(3) K-3 Illustrated by Yasmeen Ismail. Because of giraffe Noodle's loud snoring, Sophia's new pet (her birthday gift in One Word from Sophia) may be exiled from her quirky family. Approaching the problem scientifically, inquisitive Sophia consults an acoustical engineer, then experiments, fails, and finally builds a wacky "snore transformer" that turns Noodles's snoring into "a sweet giraffian lullaby." Loose, Raschka-esque watercolor and colored-pencil illustrations complement the story's playful language. Glos.

Reviewer: Martha Sibert

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Amy Hevron. Lonely canary Trevor notices a plump canary (a lemon) on a branch. Trevor remains steadfast (read: clueless) throughout a one-sided friendship, sharing his coveted sunflower seed and building a nest to share. The seed sprouts a sunflower plant, which attracts real feathered friends. Pretty and bright, the acrylic-on-wood paintings enhance this compassionate story about a friend "who gave...everything and asked for nothing at all."

Reviewer: Sheila M. Geraty

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Yasmeen Ismail. Sophie's "One True Desire" for her birthday is a giraffe. She tries different approaches with her adult family members, tailoring her arguments to each person's profession or personality. After being told she's too "verbose," "effusive," and "loquacious," she follows Grand-mamá's advice and gets to the point: "Please." The Raschka-esque watercolor and colored-pencil illustrations are more compelling than the unnecessarily wordy text. Glos.

Reviewer: Lauren Causey

(4) 4-6 Illustrated by Nick Bertozzi. Jack Fair tries to find his missing aunt with the help of the famous director Alfred Hitchcock. Rife with allusions to Hitchcock's body of work (explained in the back matter), chapter-opening storyboard panels that foreshadow the action, and a wonderfully evoked 1950s–San Francisco setting, this clever mystery is dogged by a leisurely paced plot.

Reviewer: Jonathan Hunt

(3) K-3 This is an original tale of a young girl in Cameroon who, in her laziness and greed, insults the Great Spirit of the Market when she rips off a customer buying bitterleaf stew. Yoyo is a brave, spunky child who learns from her mistake. The art, with strong patterns, earth tones, and digital elements, satisfactorily captures the setting. A recipe is appended. Glos.

Reviewer: Maeve Visser Knoth

(3) PS Some overactive bath play results in fire-breathing Little Dragon losing his "spark." His failed attempts to revive it (bundling up in winter clothes, scarfing down chili peppers) are amusing; his means of success--getting a kiss from his mom--is perfect. Averbeck's art makes broad-lined cartoony characterizations seem like a natural fit with what looks like photos of actual flames.

Reviewer: Nell Beram

(2) PS This book leads readers to expect predictable outcomes, only to turn those expectations on their head. An egg will hatch a baby bird, except if...said egg contains a baby snake--or a baby lizard. Averbeck keeps the pictures simple, focused, and funny, all the way to the satisfyingly circular ending. Children will enjoy the surprise of each page turn.

Reviewer: Susan Dove Lempke | Horn Book Magazine Issue: January, 2011

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Tricia Tusa. "I can only sleep in a blue room," says Alice, awake past her bedtime. Using flowers, tea, an extra quilt, and gentle "lullaby bells," Mama eventually coaxes her to sleep. The moon bathes the cozy bedroom in blue, beautifully shown in the delicate and expressive watercolor, ink, and gouache images that illustrate the soothing text.

Reviewer: Sheila M. Geraty