(2) PS Illustrated by Lisa Congdon. Beginning on endpapers featuring a garden lush with brightly colored flowers in brown soil, this picture book celebrates the benefits of rain. We see the garden again as part of the first spread, which offers a wider view that includes a house, a glass greenhouse, a park with a pond, and a creek. The gray-blue sky turns more gray as the birds and squirrels hear the message, "Hurry home, friends. / Hurry home." Children in bright boots, umbrellas, and raincoats know the rain is coming: "They watched as the sky changed / and the sun folded itself / into a cloud bed / while everything went gray." Gentle text checks in on the cats; the dogs; and the ducks, who like the rain best of all, promising their babies "a glorious day." A double-page spread shows blue raindrops falling on white pages, with the simple message "Wonderful, free rain," and Rylant enumerates the ways the various creatures benefit from rain. Poetic text and cheery folk art-like digital illustrations invite young children to look forward to rain and all of the good things it brings.

Reviewer: Susan Dove Lempke | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2023

(4) YA Illustrated by Lisa Congdon. In Blank, entries from a Tumblr featuring anonymously submitted, unsent letters are organized in categories ("Dear Me," "Love," "Loss," "Thank You," among others); unfortunately, many letters, while relatable, are clichéd. Message is a less-organized compilation of submissions to another Tumblr focusing on people's experiences with "last words." In both browsable novelty books, doodlelike illustrations sometimes compete with the entries' emotional resonance. Review covers these titles: Dear My Blank and The Last Message Received.

Reviewer: Rebecca Fox

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Lisa Congdon. This browsable volume includes several animals for each letter of the alphabet (mostly four or five; there's only one for X). The short explanatory paragraphs, while informative, are a little exclamation-point-heavy and random; a "fun fact" about each animal is included with its entry. Clean design and realistic-looking illustrations enhance the presentation. Glos.

Reviewer: Elissa Gershowitz