears off, without a friend things get boring fast. Enter Scribbly, an imaginary stick dog drawn by our self-sufficient protagonist. "Scribbly was the bestest friend anyone could ask for." When the girl is invited to a birthday party where she doesn't know anyone, her mother tells her to leave Scribbly at home, but she "really really needed him." Scribbly not only attends but is the life of the party, nibbling cake, doing backflips, and befriending everyone. In short, he makes "being the new kid much easier." Pencil and watercolor illustrations combine the kid-art representation of Scribbly with the more realistic goings-on. Astute readers may pick up on the mother's facial expressions and develop a more nuanced interpretation of the girl's reliance on the imaginary friend to assuage anxiety and doubt. When she adopts a real dog from a shelter, the girl bridges the gap between the imaginary and real worlds and boosts her self-confidence. Scribbly is still around, but she's no longer dependent on him. Dogs, whether real or imagined, are a girl's best friend in this book that may soothe social anxieties over being the new kid.

Reviewer: Julie Hakim Azzam | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2021

(2) K-3 Brett (whose many other Christmas titles include The Twelve Days of Christmas; Home for Christmas, rev. 11/11; and The Animals' Santa, rev. 11/14) pulls out all the stops for this lush and faithful retelling of ­Hoffmann's tale and Tchaikovsky's ­ballet, guiding readers through the story with clear visual references to the latter's music and the dances. Detailed watercolors on double-page spreads carry the plot, while narrative-filled borders show pertinent musical instruments and scraps of the score. Brett sets the story in a Russia filled with snowy exteriors and sumptuous scenes of the ballet's ­Christmas party, the dramatic ­vanquishing of the Mouse King, and the rest of Marie's magical adventures with the Nutcracker-turned-real-boy.

Reviewer: Martha V. Parravano | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2021

(2) 1-3 Fox & Rabbit series. Illustrated by Gergely Dudás. Fox and Rabbit are back in their third series entry with five new stories, most of which center on throwing a ­birthday party for Sparrow that involves making "the biggest, roundest, yummiest pizza in the world." Animal friends from the previous books return to help and partake in the festivities, including Tortoise, who always arrives too late for any ­activity. This volume introduces a surprising new ­creature as well--Dragon--whom Fox and Rabbit nervously visit when they need help cooking that giant pizza. This large, purple fire-breather turns out to be harmless and lonely. Dragon has never even been to a birthday party, a situation immediately remedied. Each chapter is full of amusing situations and appealing characters taking care of one another and getting themselves into trouble despite their best intentions. Bright colors and soft, bubbly shapes make every creature, even the dragon, seem cuddly and soothing. The idyllic community offers a pleasant cartoon landscape to visit, where there is always a welcoming friend, something special to do, and something good to eat.

Reviewer: Julie Roach | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 2021

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Alison Czinkota. This festive book is filled with birthday-related goodies on every colorful page. Read about astrological signs, the Chinese zodiac, the "Celtic tree calendar," birth stones and flowers, and numerology. Discover birthday trivia, customs from different cultures, and random "weird and wonderful facts." The life of this party, however, is the "Month by Month: Calendars & Activities" section. A snippet of information about an event, holiday, or tradition is featured on every day of each month. Following the calendar page, a double-page spread highlights an activity, including crafts (make a gift bow out of junk mail), recipes (Brazilian birthday brigadeiros; mocktails), a party planner quiz, and how to say "Happy Birthday" in different languages. The festive candy-colored illustrations contribute to the celebratory mood.

Reviewer: Kitty Flynn

(2) PS Ghost Gustavo is terribly shy, a problem compounded by the fact that the other monster kids can't see him. His attempts to appear/appeal to the others--disguising himself as a lampshade, a surfboard, a sheet--are funny but hopeless; it's only when he throws a Day of the Dead party at the cemetery and reveals his passion for the violin that the other monsters come to see him as he really is. While the logic of the story won't stand up to much scrutiny, Gustavo is a sympathetic protagonist, and the illustrations are filled with appealing monsters and witty details.

