(2) PS Illustrated by Taeeun Yoo. "What do you do when the clouds roll in, / when the wind chimes clang and the weather vanes spin?" This engaging picture book describes the reactions of the denizens, human and otherwise, of a small seaside community as a storm approaches, rages, and abates. People head indoors, birds take shelter under eaves, bees return to the hive, rabbits huddle in a hollow log. Digital and pencil illustrations begin with a subdued palette, darken to deep purples and grays mid-storm, then switch to cheerful hues in its aftermath. The scenes range from cozy to dramatic--especially on a striking double-page spread of the storm at its height, lightning flashing and forking. The lilting, lively verse is unfailingly appealing. "What do you do when the storm has passed-- / When the sun comes out and it's calm at last? // We leave our dens. / We scout. / We fly. / We shake, shake, shake until we're dry"--that last referring to an adorable beagle drying off in the time-honored doggy way. The same animals and humans recur, allowing viewers to keep track of their favorites throughout the book.

Reviewer: Martha V. Parravano | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2020

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Jamey Christoph. In this meditation, thirteen children from around the world take turns describing--in faultless rhyme--what they see out their windows (e.g., "A line of brownstone buildings, / grown-ups walking fast. / Strollers roll, pooches pull, / toddlers waddle past"). For his part in this soft-touch globalism primer, dexterous illustrator Christoph adapts his palette and tone to suit each milieu.

Reviewer: Nell Beram

(3) PS Illustrated by Chuck Groenink. In this story about generosity, a boy named William is trying to sleep, but animals seeking a place to hibernate keep showing up asking to join his cozy bed...until William is out of space. Rhyming, repetition, and counting drive Ashman's bedtime read-aloud. Groenink's illustrations are dark and shadowy and snow-filled, yet also full of friendliness and warmth.

Reviewer: Miriam Steinberg-Egeth

(3) PS Illustrated by Sara Sanchez. A little girl's family is busy moving into a new house--hence, no one listens when the girl alerts them to the presence of the baby elephant inside. Ignored, girl and elephant play together until a visitor comes in search of a baby elephant named Fiona. This delightful picture book's straight-faced text and charmingly retro illustrations honor and celebrate the interspecies friendship.

Reviewer: Rachel L. Smith

(3) PS Illustrated by Brooke Boynton Hughes. "MORE!" screams exhausting/inexhaustible toddler Henry following horseplay with Papa. "AGAIN!" he yells after Grandma finishes singing him a piano tune. The rhymes are peppy, and the unexpected ending--which has Mama whispering "MORE!" (that is, one more chance to kiss a finally sleeping Henry)--is deeply loving, a quality reinforced in every clean-lined, soft-hued scene depicting this multiracial, multigenerational family.

Reviewer: Nell Beram

(3) PS Illustrated by Simona Mulazzani. Bothered by the crashing end to the traditional "Rock-a-Bye Baby"? Here's your alternative: evocatively sensory rhymes take Baby from treetop to bird's nest and so on, until "Over the rivers, over the farms, / Baby flies home... / And into my arms." The grin on Baby's face while traversing magical realism–inspired nightscapes leaves no doubt that this is a thrill ride.

Reviewer: Nell Beram

(4) PS Illustrated by Jane Dyer. "A pup knows how to wag. A kitten, how to play. / Swallows fly to winter homes and never lose their way." Tight rhymes offering examples of nature's omniscience conclude with: "I know how to love you. No one taught me... / I just knew." The proficient, greeting card–saccharine art features a towheaded toddler at play.

Reviewer: Nell Beram

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Kim Smith. In a bouncy rhyming text, a new youth soccer team bombards their patient coach with questions and concerns, "Who's in? What now? Which side? / We chase the ball. We all... / collide." Digitally created cartoon illustrations display the season's satisfying progression, from bumbling little kids running the wrong way with bonked noses and loose shorts to a team of passing, kicking, scoring soccer players.

Reviewer: Carrie Harasimowicz Sullivan

(3) PS Illustrated by You Byun. Little Baby Buttercup spends the day with her mother, stacking blocks, playing in the garden, taking a stroll to the playground, and ducking into a coffee shop to avoid a rain shower. The smooth, pleasing rhymes describe these and other simple activities familiar to most toddlers, and Byun's cheerful digitally manipulated ink paintings add character and energy to the story.

