(4) K-3 Illustrated by Caroline Binch. Lush illustrations of Caribbean landscapes set the scene for the story a grandmother tells to her grandson about an enigmatic Dominican creature called Ti Bolom. A call-and-response refrain ("Eh Kwik!" and "Eh Kwak!") creates transitions from Grannie's colloquial language to the rest of the text. Suspense surrounding Ti Bolom's identity builds evenly throughout the story, but the ending is confusing.

Reviewer: Breanna J. MCDaniel

(3) PS Illustrated by Paul Howard. This straightforward story of Jay Jay's Sunday afternoon at Grannie's (he arrives, he plays, he eats, he leaves) is also a tribute to extended families gathering over a meal. The text is brief and bouncy, and the brightly colored illustrations of Jay Jay and his African-American family have plenty of big-hearted personality.

Reviewer: Kitty Flynn

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Sharon Wilson. Leigh and Vin commemorate their grandfather's life by planting an apple seed. While the text connects an apple tree with the continuing growth and change of a family, the number of poignant elliptical statements overload the analogy with sentiment. The heavily textured, realistic illustrations, done in pastels with plenty of green and gold hues, match this soft, hazy view of the family.

Reviewer: Maeve Visser Knoth