(2) K-3 Illustrated by Matthew Cordell. A mouse with nautical aspirations realizes her dream. Wee Mabel gazes with longing at the cunning model ship fashioned by the man who lives in the lakeside cabin where she makes her home. It is the man's "prized possession," the product of many months of painstaking labor; he is so possessive that he won't even let the boy who lives with him touch it. Then one blustery night the cabin door is blown open and Mabel gets her chance. Using a mouse-sized block and tackle and some tiny logs as rollers, she lowers the boat and pushes it into the water to sail it all night long. When the man panics at the ship's loss but then sees it under sail with Mabel at the helm, man, boy, and mouse are united in awe and glee. Jonker taps into many children's delight in miniatures; they will thrill along with Mabel at her adventure. Cordell's scratchy ink and wash illustrations have a faded look, their sepias and pale blues giving the tale an old-timey feel that a gooseneck desk lamp only slightly diminishes. Mabel and the boy each wear a knitted watch cap, hers a pale red and his blue; when he lifts her in his hand at the end of the story, they smile at each other, fast friends. The illustrations mix full-bleed spreads with vignettes; the latter are framed in knotted rope. Sweet wish fulfillment.

Reviewer: Vicky Smith | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 2024

(3) PS Illustrated by Grant Snider. Little Blue, an iceberg, breaks off from his iceberg parents--"CRACK!"--and begins an odyssey that takes him far from home and through the water cycle. As with any hero's journey, there are obstacles to overcome: Blue survives melting, evaporating, and condensing. Now a cloud, Blue travels above the ocean and meets some friends who help him get back north to his (still iceberg) parents. This grand adventure has plenty of satisfying tension; the dynamic cut-paper, colored-pencil, and white ink illustrations add color and depth to the pages. An author's note talks about the water cycle, threats to polar ice, and three ways to "fight climate change."

Reviewer: Kitty Flynn

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Mark Pett. In a small town stands a castle; no one ever goes in or comes out. Frightening rumors about its inhabitants keep people away until one curious little girl decides she's going in: "Maybe it's something terrible...but maybe it's something else." This brave child's decision inspires community-building and friendship among the townsfolk and encourages readers to try new things and overcome fears, all against a backdrop of stunning pen-and-ink and watercolor illustrations.

Reviewer: Lana Barnes