(2) PS Illustrated by Dasha Tolstikova. While hiking, Annabelle and her father discover a bone. "'A bone from an animal?' Annabelle asked." At home they give the bone a good scrub, and Annabelle ties a ribbon around it. She takes "Boney" to the park and pushes it in a swing, and slides down the slide with Boney in her lap. That night she dreams about the deer, bear, or wolf that Boney might have come from, and she wakes up feeling sad. She buries Boney in her yard and recites a poem she creates for the occasion: "The deer and the bear and the wolf are running. And I am running with them." The story closes with Annabelle and a friend going to the park together. Fagan's storytelling is simple but deeply felt. The direct prose, much of it dialogue, and Tolstikova's childlike ­mixed-media illustrations convey the emotional depth of the seemingly small experience and Annabelle's thoughtful nature.

Reviewer: Maeve Visser Knoth | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2022

(3) 1-3 Illustrated by Zoe Si. Fact-loving loner Wolfie and her creative, quirky neighbor, Fly, embark on their second imaginary adventure--this time, playing a concert and escaping a mob of their fans. Packed with silly story details (such as an uncle who retired from the toaster factory to paint pictures...of toasters), this lighthearted sequel to Wolfie & Fly is lots of fun. Black-and-white ink and watercolor illustrations showcase the characters' personalities.

Reviewer: Rachel Marsh

(3) 4-6 In 1925 Toronto, a gentle circus lion is thrown from a train and holes up in High Park. Clever, compassionate baker's daughter Sadie and her friend Theo Junior discover and care for the lion until they can find him a permanent home. Fagan's story is full of quiet humor, nostalgia, and a touch of wistfulness that lends realism to the fantastical premise.

Reviewer: Mariko Turk

(4) 1-3 Illustrated by Zoe Si. Loner Renata Wolfman ("Wolfie") likes facts, while quirky, friend-seeking neighbor boy Livingston Flott ("Fly") likes to use his imagination. When Fly shows up at Wolfie's door, the two find themselves on an undersea adventure in a cardboard submarine of Wolfie's design. The plot is slight, but the real and play worlds feel equally authentic, and ink-and-watercolor illustrations capture the protagonists' personalities.

Reviewer: Rebecca Fox

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Madeline Kloepper. A little blue chair starts out as a boy's favorite; it's passed from person to person before ending up with the same boy--who's now grown, with a daughter who loves the chair as much as he did. Lovely ink and pencil illustrations, in a variety of layouts, from vignettes to double-page spreads, imbue the story with heart; the circular ending is very satisfying.

Reviewer: Martha V. Parravano

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Banafsheh Erfanian. In this story inspired by a Franz Kafka aphorism, an empty birdcage seeks to lend itself existential meaning by finding a new bird to reside in its shelter. But every offer of comfort or companionship is summarily rebuffed, leaving the cage feeling deserted. A nonsensical plot is offset by strikingly vivid acrylic and oil-pastel illustrations.

Reviewer: Jessica Bushore

(3) 4-6 In this triumphant youngest-sibling story set in 1965, Norman wins money in a contest and takes his Jewish Canadian family on their first vacation to Miami Beach. There Norman meets a girl, resuscitates the career of has-been comedian Mort, and learns to stand up to his bully brothers. Even if the plot isn't quite believable, the characters sure are--especially likable hero Norman.

Reviewer: Cyrisse Jaffee

(2) K-3 Designed to look like an old notebook, this is a shout-out to frustrated doodlers. Black-and-white pictures drawn with a Sharpie marker initially demonstrate the narrator's self-professed lack of skill, but as the pages turn, he begins making pictures that tell stories. With simple tips and funny captions enlivening the pages, this glimpse into the joys of practicing may encourage hopeful young artists.

Reviewer: Julie Roach | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2014

(3) 4-6 Illustrated by Milan Pavlovic. When Danny flees his house, angry about his family's planned move, he falls to the bottom of a very deep hole, where he meets a memorable talking mole. After Danny saves his new friend from a snake attack, he's rescued--and ready for another adventure. The fantasy elements are well incorporated, and Danny's change of heart is believable in this brief, quirky novel.

