(2) K-3 Ablaze with warmth and wonder, Denos's (Windows, rev. 11/17) latest picture book is a story of intergalactic friendship and cosmic wishes. Eridani, a human girl "made of blood and bones" is best friends with Acamar, "more of a constellation than a boy...made of space and stars." Every evening, the two friends share questions and longings. Eridani wonders about flying and comets while Acamar wonders about sunsets and sand. Sparked by curiosity, they wish upon each other--and experience something that is altogether magical. Simultaneously symmetrical and surprising, the text sparkles with alliteration ("Eridani's shiver became a shimmer") and earnest dialogue between the two friends. Rich with texture and movement, the full-bleed illustrations (rendered in watercolor, ink, pencil, and digital collage) sweep over the pages, creating stunning nightscapes that explode with astronomical energy and twinkle with luminous and incandescent constellations. Stellar cool-hued night skies and dotted milky-white galactic constellations effectively contrast with the warmth of Earth and its glowing pink sunsets, flowering emerald vines, and golden candlelit classrooms. An author's note explaining the story's scientific inspiration provides readers with a surprise about the characters' names. Ethereal and evocative (if lengthy), it's the tale of a sincere, starry, and steadfast friendship.

Reviewer: Emmie Stuart | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2020

(1) K-3 Illustrated by E. B. Goodale. As evening falls, a brown-skinned child takes the dog for a walk, mother watching protectively from the apartment window. This child, the "you" of the text, traverses a populous and benign urban neighborhood, musing on the activities glimpsed through windows of buildings passed. The tone is contemplative, balanced by considerable action in the ink, watercolor, letterpress, and digital-collage illustrations and a sense of vibrant life throughout.

Reviewer: Martha V. Parravano | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2017

(4) K-3 This is the story of "color tamer" Swatch, a girl who could "run with the wildest shades" and "train them to dance / and do magic." The plot kicks in at the book's midpoint, when Swatch vows to capture "Yellowest Yellow"--the "one color left to catch." It's rather precious, but the bold blasts of color can be visually stunning.

Reviewer: Nell Beram