(2) K-3 A chaotic household tries to reset by heading out for a forest hike. It's hard to enjoy the serenity of nature, though, when no one will help Mom, Grandpa keeps telling old "worn-out" stories, toddler Willa won't stop fussing, and dog Oni is all worked up. Least cooperative of all is older sibling Smudge, who stubbornly responds to Mom's request for good behavior, "Absolutely I will NOT!" Smudge continues to complain while wandering off -- only to get the entire family lost. Pray depicts the group's less-united moments with empathy instead of judgment and gives Smudge the opportunity to make amends for earlier transgressions by using memories of the day's rocky start ("And here! The berries I threw!") as landmarks to guide them out of the woods. "Maybe being lost together makes us sort of found, too," muses Smudge. Pray uses watercolor inks and colored pencils to contrast the family members' frazzled disconnect from one another with the beauty of the outdoors; the jewel-tone foliage becomes more vibrant and defined as the family grows closer. An ultimately cozy portrayal of a day that begins as memorable for the wrong reasons, only to end with Smudge's loved ones learning to find their way -- together.

Reviewer: Ed Spicer | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 2024

(2) PS Mira has lots of first days attempting new activities, but fear of failure prevents many second days. Take gymnastics, for example, a sport full of terrible what-if? scenarios for an anxious mind: "What if she fell? What if people laughed? What if she did it the wrong way?" Believing that everyone else is better or a "natural" talent, Mira never gives herself a chance; she accepts failure and thinks of herself as a "shadow" since she's not perfect. One day, all alone at the beach, she practices ­walking--and leaping--on a driftwood log, a makeshift balance beam. She falls but gets back up and tries again. After many more tries, "it wasn't perfect. But Mira did it." She may not be an expert, but she can still participate. Pencil, colored-pencil, and watercolor illustrations highlight the character's frustration and isolation from others. Mira appears against blue backgrounds, while pink-hued bubbles feature the activities from which she has isolated herself. The contrast between the front endpapers (stationary Mira, alone) and back ­endpapers (active Mira, part of a group) hints at growth to come. Give this book to perfectionists or to those who feel too anxious to try new things.

Reviewer: Julie Hakim Azzam | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2022