(2) K-3 Illustrated by LeUyen Pham. Everyone knows that yawning is contagious--even in fantastical Never Sleeping City. Once good-natured Granny yawns, energetic young Gabby must try to rouse all the suddenly sleepy revelers around them. Visual references to Sendak's In the Night Kitchen are clear, from the lookalike font to midnight-blue hues and bustlingly busy illustrations. Levis and Pham provide a neat update, with a brown-skinned, female protagonist embarking on her surreal nighttime adventure.

Reviewer: Elissa Gershowitz | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2018

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Andy Rash. "Once upon a refrigerator, the letters of the alphabet gathered together to tell a story." Thus begins a quarrel between K and C--each sure the other has stolen its sound--that threatens to make storytelling impossible ("There wouldn't be any SMOCKS or BLOCKS! No STICKS or LICKS!"). The silly plot effectively highlights several consonant sound combinations, which illustrations of letter magnets on a fridge reinforce.

Reviewer: Rebecca Fox

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Charles Santoso. Inspired by real polar bears, Ida and Gus, who lived in the Central Park Zoo, Levis writes a tender tale of friendship and loss. Soft, luminous digital artwork of the bears before and during Ida's illness--and, later, of Gus alone--blend seamlessly with the lyrical text. As Gus heals, the city's heartbeat reminds him that Ida "is right there. Always." An author's note is included.

Reviewer: Nancy Sheridan

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Jon Davis. "The Blooz" (a hulking but adorable blue monster) shows up at a child's door uninvited and makes itself at home. Ignoring, threatening, and interrogating it ("Is your sweater itchy? Do you miss my mom?") don't help, so the child resorts to playing with Blooz. This is a tender, considerate look at sadness, with quietly playful digital paintings.

Reviewer: Katrina Hedeen