(3) PS An exasperated orangutan mother tries to keep up with her adventurous wild child. Simple patterned phrases--"Wild stretch. Wild yawn. Wild morning starts at dawn"--chronicle the pair's daily activities. Accompanying sherbet-toned illustrations depict an increasingly frazzled mother's efforts to keep her fearless baby safe. Parents will recognize Mama's range of hilariously horrified facial expressions, which will entertain young readers.

Reviewer: Jessica Tackett MacDonald

(3) PS When a stray dog follows a little girl and mom to the park, the pup notices they have left the girl's teddy bear behind after they go back home. The pup brings the toy to the girl's house, where both teddy and Good Dog are welcomed. The effectively succinct text ("Scared dog. / Lonely dog. / Hungry dog.") is much extended by the expressive (and heartstrings-tugging) digital illustrations.

Reviewer: Bridget McCaffrey

(2) PS Taylor's dejected after a crow topples the child's wooden-block structure. A chicken urges Taylor to "talk, talk, talk about it!"; others offer well-intentioned but unhelpful advice. Expressive illustrations depict Taylor with closed-off body language. Finally, a rabbit sits beside Taylor, silent until Taylor decides to talk: "The rabbit listened," patient and compassionate, letting Taylor work through complex emotions without pressure, culminating in a positive ending.

Reviewer: Megan Dowd Lambert | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2018

(3) 1-3 Cici: A Fairy's Tale series. Illustrated by Tyler Page & Cori Doerrfeld. When Cici's mother starts dating popular classmate Kendra's father, Cici can't resist using her newly discovered fairy powers for revenge (Sight). When Cici and Kendra (now friends) go camping, Cici connects with a forest sprite (Perfect). These early, brightly illustrated graphic novels realistically portray a Latino family of divorce; the fantasy twist adds levity. Review covers these Cici: A Fairy's Tale titles: A Perfect View and Truth in Sight.

Reviewer: Siena Leslie

(3) PS The titular elephant siblings turn everyday games and objects into imaginative play experiences that will be familiar to young children. The small square book is divided into three short segments, each telling a different story via Doerrfeld's simple-lined digital charcoal drawings with meaningful limited coloring supported by minimal but expressive text. The final picture is especially poignant.

Reviewer: Miriam Steinberg-Egeth

(4) 1-3 Cici: A Fairy's Tale series. Illustrated by Tyler Page & Cori Doerrfeld. While dealing with her parents' divorce, Cici learns that she is a fairy and must decide whether to keep her powers. This graphic novel with a Latina main character deals well with the pain of divorce. Though the logic behind the fantasy elements is shaky, the expressive illustrations are at their best when portraying Cici's friends and family as she sees them--with animal attributes.

Reviewer: Siena Leslie

(3) 1-3 Cici: A Fairy's Tale series. Illustrated by Tyler Page & Cori Doerrfeld. When Cici's mother starts dating popular classmate Kendra's father, Cici can't resist using her newly discovered fairy powers for revenge (Sight). When Cici and Kendra (now friends) go camping, Cici connects with a forest sprite (Perfect). These early, brightly illustrated graphic novels realistically portray a Latino family of divorce; the fantasy twist adds levity. Review covers these Cici: A Fairy's Tale titles: A Perfect View and Truth in Sight.

Reviewer: Siena Leslie

(3) PS Penny loves everything pink, from her clothes to her bike. While proclaiming her passion for pink, hints of blue appear throughout the pink-saturated illustrations, signaling an impending shift. When baby Parker appears--"No! No! No! Boys are BLUE!"--Penny, despite herself, falls for her smiley, rosy-skinned baby brother. A satisfying final spread shows the pair clad in both colors.

Reviewer: Carrie Harasimowicz Sullivan