(3) 1-3 Ada Lace Adventure series. Illustrated by Renée Kurilla. In her third outing, scientifically minded third-grade inventor Ada Lace starts using a ham radio, connecting with a formerly annoying neighbor and the International Space Station--though not to alien lifeforms, to her friend's relief. This strong, STEM-focused series values experimentation and exploration; science and story are equally accessible to newly independent readers, aided by inviting grayscale illustrations and concluding "Behind the Science" explanations.

Reviewer: Dorrie Karlin

(4) 1-3 Wild Fairies series. Illustrated by Renée Kurilla. In these series-starters about a group of woodland fairies, Daisy plans a party and learns that things don't need to be perfect to be fun, and pond-dwelling Lily feels left out until her friends find a way to include her in their land-based adventures. Abundantly illustrated with whimsical cartoon art, each appealing if precious chapter book offers thoughtful lessons about friendship. Back matter includes character profiles and activities. Review covers these Wild Fairies titles: Daisy's Decorating Dilemma and Lily's Water Woes.

Reviewer: Mariko Turk

(4) 1-3 Wild Fairies series. Illustrated by Renée Kurilla. In these series-starters about a group of woodland fairies, Daisy plans a party and learns that things don't need to be perfect to be fun, and pond-dwelling Lily feels left out until her friends find a way to include her in their land-based adventures. Abundantly illustrated with whimsical cartoon art, each appealing if precious chapter book offers thoughtful lessons about friendship. Back matter includes character profiles and activities. Review covers these Wild Fairies titles: Daisy's Decorating Dilemma and Lily's Water Woes.

Reviewer: Mariko Turk

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Renée Kurilla. A canine city family heads to the shore for a picnic. They drive their "1 pickup" toward the bridge, as do "2 blue scooters," "3 squeaky jeeps," and so on until "10 troopers' cruisers" block everyone's path ("Road closed"). The spontaneous communal picnic has the esprit de corps of a Richard Scarry composition, but the story slumps after the bridge reopens.

Reviewer: Nell Beram

(3) 1-3 Ada Lace Adventure series. Illustrated by Renée Kurilla. With Tamson Weston. This endearing new series champions STEAM concepts as scientist, inventor, and literal-minded third grader Ada Lace investigates a missing dog (Case) and builds a robot (Red). Large font, abundant white space, and loose black-and-white illustrations aid young readers. Concluding "Behind the Science" sections support Ada's interests, while her artistic parents and friend lend balance, teaching Ada--and readers--the importance of design. Review covers these Ada Lace Adventure titles: Ada Lace, On the Case and Ada Lace Sees Red.

Reviewer: Dorrie Karlin

(3) 1-3 Ada Lace Adventure series. Illustrated by Renée Kurilla. With Tamson Weston. This endearing new series champions STEAM concepts as scientist, inventor, and literal-minded third grader Ada Lace investigates a missing dog (Case) and builds a robot (Red). Large font, abundant white space, and loose black-and-white illustrations aid young readers. Concluding "Behind the Science" sections support Ada's interests, while her artistic parents and friend lend balance, teaching Ada--and readers--the importance of design. Review covers these Ada Lace Adventure titles: Ada Lace, On the Case and Ada Lace Sees Red.

Reviewer: Dorrie Karlin

(4) K-3 Bel the Weather Girl series. Illustrated by Renée Kurilla. "Weather isn't so scary once you understand it," says Bel. In these books, she and her cousin, Dylan, experience various weather events, and Bel explains each occurrence to allay fears. Information is presented clearly, but the texts are stilted; additional facts appear in sidebars. The family dog and anthropomorphic weather elements in the cartoonlike illustrations add humor. An activity/experiment is appended. Reading list, websites. Glos., ind. Review covers these Bel the Weather Girl titles: A Party for Clouds, A Snowstorm Shows Off, Raindrops on a Roller Coaster, Spinning Wind and Water, The Sky Stirs Up Trouble, and Weather Clues in the Sky.

