(2) K-3 Illustrated by Shahrzad Maydani. A relatable tale of friendship and change. Sofia, a dark-skinned girl with cornrowed hair, and May, with long brown hair and light skin, open the gate between their yards and play together daily. One day, they find a field abloom with yellow sourgrass flowers. "My mom says sourgrass shows up every spring, keeping its promise," says May. The girls nibble the sourgrass and spit out the stems, and the plant comes to represent their closeness as best friends. As they romp in the blooming fields, Sofia's stuffed-animal mouse and May's duck come to life and play with the girls and each other. But one "colorless day," May moves away, turning the chalk pastel and watercolor illustrations that had teemed with yellows, oranges, pinks, and greens to darker blues, blacks, and maroons. Sofia sends May letters, but as winter arrives, responses stop. When Sofia spots an early-spring sourgrass flower growing through the fence -- its roots in May's yard and flower in hers -- Sofia recalls the promise of their friendship, and soon, the possibility of a new friend emerges. Lim's hopeful story, with its spare, accessible text, and Maydani's soft, whimsical illustrations offer readers lots to love and notice.

Reviewer: Michelle H. Martin | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2024

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Shahrzad Maydani. Since starting at her new school, Ameena has felt invisible and alone. “Was it the twists in her hair? Her brown skin? No one else in class had twists and brownness.” Now there’s another new girl, Sundus, who seems similarly lonely. She’s Muslim (and wears a hijab), like Ameena (who wears a hijab to masjid), but that doesn’t make them automatic friends. Realistic-sounding text and textured illustrations, which look rendered in colored pencils and pastels, depict authentic childlike encounters and emotions, leading to a rewardingly earned friendship.

Reviewer: Elissa Gershowitz

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Shahrzad Maydani. Young poetry-lover Sylvia writes a poem about spring and ties it to a birch tree. The next day in its place is a poem that Sylvia believes the tree wrote to her. When a school bully shows up at the park, the two discover that they've been writing to each other. Graphite-pencil and watercolor illustrations balance white space with pastel colors and provide subtle foreshadowing in this gentle tale.

Reviewer: Julie Hakim Azzam | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2019