(3) K-3 Illustrated by Kyrsten Brooker. Hannah is upset because she must move to a new town. As her grandmother describes her own move long ago, a striking oil-paint and collage spread shows a Jewish family from Europe being welcomed by Canadian relatives; "Definitely some bitter but even more sweet," she tells Hannah. An afterword explains the symbolism of bitter and sweet in Jewish tradition, but the feelings about moving are universal.

Reviewer: Melinda Greenblatt

(3) PS Illustrated by Aimée Sicuro. "Every night, when the dark entered the house...Ella grew afraid." But after Ella's mother takes her outside to experience the sounds and sights of nighttime--the bright moon, the crickets chirping--she's not scared of the dark anymore. The quiet bedtime story is accompanied by soothing mixed-media illustrations in a palette of mostly black, gray, and yellow (Ella's favorite color).

Reviewer: Rachel L. Smith

(3) 1-3 Illustrated by Susan Mitchell. Daisy (Daisy's Perfect World; Daisy's Defining Day) needs a special talent for the Student Showcase. Inspired by neighbor Mrs. Bookman's poetry party and her own love of words, Daisy creates a Word Café where guests can order poems. This third sweet story features approachable language and simple black-and-white illustrations. Daisy's passion for words may prove infectious for young readers. Vocabulary lists are appended.

Reviewer: Julie Bartynski-Fenner

(3) 1-3 Illustrated by Susan Mitchell. In this sequel to Daisy's Perfect Word, the delightful Daisy puts her love of words to work to replace her nickname ("Lazy Daisy") with a positive alliterative one. Simple sentences and organic inclusion of words and their definitions will help young readers develop their literacy skills. Pencil spot illustrations complement the good-natured text, and helpful word lists from the story are appended.

Reviewer: Brittany Schlorff

(3) 1-3 Illustrated by Susan Mitchell. Word-aficionado Daisy loves collecting words and organizing them into lists. When her favorite teacher announces she's moving, Daisy realizes the best going-away present would be the perfect word "chosen specially for her." Buoyant in tone, the quick, readable chapters share Daisy's enthusiasm with classmates, teacher, and readers alike. The frequent black-and-white drawings are friendly and inviting.

Reviewer: Susan Halperin