Reviewer: Nancy Sheridan

(4) K-3 Bel the Weather Girl series. Illustrated by Renée Kurilla. "Weather isn't so scary once you understand it," says Bel. In these books, she and her cousin, Dylan, experience various weather events, and Bel explains each occurrence to allay fears. Information is presented clearly, but the texts are stilted; additional facts appear in sidebars. The family dog and anthropomorphic weather elements in the cartoonlike illustrations add humor. An activity/experiment is appended. Reading list, websites. Glos., ind. Review covers these Bel the Weather Girl titles: A Party for Clouds, A Snowstorm Shows Off, Raindrops on a Roller Coaster, Spinning Wind and Water, The Sky Stirs Up Trouble, and Weather Clues in the Sky.

Reviewer: Nancy Sheridan

(4) K-3 Bel the Weather Girl series. Illustrated by Renée Kurilla. "Weather isn't so scary once you understand it," says Bel. In these books, she and her cousin, Dylan, experience various weather events, and Bel explains each occurrence to allay fears. Information is presented clearly, but the texts are stilted; additional facts appear in sidebars. The family dog and anthropomorphic weather elements in the cartoonlike illustrations add humor. An activity/experiment is appended. Reading list, websites. Glos., ind. Review covers these Bel the Weather Girl titles: A Party for Clouds, A Snowstorm Shows Off, Raindrops on a Roller Coaster, Spinning Wind and Water, The Sky Stirs Up Trouble, and Weather Clues in the Sky.

Reviewer: Nancy Sheridan

(4) K-3 Bel the Weather Girl series. Illustrated by Renée Kurilla. "Weather isn't so scary once you understand it," says Bel. In these books, she and her cousin, Dylan, experience various weather events, and Bel explains each occurrence to allay fears. Information is presented clearly, but the texts are stilted; additional facts appear in sidebars. The family dog and anthropomorphic weather elements in the cartoonlike illustrations add humor. An activity/experiment is appended. Reading list, websites. Glos., ind. Review covers these Bel the Weather Girl titles: A Party for Clouds, A Snowstorm Shows Off, Raindrops on a Roller Coaster, Spinning Wind and Water, The Sky Stirs Up Trouble, and Weather Clues in the Sky.

Reviewer: Nancy Sheridan

(4) K-3 Bel the Weather Girl series. Illustrated by Renée Kurilla. "Weather isn't so scary once you understand it," says Bel. In these books, she and her cousin, Dylan, experience various weather events, and Bel explains each occurrence to allay fears. Information is presented clearly, but the texts are stilted; additional facts appear in sidebars. The family dog and anthropomorphic weather elements in the cartoonlike illustrations add humor. An activity/experiment is appended. Reading list, websites. Glos., ind. Review covers these Bel the Weather Girl titles: A Party for Clouds, A Snowstorm Shows Off, Raindrops on a Roller Coaster, Spinning Wind and Water, The Sky Stirs Up Trouble, and Weather Clues in the Sky.

Reviewer: Nancy Sheridan

(4) K-3 Bel the Weather Girl series. Illustrated by Renée Kurilla. "Weather isn't so scary once you understand it," says Bel. In these books, she and her cousin, Dylan, experience various weather events, and Bel explains each occurrence to allay fears. Information is presented clearly, but the texts are stilted; additional facts appear in sidebars. The family dog and anthropomorphic weather elements in the cartoonlike illustrations add humor. An activity/experiment is appended. Reading list, websites. Glos., ind. Review covers these Bel the Weather Girl titles: A Party for Clouds, A Snowstorm Shows Off, Raindrops on a Roller Coaster, Spinning Wind and Water, The Sky Stirs Up Trouble, and Weather Clues in the Sky.

