(2) K-3 Illustrated by Elisa Chavarri. It’s Nochebuena eve in the ­pastelería, “a night when wonder reigns, for those who believe in magic.” In Nutcracker-like fashion, Esperanza, a sugar figurine, is brought to life and proceeds to wake up the rest of the characters adorning a Christmas-tree cake. When a mischievous cat knocks down the intricate dessert, the figurines work together to re-bake it. With mixed-media illustrations that seem to shimmer with sugar and fairy dust (and an appended note about the author’s grandmother’s real-life sugar creations), this book is sure to satisfy any reader’s sweet tooth. Concurrently published in Spanish as Esperanza Caramelo, la estrella de Nochebuena.

Reviewer: | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2023

(1) K-3 Translated by Adriana Domínguez. Illustrated by Elisa Chavarri. This picture-book biography of Peruvian archaeologist and educator Julio C. Tello (1880–1947) forefronts Indigenous Peruvian science, knowledge systems, and art. Brown centers Tello's indigeneity from the opening spread. Born in 1880 "in the shadow of the Andes mountains," Tello spoke Quechua, the language spoken across generations of Indigenous Peruvian people. Nicknamed Sharuko for his brave disposition ("not even the skulls he and his brothers uncovered in ancient tombs" scared him), twelve-year-old Tello left the highlands for Lima to commence his studies, initiating a prolific and multi-continent educational journey. He returned to Peru in 1913, where at the Museum of Natural History in Lima he conducted groundbreaking excavation and fieldwork investigating the daily life of ancient Peruvians. Brown's text, usually appearing in Spanish on the left-hand pages and in English on the right (expertly translated by Domínguez), is informative and engaging. Chavarri's gouache and watercolor illustrations show panoramic Andean vistas, with saturated yellows balancing muted green hues; vignettes focus on resplendent brown faces; details in the art invite visual inquiry into renderings of colorful Paracas textiles and sculpted cabezas clavas from the archaeological site Chavín de Huántar. Author and ­illustrator notes affirm Brown's and Chavarri's (both of Peruvian descent) commitment to perpetuating Peru's Indigenous culture. A bibliography is appended.

Reviewer: Lettycia Terrones | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 2020

(3) PS Illustrated by Elisa Chavarri. The follow-up to Fairly Fairy Tales presents the verse of six traditional nursery rhymes, such as "Mary Had a Little Lamb" and "Itsy-Bitsy Spider," followed by simple questions to a preschool class, the last a surprise: "Mary? Yes. Lamb? Yes. School? Yes. Giraffe? NOOOOO!" Vignettes alternate with double-page spreads illustrating the playful twists in this interactive alternative to familiar Mother Goose.

Reviewer: Sheila M. Geraty

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Elisa Chavarri. Ixchel wants to sell woven fabrics to help pay for her schooling, but there's no extra thread. After failed attempts with other materials, Ixchel discovers that she can weave using colorful plastic grocery bags discarded on the roadside. An inspiring story (with an intelligent Spanish translation) combines beautifully with bright illustrations faithful to the Guatemalan Mayan weaving traditions this book celebrates. Author's note appended. Glos.

Reviewer: Tim Wadham

(4) PS Illustrated by Elisa Chavarri. With the words "FLY BLANKY FLY!" a boy and his blanket begin a nighttime adventure: "Zoom, zoom...like a jet flying through the sky. / ZOOM BLANKY ZOOM," etc. The text isn't as exuberant as the art; the book's modest pleasure lies in seeing the blanket physically transformed into a jet, a rocket, and so on. Finally, it's "Sleep blanky sleep."

Reviewer: Nell Beram

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Elisa Chavarri. "Sticks? Yes. Straw? Yes. Bricks? Yes. Solar panels? NOOOOO!" Codell telegraphs the bare bones of six well-known tales, throwing in an eleventh-hour twist for each one. Though it's framed as a bedtime story, the text is ready-made for gleeful read-aloud participation. Playful digital illustrations alternate between vignettes and double-page spreads that offer much for readers to pore over.

Reviewer: Natasha Gilmore