(4) 4-6 Illustrated by Julia Denos. Esme survives her father's military deployment by helping her mother and remembering her father's rules (e.g., "The first person that hits is always wrong"). She deals with the changes in her home routine and counts the days until her father returns. Esme's first-person narration is not convincingly childlike, but it does draw readers into the protagonist's very difficult situation.

Reviewer: Maeve Visser Knoth

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Kevin Hawkes. First-grader Velma is hell-bent on distinguishing herself from her much-adored older sisters. During a class trip to a butterfly conservatory, Velma is able to make a name for herself. The story takes a while to get going, but the text is informative. In his exaggerated illustrations, Hawkes gives the sympathetic Velma one expressive pair of orange pigtails.

Reviewer: Nell Beram

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Giselle Potter. Because of his extra digits, twelve-toed Sixto becomes the best grape-stomper in his village of Ear; his exploitation by the villain boss Boombatz and ultimate triumph are classic stuff. The wordplay here is imaginative and skilled, but some plot devices strain credulity even for a tall tale. Quirky, exaggerated mixed-media art suits the story.

Reviewer: Frieda F. Bostian