Reviewer: Nancy Sheridan

(4) K-3 Cloverleaf Books: Alike and Different series. Illustrated by Renée Kurilla. Jayden is looking for "the right home for my family." He considers apartments, single-family houses, mobile homes, and more. Chloe wonders about clothing choices and learns about work attire from her moms, and personal expression and religious and cultural traditions from friends and family. Accompanied by cheerful cartoon illustrations, these are appealing if simplistic introductions. An activity concludes each volume. Reading list, websites. Glos., ind. Review covers these Cloverleaf Books: Alike and Different titles: My Clothes, Your Clothes and My Home, Your Home.

Reviewer: Kitty Flynn

(4) K-3 Cloverleaf Books: Alike and Different series. Illustrated by Renée Kurilla. Makayla is "spending time with other families" learning how "different can be great." Mateo has a big family. A lesbian couple doesn't have kids. Olivia's parents are divorced. Parker's dads adopted him. Accompanied by cheerful cartoon illustrations, this is an appealing if simplistic introduction; the text boxes provide more details then the young narrator. An activity is appended. Reading list, websites. Glos., ind.

Reviewer: Kitty Flynn

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Renée Kurilla. The antics of a family of orangutans are limned in a series of connected Japanese-style tanka poems (five-line verses). The vivid, easy-to-read poetry describes the natural exuberance of these "forest people" (translation of orangutans from the Malay language) in the wild. Digitally colored pencil and ink illustrations bring out the rainforest's verdant, rainy atmosphere and the congeniality of these endangered animals. Reading list, websites.

Reviewer: Rita Soltan

(4) K-3 Cloverleaf Books: My Healthy Habits series. Illustrated by Renée Kurilla. For narrator Anna, "Math + Spelling + Soccer = STRESS" (personified by a furry, red Muppet-like creature). Anna learns about "good stress" and "bad stress" and some coping mechanisms for dealing with the latter. Exaggeratedly cartoony illustrations + easy resolution = not very realistic or believable. However, kids may come away with some useful stress-busting strategies. Reading list, websites. Glos., ind.

Reviewer: Elissa Gershowitz

(4) K-3 Cloverleaf Books: My Healthy Habits series. Illustrated by Renée Kurilla. On her class's field day, super-cheerful Natalie ("captain of the Beach Ball Relay!") relates, in exclamation-point-heavy text, some basic information about exercise and its importance in kids' lives. Exaggeratedly cartoony illustrations show Natalie and her classmates doing the three types of exercise: aerobic, anaerobic, and stretching. It's all very basic but may get kids moving. Reading list, websites. Glos., ind.

Reviewer: Elissa Gershowitz

(4) K-3 Cloverleaf Books: My Healthy Habits series. Illustrated by Renée Kurilla. "Mighty Matthew" (in a superhero cape) relates the dangers of accidentally ingesting "harmful substances" around the home. Secret agent Sophie advises not talking to strange men in vans and telling a teacher about playground bullying. After playing "Mud Monsters," Caleb's germophobe mom insists he take a bath before dinnertime. The exaggeratedly cartoony illustrations add some liveliness to what are basically PSAs. Reading list, websites. Glos., ind. Review covers these Cloverleaf Books: My Healthy Habits titles: Be Aware!, Poison Alert!, and Take a Bath!.

Reviewer: Elissa Gershowitz

(4) 4-6 Illustrated by Renée Kurilla. In this sequel to Zebrafish, Vita is ready to relax and enjoy her summer with her bandmates. Everyone is doing his or her own thing, but the crew also finds time to come together. It's all a little frenetic, but this graphic novel boasts likable characters doing some good.

Reviewer: Charlotte S. Huck

(4) 4-6 Illustrated by Renée Kurilla. Teenager Vita is trying to start a band called Zebrafish when she learns that one of her group members is undergoing chemotherapy. This leads to to a benefit concert to buy medical equipment that will help her sick friend. Though overtly message-driven (it's good to help others), this graphic novel presents an unusual topic and a likable bunch of characters.

Reviewer: Beth L. Meister