(2) K-3 Illustrated by Doug Keith. Approaching Giant Island in Grandpa's motorboat, Ava and Mason wonder why the small island has such a name. Grandpa says it's always been called that: "That's what my grandpa told me." The children explore the island while Grandpa goes fishing and discover a cave "dripping with mystery." Next, they jump into the water, noting that there "seemed to be magic everywhere" (the illustration shows the two floating in giant bubbles beneath the water's surface). From a rocky ledge they can see the entire island: "Mason, look! The whole island is a giant!" By wielding perspective and scale in playful ways, Keith provides visual clues along the way: a stone that serves as the giant's eye, moss that looks like its hair, and rocks under the water that form a giant's affable face. The rocky ledge is the giant's extended arm. Yolen fills the text with the children's excited dialogue, which gives the book a lively tone; when Grandpa whispers as they leave at sunset, "Always good to see you, old friend," readers know his intention was to give his grandchildren the same thrilling adventures he had as a child. The contrasts in the opening and closing endpapers celebrate the power of imagination to make magic.

Reviewer: Julie Danielson | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2022

(2) PS Illustrated by Jen Corace. In this spare, lyrical picture book, Yolen explores the robust inner life of a child as she learns to navigate her world with the love and support of an ursine alter-ego. "I wear my bear on the outside...like wearing a suit of armor," she says. Bear shields the girl from the slings and arrows of childhood and bolsters her to be brave and take charge in various situations. ("Only not at swimming lessons. That can be dangerous for both of us.") Through sharing, taking care of each other, and exploring life to the fullest, there's no doubt that this child and her bear are going places. Corace's joyfully expressive watercolors portray the loving symbiosis between human and animal. Bear is the only figure that is outlined, albeit loosely, lending a dynamism to her portrayal. Bear is never fierce; she is big, energetic, and cuddly, with pink cheeks and a shy smile. She surrounds her girl, enveloping her like a security blanket, yet letting her shine like the star she is. A warm and winning title about becoming one's own person.

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

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Christine Davenier. Since not much is known about Dickinson as a child, Yolen constructs a fictional experience of what might have inspired her poetic observations later in life. Readers follow a very young Emily as she shows her three-word rhyming poem ("Frog and bog!") to her distracted father, who doesn't pay attention; her mother, abed, who doesn't open her eyes; and the more encouraging Mrs. Mack, their landlady. After communing outdoors with nature--the source of inspiration for her poem--Emily returns inside to search for new ideas (what rhymes with envelope?), with help from Mrs. Mack ("Hope, my dear girl. That's the best rhyme"). From Emily's youthful vantage point, Yolen indirectly explains a good deal about her life and interests, allowing readers to think--just as Emily does--"about the real and the unreal" and what lies in-between (it's poetry, according to Emily). An appended author's note and samples of Dickinson's poetry help put all these snippets of story into context. The pastel-hued watercolor and ink illustrations reflect Emily's precociousness and curiosity. Nineteenth-century period details set the scene throughout the book's balanced mix of spot art, full-page images, and double-page spreads. (For a more traditional picture-book biography of Dickinson, see Jennifer Berne's On Wings of Words, reviewed on page 137.)