Reviewer: Roger Sutton | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2020

(1) PS Translated by Yvette Ghione. "It's the start of a new day at 3 Maple Street. But not just any day--it's Little Rabbit's birthday!" Dubuc's straightforward text chronicles the hustle and bustle of the Rabbit family's preparations for Little Rabbit's party in their first-floor apartment. Youngsters can follow the Rabbits' activities in the clever cutaway illustration of the entire building on every spread, which means viewers are also treated to a peek inside six other apartments (plus an attic) and myriad intersecting visual story lines. Little Hedgehog is looking forward to his papa returning from a trip; Mr. Bear wakes up sick; Little Fox's family welcomes a new baby; the Cat family moves in on the third floor; and the Mouse triplets are causing chaos in their bedroom right below the apartment of Mr. Owl, who is having trouble sleeping as a result. But this delightful French import's detailed illustrations don't stop there--look for the bird family in a tree, a ghost in the attic, a house gnome, and more, including several fairy-tale references (most notably, a girl with yellow hair who climbs a ladder into the Fox family's apartment for a snack and a snooze while they're at the hospital--sound familiar?). Best-suited to one-on-one sharing or solitary perusal to catch all the minute action, this Richard Scarry–esque book, with its expressive and appealingly drawn animal characters, begs to be read multiple times.

Reviewer: Cynthia K. Ritter | Horn Book Magazine Issue: January, 2021

(3) 4-6 This book offers nine different magic-oriented ideas for fantastic parties: an Alchemists' Gathering, a Fairy Frolic, a Druid Halloween party, and more. For each party, the text suggests costumes, crafts, decorations, food, and games. Much care has gone into the look of the book (purportedly written by a 600-year-old wizard): thick, padded covers; sepia-toned pages; and fanciful illustrations. Ind.

Reviewer: Anita L. Burkam

(4) K-3 Translated by Edward Gauvin. A boy describes the day when his party-loathing parents finally throw him a birthday bash. They enlist the help of neighborhood problem-solver Mr. Ponzio, who lets things get somewhat out of hand (think hippo in the bathtub). The book's narrative arc is overcrowded (like the Snipperpots' house), but the retro-flavored mixed-media art is enchanting.

Reviewer: Nell Beram

(2) PS In this festive counting book, a debonair pumpkin-headed host welcomes guests to a fancy twilight banquet. Numbers are woven into a rhyming text that alternates guests' introductions ("Lady Nightshade brings three jars of jelly to share") with atmospheric elements ("While four swooping bats fly through the air") up until "the clock strikes thirteen." Elegant watercolor and ink illustrations conjure the party's spooky sophistication.

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

(2) 1-3 Translated by Anna Golding. In the second book in this offbeat reluctant-reader-friendly series for the chapter-book set, young zombie Ghoulia must solve the mystery of Auntie Departed's disappearance from Crumbling Manor with the help of unexpected (and very grouchy) visitor Cousin Dilbert. As in Ghoulia, the appeal is in the attractive book design with frequent double-page spreads incorporating text into the colorful gothic-inspired illustrations.

Reviewer: Martha V. Parravano | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2019

(3) PS Illustrated by Betsy Lewin. Halloween humbug Farmer Brown leaves candy on the porch, and hangs a "DO NOT DISTURB" sign on the door. After hearing strange noises outside, he trembles under the covers. However, we know that his animals are hosting a Halloween bash. Well-paced text and appropriately shadowy illustrations assure listeners that the only foul thing afoot is a costumed fowl. The brief, sound effects–heavy text lends itself well to this new board-book format.

Reviewer: Kitty Flynn | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2013; September, 2019

(2) K-3 In this wacky, fact-packed addition to the Truth About series, straightforward informational prose provides a crash course on crocodile types, diet, reproduction, habitat, and more. The cartoonlike pen-and-ink illustrations tell their own story. Crocs and other creatures--including a party hat–wearing kid--are shown with speech bubbles in silly fictionalized scenarios, often cracking jokes about the factual content as they plan a birthday party for the child and newly hatched baby crocodiles. Reading list.

Reviewer: Elisa Gall | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2019

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Tom Lichtenheld. There's no shortage of picture books about birthdays, but Ferry's ten "rules" for making the all-important birthday wish include silly loopholes, caveats, and digressions that should tickle both rule-followers and authority-questioners. It's a buoyantly told tale, and Lichtenheld's digitally enhanced pencil, watercolor, colored-pencil, and pastel illustrations featuring an all-animal cast capture the festive mood of a party where friends are in abundance and wishes always come true.

Reviewer: Elissa Gershowitz | Horn Book Magazine Issue: January, 2019

(2) PS Illustrated by Freya Blackwood. This Australian import begins by setting the scene: "There's going to be a party" for a baby's first birthday. A spare, lilting text introduces the guests with humor and warmth. As the party progresses, cheerful (and realistic) baby-sized mayhem ensues. The day ends with a bath, bedtime, and "sweet dreams" for the birthday baby. Inviting, scribbly pencil and watercolor-wash illustrations on generous white space allow for lots of audience engagement.

Reviewer: Martha V. Parravano | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2019