(1) K-3 Illustrated by Daniel Miyares. Wynter (Everybody in the Red Brick Building, rev. 11/21) presents a loving brown-skinned family through the generations in a story that explores, by providing glimpses into the past, how long it takes a tree to grow. In the opening spreads, we see children in the present day figuring out "how high they can climb" in the branches of a tall tree. But before that can happen, a girl (in the past) named Nell must pick up a seed, tend it, and bury its sprout. The children can only play in the tree's cool shade because Nell watered the soil; and so on. Miyares establishes two visual timelines: present-day with elderly Nell and one that is generations past with Nell as a girl. Viewers see the ways in which the characters in the present reap the rewards of a splendid pecan tree (e.g., Nell baking a pecan pie with her grandchildren) and regularly pause to look backward to see young Nell attentively nurturing the tree. Palette choices aid readers with the timeline and the cast of characters: the old and young versions of Nell wear a mustard-colored dress. Wynter's text sings with the economy and elegance of a poem, and specificities delight ("a leaf flecked with holes"). Miyares's (Night Walk to the Sea, rev. 9/21) illustrations, which capture light especially well, reflect the wonder of family, friends, the outdoors--and the magnificence of a tree that began when "Nell picks up a seed."

Reviewer: Julie Danielson | Horn Book Magazine Issue: January, 2023

(1) PS Illustrated by Oge Mora. On a clear, starry night, everybody in a red brick apartment building is sound asleep. That is, until Baby Izzie sits up in her crib and starts to cry, "WaaaAAH!!" This sets off a chain reaction in which other residents are roused from their slumber and create noises of their own. Young Rayhan gets out of bed to check on his parrot, who calls out, "RraaK! Wake UP!" In another ­apartment, three boys awaken and initiate a game of flashlight tag, including the requisite "Pitter, Patter, STOMP!" Before long the whole building is astir. The perspective pulls back to reveal the exterior of the building as a cat jumps down from her perch in a winow and leaps onto a car, setting off an alarm, "WEEYOOOWEEEE-YOOOOO!!!!" It takes a while, but bit by bit everyone settles down to the familiar "­shhhhshhhhshhhh" of the street sweeper and goes back to sleep. Even Baby Izzie dozes off in her mama's arms as the charming child-centric story comes full circle. Mora's (Saturday, rev. 10/19) dynamic, richly colored collage art reinforces the warm, cozy scenes and adds depth, ­texture, and vitality to the pages. The subtle diversity, urban setting, and universality of theme make this an excellent addition to bedtime bookshelves everywhere.

Reviewer: Luann Toth | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2021