(2) PS Illustrated by Sarah Massini. A lonely little witch who lives in a cozy cave wants to magic herself a friend, but she's missing a key ingredient for her spell: "some furriness from a one-eyed teddy bear." She imagines a "huge and hairy...extremely scary" creature; nevertheless, she's determined to do whatever it takes and bravely heads out on her broom. Her crystal ball guides her to young Lily and her (not terrifying) well-loved bear, Ted, who work their own friendship magic on the witchling: "That's what a friend would do! / You thought of me, you thought of Ted, / you didn’t think of...YOU!\" Fraser's warm rhyming text and ­Massini's fanciful mixed-media illustrations cast an inviting spell.

Reviewer: Kitty Flynn | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2022

(3) PS Illustrated by Sarah Massini. A rhythmic, rhyming "recipe" consists of parts of a child's nightly routine, such as these instructions for bathtime: "Add to water (not too hot). / Stir a little. Then a lot." In the peaceful illustrations, a bevy of smiling toy animals follow the directions, including a teddy bear who reads the book "A Recipe for Bedtime" (so meta). Choose this for a quiet evening read-aloud.

Reviewer: Rachel L. Smith

(4) PS Illustrated by Sarah Massini. A bear family shows all the ways a kiss can make everything better, whether it's bumps and scrapes, bruised feelings, or scary thunderstorms ("If thunderstorms wake you up with a fright, / a sweet-dreams kiss keeps you safe through the night"). The rhyming text has a pleasant rhythm; the mixed-media illustrations are expressive if saccharine, with hearts representing kisses flooding the pages.

Reviewer: Lana Barnes

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Sarah Massini. Tulip, in a polka-dot dress and a crown, throws a cape on dog Rex and takes him outside. On their walk, Tulip writes down words she likes in her notebook, then combines them into her own fairy tale. Capucilli's follow-up to Tulip Loves Rex is equally lighthearted and charming; Massini's sweet mixed-media and Photoshop illustrations set the pair in a sunny city park.

Reviewer: Sian Gaetano

(3) PS Illustrated by Sarah Massini. A bevy of babies and toddlers demonstrate books' many uses ("Book build / Book mat / Book chair / Book hat") and then their function as God intended them: "Book give / Book share / Books always... / ...everywhere." (They're read, too.) It's simple but effective thanks to the illustrations of boisterous little ones enthusiastically interacting with reading material.

Reviewer: Nell Beram

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Sarah Massini. Since she was very young, Tulip has loved to dance, twirl, spin, and leap, and her parents "didn't mind a bit." When Tulip meets a friendly dog in the park, she helps him discover his special talent, which is much like hers: spinning and leaping. Swirling lines in this spirited book's mixed-media and Photoshop illustrations add movement and energy to Tulip's graceful moves.

Reviewer: Sheila M. Geraty

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Sarah Massini. A "nervous little swan" prepares for her debut in teacher Miss Faye's ballet. As sets are constructed and costumes sewn, the swan's confidence fails. The lively rhymed text, set to "Over in the Meadow," plays with rhythm without going overboard. The mixed-media paintings use color (mostly greens, blues, and white, then red for the denouement) and shading to great effect.

Reviewer: Amy Kellman

(3) PS Illustrated by Sarah Massini & Sarah Massini. Harry the kitten keeps his new human family on their toes as both pet and people spend their first day getting used to one another. During the night, family members flee comically from bed to bed, trying to escape Harry's enthusiastic playfulness. The minimal text, all in dialogue balloons, works well with the action-packed illustrations.

Reviewer: Martha Sibert