Reviewer: Patricia Riley

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Kim Smith. In this modern incarnation of the song, four grown siblings and their own families make their way to Grandma and Grandpa's house for Thanksgiving. They start on different modes of transportation, but obstacles lead to them all arriving in the same horse-drawn sleigh. Lively illustrations depict a genial, diverse family. Verses can be sung to the traditional tune; music not included.

Reviewer: Martha Sibert

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Christian Robinson. A grumpy elderly man resents the rain ("Dang puddle"); meanwhile, his young neighbor is overjoyed by it ("It's raining frogs and pollywogs!"). They both end up at a café, where the boy seizes an opportunity for friendship. This is a wholly fresh story told through short dialogue quips and paint and collage illustrations with remarkably expressive human faces.

Reviewer: Nell Beram

(4) PS Illustrated by Joanne Lew-Vriethoff. Filled with common childhood squabbles (hogging, grabbing, line-cutting, cheating) and troubles (falling down, losing a favorite hat, dropping an ice-cream cone), this rhyming text offers a less combative and more empathetic, though often simplistic, resolution for each contentious situation: "You could hit her, or instead / try peace, baby." The wishful-thinking story features spry pen-and-ink and digital illustrations.

Reviewer: Bridget McCaffrey

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Dawn Beacon. Faced with a restaurant's "NO DOGS ALLOWED" sign, a boy and his dog sit at a fountain across the street. Soon there's a crowd of people with pets enjoying the hospitality of a nearby lemonade and ice cream stand. Sorra's digital art, filled with an outrageous assortment of animals, is both energetic and amusing, telling Ashman's short, nearly wordless story with heart.

Reviewer: Elissa Gershowitz

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Kristin Sorra. Faced with a restaurant's "NO DOGS ALLOWED" sign, a boy and his dog sit at a fountain across the street. Soon there's a crowd of people with pets enjoying the hospitality of a nearby lemonade and ice cream stand. Sorra's digital art, filled with an outrageous assortment of animals, is both energetic and amusing, telling Ashman's short, nearly wordless story with heart.

Reviewer: Robin L. Smith | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2011

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Christine Davenier. Samantha tries out her new roller skates, at first gingerly, then more confidently, then too confidently, skating out the door. She hurtles down a hill, disrupting activities and gathering up objects as she goes. Davenier's effervescent pencil and watercolor illustrations are a match for Ashman's engaging light-as-air verse, propelling the action forward and conveying the madcap quality of the chaos.

Reviewer: Martha V. Parravano | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2011

(2) K-3 Illustrated by S. D. Schindler. This picture book in verse depicts life in a medieval castle, the grandeur and filth, indulgence and hard work. Perspective shifts from person to person, earl to herald to servant. The text's humor and specific detail are echoed in Schindler's ornate pictures, done in the style of an illuminated manuscript. A closing note explains more about medieval life.

Reviewer: Susan Dove Lempke | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2009

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Michael Chesworth. Three generations love their "creaky old house" and wouldn't change a thing--until the front door knob falls off. That sets forth a chain of events leading to plans for a major renovation until the youngest child puts her pacifier to good use: "Well, I'll be," said Uncle Bob… / …Lizzie's gone and fixed that knob!" Detailed illustrations accompany the jaunty rhymed text.

Reviewer: Amy Kellman

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Paul Meisel. A series of poems tells the story of Stella, a newly adopted dog. Each poem reports from the pooch's point of view, and Stella has quite a sassy sense of humor: "But, really, friend, / do you intend / to feed me only kibble?" Acrylic, gouache, and pencil illustrations add another waggish layer to the dog's tale, showcasing the lively, loving mutt.

Reviewer: Carrie Harasimowicz Sullivan

(3) PS Illustrated by David McPhail. "You burp, they giggle with delight... / But if I do, it's not polite." A boy is fed up with being a big brother until his mother shows him the light. As common as sibling rivalry books are, this one's noteworthy: Ashman's rhymes are impeccable, and McPhail has a gift for portraying the intimacy of domestic situations.

Reviewer: Nell Beram

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Nancy Carpenter. Each of twenty-six delinquents, from Angry Abby to Zany Zelda, is described in rhyming verse. Ashman employs an impressive amount of alliteration: "Frankie flings a Frisbee, / Making Fifi flinch, / Flipping Fletcher's flan, / Frightening Mr. Finch." Carpenter's accomplished mixed-media illustrations include an innovative use of photo collage.

Reviewer: Lolly Robinson