(4) K-3 Illustrated by Cátia Chien. A turtle living alone in a grim part of the world dreams of "a better home," so he renovates his shell, then adds on top a garden, which calls for houses, and so on. Rendered in acrylic, pencil, and paper collage, many of Chien's abstract compositions are stunning, but with such a marvelously inventive premise, the story would have benefited from easier-to-decipher art.

Reviewer: Nell Beram

(3) 4-6 Eleven-year-old Stella is coping with her father's death when a black hole follows her home from a trip to NASA and eats everything in its path, including the family dog and Stella's memories. Cuevas delicately balances wild sci-fi with tremendous respect for her grieving heroine; illustrations and design choices (black pages with white text denote action inside the black hole) enhance the imaginative story.

Reviewer: Renée Wheeler

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Sydney Smith. When an unexpected pop! unsticks Smoot the Shadow from his dull human, he uses the opportunity to have fun. Smoot's revelry inspires the town's other shadows and his now-shadowless boy, who rejoins his shadow to live a "vibrant" new life. Cuevas's poetic text is accompanied by Smith's masterful ink and watercolor illustrations. Visual shifts among full-page spreads, paneled layouts, spot art, and wordless scenes are seamless and full of impact.

Reviewer: Patrick Gall | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2017

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Erin E. Stead. The Uncorker of Ocean Bottles delivers messages in bottles to their proper recipients but secretly wants to receive one himself. When he finds a party invitation with no addressee, he decides to go, ultimately delivering--and receiving--the message perfectly. Stead's art, using woodblock prints, oil pastels, and pencil, brings out the dreamlike quality of the quiet story about the power of connection.

Reviewer: Julie Roach | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2016

(4) 4-6 Jacques Papier has an existential crisis when he realizes he's imaginary. He sets off on a quest for the meaning of life, identity, and freedom. While the action is weighed down by similes and self-esteem aphorisms, this sophisticated faux memoir is a nuanced portrait of friendship that is full of smart and funny meta moments. Whimsical line drawings dot the pages.

Reviewer: Sarah Ellis

(3) 4-6 Illustrated by Julie Morstad. This warm, funny novel, illustrated with delicate line drawings and touched with magical realism, explores themes of acceptance and family with avian metaphors and imagery. Nashville, hatched from an egg his father found, lives in limbo between human and bird existences in a house nestled in a tree. Readers will cheer as Nashville builds wings and tests the limits of what's possible.

Reviewer: Pam Yosca

(3) 4-6 Illustrated by Ed Young. When a baby named Pigeon is abandoned, Birch, an elephant, cares for the boy. As he grows, the two search for Pigeon's parents while seeking public recognition for Birch's artistic talent and looking for his lost love, an acrobat. The quirky story, featuring poetic language and imagery, is accompanied by loosely drawn black-and-white sketches.

Reviewer: Bridget McCaffrey