(2) K-3 Illustrated by Milan Pavlović. "If I were the sun, I would sing a gentle morning song," begins Storms and Pavlović's (Moon Wishes) second collaboration, which invites readers to ponder what they might see and do if they were the sun. Storms's meditative, poetic text contrasts with Pavlović's lively mixed-media illustrations, creating a bracing whole. Writer and artist each demonstrates deliberation and care in their choices. Storms respects young readers' intelligence with juicy vocabulary (jubilant, vivid, tapestry, revel, luminous). Pavlović feeds their curiosity with specific imagery. A variety of people and creatures that are seemingly leading interesting, full lives are depicted in particular landscapes: a bear catches fish; people go sledding and make snow angels; etc. Almost every illustration is a color-filled double-page spread that includes enough detail and suggests enough activity to be its own story, which is exactly what the sun would see as it goes about its day--story after story after story. The sun's day is technically never done, but parents of young children won't mind the closing suggestion that the sun "would rest peacefully at the end of a busy day...knowing tomorrow I would shine once more."

Reviewer: Adrienne L. Pettinelli | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2022

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Nathalie Dion. A dog starts its morning quietly, pretending to be asleep so it can hear its human call quietly, "Time to get up, Dutch." Then the two, a patchy mutt with bright eyes and perky tail and a redheaded young woman, spend the day working together in the garden. The plot is uncomplicated, the richness of the story coming from the affection between dog narrator and human companion and from their shared appreciation of the garden. Dutch uses expressive language to narrate the activities--"I roll in the dewy grass and breathe in the sweet, rich smells around me." The human clearly knows exactly what Dutch wants--a rest in the shade, a chance to sniff at new holes, and a romp in spray from the hose. "It's the bright time of year," says Dutch, and from the gorgeous front endpapers to the book's close Dion uses vivid greens and yellows to create that brightness. The scenes have the texture of chalk drawings, with smudges and lines blurring into the blooms on a tree, the indistinct edges of grass, and flowers crowding the garden walkways. This is a lovely celebration of a simple, perfect summer day shared between friends.

Reviewer: Maeve Visser Knoth | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 2021