(2) K-3 Illustrated by Lynnor Bontigao. For many children, the afterschool hours are anything but relaxing, "because now there is homework. Or a piano lesson. Or dance class." Detlefsen and Bontigao effectively portray this frenetic time between school dismissal and bedtime in an enjoyable picture book featuring a biracial family. The dad, who may be a stay-at-home parent, oversees the three young children's activities. Mom is in the military and joins her family via a video call in the evening, during which the kids experience the "pang of missing someone who feels too far away." While the children may be "exhausted...or in a mood" at day's end, there are also moments of lightheartedness. Dad and the kids enjoy taking a walk at twilight, telling knock-knock jokes, and eating bread fresh from the oven. Mom's return home makes the family complete but doesn't put an end to the chaos. Bontigao's expressive digitally rendered illustrations capture the havoc surrounding the family (e.g., the dog eats a child's homework, a vase is knocked off a table and shatters), while the text's soothing rhythm makes for a fine bedtime story.

Reviewer: | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2024

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Linzie Hunter. Humorous text recalling If You Give a Mouse a Cookie but with a sci-fi twist relates the chain of events that would occur if "you" (an imaginative anthropomorphic blue rabbit) built a jet pack. Boldly colored digital illustrations, sometimes with vignettes or panels, include plenty of details to notice on repeat perusals; a handwriting-like font creates a casual feel.

Reviewer: Shoshana Flax

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Jed Henry. Sam is finally old enough to participate in the fall cranberry harvest on his parents' farm. From the flooding of the cranberry marshes to the booming, corralling, suctioning, cleaning, and delivering, details of the harvest are informative. The illustrations' reds, yellows, and oranges create a vibrant and cozy fall setting. Recipes and an author's note are appended. Glos.

Reviewer: Willa Zhang | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2015