Reviewer: Martha V. Parravano

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Gary Clement. Frustrated by their uncle and aunts' unvarying exclamations, "Oy," "Feh," and "So?" three siblings try to get them to say something else. Their efforts (e.g., they pretend that they're being robbed) fail ("'Oy,' said Aunt Essy. 'Crime these days'"), at least initially. This fresh, droll, and affectionate tale is marred only by some poorly placed text on Clement's funny-as-heck illustrations.

Reviewer: Nell Beram

(4) 4-6 Master Melville's Medicine Show series. Eleven-year-old Sullivan Mintz is completely average except for his juggling ability. His life is unsatisfactory: he’s either helping his parents run an old-age home or being bullied in school. So is it an improvement when he’s abducted and made to join a traveling circus? Despite flashes of humor and insight, this series debut is cluttered with quirky characters and never quite comes to life.

Reviewer: Martha V. Parravano

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Dušan Petričić. Leo befriends a behatted elderly writer who convinces him that he needs the boy's help--a story is "trying to get out" of the hat. (Readers will understand that the writer is actually goading Leo to tell his own tale.) The text is overlong but clever, like the art: Leo's imaginings alone are rendered cartoonishly, as by a child's hand.

Reviewer: Nell Beram

(3) 4-6 Jeremiah's nouveau riche parents want only the best for their gawky son--private school plus lessons in etiquette, dancing, art, and piano. When Jeremiah hears a banjo playing, he becomes obsessed with following his true destiny. Fagan's straightforward, nondidactic narrative hints at the fact that individualism has its own rewards. An appended author's note encourages readers to build their own banjos.

Reviewer: David Elzey

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Geneviève Côté. Ella May finds a "wishing stone" at the beach and brings it home to show her friends (actually, to lord it over them). Her best pal, Manuel, doesn't buy the stone's magic; he comes up with his own sort of wishing-stone-mass-production device, leaving Ella May feeling no longer special. A kid-centric problem and rounded-edged, child-friendly pictures will entice readers.

Reviewer: Elissa Gershowitz

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Luc Melanson. Reflecting back on "when I was a little kid," a narrator (presumably the author as a boy) describes how his two older brothers teased, injured, defended, and entertained him. Brotherly love permeates the humorous illustrations featuring three grubby-looking kids with bad haircuts. The episodic anecdotes, while amusing, could have been better shaped in service of the whole.

Reviewer: Nell Beram

(3) 4-6 Ethan just wants to fit in during his first summer at sleepaway camp. He successfully flies under the radar--until he befriends the new kid, Zachary, whose bad reputation precedes him and whose aloof manner wins him few other friends. The low-key story provides thought-provoking commentary on friendship, rumors, and ambition set against a vivid summer camp backdrop.

Reviewer: Norah Piehl

(3) 4-6 Illustrated by Selçuk Demirel. Randolph, himself a collector, is curious about the mysterious collection kept by his family's new boarder, Mr. Karp. Eventually, Mr. Karp shows the boy his assortment of historical water samples and tells him fascinating tales about a collecting rivalry. The oddly endearing story, illustrated with occasional line drawings, is as unique as Mr. Karp's collection.

Reviewer: Susan Halperin

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Nicolas Debon. Unfortunate stuffed animal Thing-Thing is thrown from a hotel window. As he falls, hotel guests gain perspective on their own situations. We're kept on our toes here with dynamic page design and rapid changes in perspective. With his gift for capturing particular personalities, Debon presents the crowded chaos of a city, a mosaic of moments of comedy, tragedy, and romance.

Reviewer: Sarah Ellis | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2008

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Dušan Petričić. David dreads his birthday visit to his bubbie's because she always gives him the same gift: a dress shirt. When he accidentally on purpose lets it fly out the window, his dog, Pupik, drags it through the street before Bubbie reclaims, cleans, and presents it to David anew. Caricatures set as photos in a scrapbook illustrate the lively story.

Reviewer: David Elzey

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Gary Clement. In a rundown urban synagogue, ten old men gather to say prayers. One night a newcomer--a mouse--shows up and the men adopt it. Their reward? A bunch of baby mice (and their eventual families), which the men relocate to the country. This cheerful, if wordy, story features appealing characters and watercolors, but much of its humor will go over kids' heads.

Reviewer: Amy Lois Cohn