(2) K-3 Illustrated by Shahrzad Maydani. A relatable tale of friendship and change. Sofia, a dark-skinned girl with cornrowed hair, and May, with long brown hair and light skin, open the gate between their yards and play together daily. One day, they find a field abloom with yellow sourgrass flowers. "My mom says sourgrass shows up every spring, keeping its promise," says May. The girls nibble the sourgrass and spit out the stems, and the plant comes to represent their closeness as best friends. As they romp in the blooming fields, Sofia's stuffed-animal mouse and May's duck come to life and play with the girls and each other. But one "colorless day," May moves away, turning the chalk pastel and watercolor illustrations that had teemed with yellows, oranges, pinks, and greens to darker blues, blacks, and maroons. Sofia sends May letters, but as winter arrives, responses stop. When Sofia spots an early-spring sourgrass flower growing through the fence -- its roots in May's yard and flower in hers -- Sofia recalls the promise of their friendship, and soon, the possibility of a new friend emerges. Lim's hopeful story, with its spare, accessible text, and Maydani's soft, whimsical illustrations offer readers lots to love and notice.

Reviewer: Michelle H. Martin | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2024

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Il Sung Na. A young boy from Korea moves to America and finds a "tall, crooked, quiet" old plum tree in his new backyard that reminds him of his persimmon tree back home. He names her Plumee for the deep purple plums that "dotted every branch" and finds comfort in her whenever he misses home. One spring night, a windstorm knocks Plumee down. Yet even so, with "her roots pulled out of the earth," she is still his playmate, becoming in his mind everything he wishes for: "a tree house. A rocket. An island. A ship." The boy later plants "a new plum tree, short and straight" in Plumee's old place and carefully tends the sapling, finding the same feeling of home as he waters her and watches her grow. Themes of resilience, hope, and vulnerability run through Lim's simple and poetic text. Na's digital illustrations help build empathy. On one dramatic double-page spread, a nearly glowing white silhouette of a ghostly Plumee appears against a dark night sky. The high contrast in hue conveys not just the absence of the tree but also the feeling of emptiness that her absence brings. Gentle symbolism employed throughout creates opportunities for discussion of change, connection, and adaptation.

Reviewer: Weileen Wang | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 2021

(2) PS Illustrated by Hyewon Yum. A little girl and her father take regular bike rides through their coastal town. The girl, seated snugly in the booster seat behind her father, pretends to be a bird, repeatedly crying "CA-CAW!" In return, she receives friendly responses from the people they pass, but one elderly woman, walking with determination, doesn't acknowledge the girl: "She does not wave. She does not smile." Her lack of response concerns and frightens the child, and her joyful bird cries fade. But one day she sees the woman in the park, talking quietly to the birds that surround her. Finally, the girl and woman greet one another with bird calls. "I am a bird again. CA-CAW!" declares the child. Yum (Saturday Is Swimming Day, rev. 7/18) brings viewers a bright, light-infused outdoor world in a palette of sunny yellows, warm greens, and the velvety blue of the ocean. Lim's plainspoken prose captures the perspective of a young child, especially in the dialogue ("Daddy, I don't like her") and, specifically, the fear the girl experiences and the way in which she recedes because of it. The connection she makes with the woman at story's close is a moment of exuberance. It's a tale that celebrates imagination; birds (the monochromatic drawings of graceful birds in flight on the endpapers are a highlight); and the value of getting past fears to discover that we all have more in common than we might think.

Reviewer: Julie Danielson | Horn Book Magazine Issue: January, 2021