(3) 1-3 Illustrated by Hazel Quintanilla. The latest entry in Unicorn and Yeti, a fanciful comic series, uses high-interest characters and shimmery visuals to capture new readers' attention. Each of three chapters relates a low-stakes ­episode in the friendship between Yeti and Unicorn. In the first, Yeti's idea to make s'mores leads to a camping trip. Unicorn overdoes packing and setup--a contrast to Yeti, who only brings a sleeping bag and winds up waiting a lot. The second story centers on the friends finding a hot spring (Unicorn loves the heat, while Yeti prefers the cold) and the third around a discussion about the composition of the moon that ends in a cheese-themed picnic (everyone agrees about the value of cheese). Pastel hues, soft shapes, and minimal backgrounds nest some challenging phonetics (graham, fab-u-lous, dazzling) in a nonintimidating, cozy package.

Reviewer: Adrienne L. Pettinelli | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2025

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Bomboland. After a martial arts teacher bakes a Ninjabread Man, the cheeky cookie defeats all opponents--unlike his ill-fated counterpart in the traditional tale of "The Gingerbread Man." Afterward, he remains at the dojo to give the animal students' workouts "a whole new flavor." Despite groan-worthy wordplay and occasionally difficult-to-decipher action, readers will likely admire the three-dimensional effect of the cut-paper-style illustrations.

Reviewer: Martha Sibert

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Bonnie Adamson. Young Paul doesn't want to go to bed, so much so that he sprouts an (imaginary) tail and becomes a terrifying monster. After some soothing by his parents, he settles down for sleep. The story is slim in both English and Spanish; the conflict is resolved without much happening. However, the childlike pictures are eye-pleasing. Review covers these titles: Bedtime Monster and Bedtime Monster / ¡A dormír, pequeño monstruo!.

Reviewer: Tim Wadham