(3) PS Illustrated by Abigail Halpin. A young girl prepares for a baby sister. Her first-person observations ("Mama's belly is making her grumpy") and questions ("Will your lap ever come back?") aptly capture pregnancy from a child's point of view. Natural motifs feature in Halpin's illustrations--a mixture of poignant domestic vignettes and serene scenes outside the lakeside home--mirroring the growth and change of this family-in-transition.

Reviewer: Erica Wetter

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Gabi Swiatkowska. Tired of palace tea, a queen travels to Japan, India, and Turkey in search of the perfect cup; each of the three young tea makers she meets asks her to--gasp--help make it. This witty tale offers a lesson in collaboration and an introduction to the world's teas. Colored-pencil art adroitly chronicles the queen's transformation from shrew to sharer.

Reviewer: Nell Beram

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Cosei Kawa. A collection of whimsical poems told by a creative chef showcase the quirky eating habits of circus entertainers--trapeze artists on a sugar high, for example. It's an offbeat angle on the circus and there's nice variation to the poems, though some of the rhymes and rhythms drag. While colorful and unique, the surreal illustrations contain details that are a bit too minute.

Reviewer: Jeannie Coutant

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Holly Clifton-Brown. Bored with the usual birthday parties, Annabelle demands that hers be on the moon this year. This location, however, has its own set of problems: Mom can't light the candles and no one can eat cake wearing a space helmet. The story, told in verse with some forced rhymes and lines that don't always scan, is accompanied by attractive exaggerated illustrations.

Reviewer: Patricia Riley

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Gabi Swiatkowska. Looking up at the stars, Uma feels "very, very small" and begins to think about infinity. She asks around and receives a potpourri of interpretations and explanations. Uma's musings are perfectly childlike, and she lands on her own practical understanding: "my love for [Grandma] was as big as infinity." Swiatkowska illustrates the text with appropriately disorienting details that combine to a visually stunning effect.

Reviewer: Katrina Hedeen | Horn Book Magazine Issue: January, 2013

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Holly Clifton-Brown. Annabelle is a budding fashionista who shuns boring braids and childish overalls. This sassy character first whips her hair into a bouffant then creates a long, colorful gown to wear to school. Some of the text's rhymes are uninspired, but the illustrations are vibrant and the story speaks to young readers looking to make an impression of their own.

Reviewer: Sophie Williamson