(2) 1-3 Illustrated by Carmen Mok. Orris the rat lives a quiet, reclusive life nestled in the wall of an abandoned barn. He papers his hideaway with stories from discarded books, tends to his treasures (a slipper, a marble, a sardine can emblazoned with a jaunty, crown-wearing fish), and carefully avoids danger. When a young owl finds himself snagged in a mousetrap outside of Orris's door, the rat is faced with a moral dilemma: help the predator, risking that his favor may be repaid with violence, or ignore the owl's clear suffering from the safety of his own nest. This test of character sits at the center of an intimate, fully illustrated early chapter book. As the story is a clear variation on Aesop's "The Lion and the Mouse," the moral option may seem obvious, but DiCamillo's artful use of spare and telling detail along with Mok's attention to visual perspective in her atmospheric art give weight to the rat's decision. Orris's face-off with his admired sardine can's offbeat branding insisting that consumers "make the good and noble choice!!" adds levity. While Orris works to release the trap, a nimbly narrated conversation sets a tentative friendship in motion between Timble, an awkward, good-intentioned lover of stories, and Orris, a grumpy, lonely collector of tales. This is a tender, carefully drawn opening to a promising character-driven series.

Reviewer: Jessica Tackett MacDonald | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2024

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Carmen Mok. This Canadian import straightforwardly takes on a difficult subject: the effects of parental depression on a child. Kim wakes each morning not knowing which version of her mother she'll have for the day. "Sometimes she's up, making breakfast, packing lunch. Today she's still in bed beside me." Our narrator doesn't appear outwardly worried; "I'm tough like Mum" is her repeated refrain. Kim packs her own lunch with what little she can find in the pantry, saving food for her dinner. When she attempts to rouse her mother for a school field-trip signature, Mum's curt response sends Kim away. The muted colors used in Mok's digitally edited gouache and colored-pencil illustrations give a heaviness to Kim's days and are fitting to the subject at hand. Fortunately, a supportive teacher provides some comfort, helping Kim navigate the field-trip problem (including the form's "I can't pay" box, another clue to one of her family's hardships), and allowing the girl to feel less alone. Children with a parent living with depression will see themselves in Kim's steadfast love for, and frustration with, her mother. Eventually, the two are able to connect after school, and Kim and Mum spend their evening reading stories and laughing together. Readers should come away from the story realizing that staying "tough" is not the only answer.

Reviewer: Hill Saxton | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2021

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Carmen Mok. "When summer started, I got Grampa's stopwatch. I don't want his stopwatch. I want him." The accompanying illustration shows a child sitting all alone on a porch swing, bereft. We next see scenes from the past in illustrations set like snapshots on the page; these depict the child and Grampa's close relationship as they enjoy their mutual love of timing things with the stopwatch: how long it takes to eat three oatmeal cookies, or bubblegum ice cream (and how many seconds the subsequent brain freeze lasts); how long it takes for the child to race to the end of the street and back, or for a caterpillar to crawl up the child's leg. Now, without Grampa, the youngster is angry (drawing harshly scribbled pictures of monsters) and depressed (losing interest in ordinary activities). The watch is thrown into a drawer and forgotten. Time passes, and one day the child finds the stopwatch and begins timing things again. "The watch...makes me think of all the things we used to time together. Remembering him feels good...Like he is still here with me." Without being the least bit didactic, the book takes readers through the stages of grief--and in a heart-tugging ending, the protagonist moves forward in the healing process to introduce someone new, a younger sibling, to the pleasures of using Grampa's stopwatch. Details in both the text and the child-friendly, digitally produced art (including the empathetic, loyal family dog and homemade--by Dad--heart-shaped cookies) are perfectly pitched for the audience.

Reviewer: Martha V. Parravano | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2020

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Carmen Mok. In brief, poignant text, a young girl recalls specific items and moments as she makes peace with the passing of her beloved grandmother, who used to tell stories of her childhood in China. There are lots of books about the passing of a grandparent, but this one stands out for its authentic culturally-specific elements, both textual and visual. Soft, comforting digital paintings illustrate the gentle intergenerational story.

Reviewer: Amy Seto Forrester