(2) PS “Long ago, an angel told Mary she was going to have a baby.” This board book tells the biblical story of the birth of Jesus in simple language. Each left-hand page features a sentence about a particular aspect of the story, from the angel visiting Mary to the wise men bringing Jesus gifts. Vocabulary words, such as Bethlehem, stable, and manger, appear in bold, and the right-hand pages feature the bolded word from the opposite page along with an isolated illustration. Marie’s use of colorful jewel tones ­creates an inviting atmosphere.

Reviewer: | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2023

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Francisco Fonseca. Domino, playing outdoors on a beautiful day, has a feeling of "not enough." His discontent leads him to build a tree house, where he lounges and snacks until discontent finds him again. So he builds a tree cottage, then a tree mansion on top of his tree house. Then a tree castle, then skyscraper. Nothing is quite satisfactory, so he builds structure upon structure until he reaches the moon. Fonseca's illustrations, with delicate lines and crosshatching, have a lovely handcrafted feel. The colors move from earthy greens and browns to brighter yellows and blues as Domino's structures become more whimsical and far-fetched. Double-page spreads angled from a vantage point above the action provide sweeping panoramas that show the heights Domino's unchecked ambition has reached, as well as his increasing isolation as his home, his town, and eventually Earth itself recedes and he reaches the moon, cold and dark. Realizing that "there was nothing on the moon but moon," he parachutes back to Earth, where he finds the contentment he was looking for in the cool grass and gentle breezes of his own backyard. Playful and thought-provoking in equal measure.

Reviewer: Adrienne L. Pettinelli | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2023

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Alessia Trunfio. The story of Jesus's resurrection on Easter morning is told in the style of "The House That Jack Built." The rhyming text and predictable pattern make this an engaging read-aloud for religious settings. The full-spread illustrations are luminous and purple-hued (the color traditionally associated with the Passion of Christ). Bible verses from the Gospel according to John begin and end the book.

Reviewer: Katie Darrin

(3) K-3 These versions of stories from the Old and New Testaments are accessible to new readers but could also be read aloud to very young children. The drawings--which were mainly created in crayon, but occasionally use paint or markers--were created by children from forty-seven different countries and are clearly identified throughout; the represented countries are highlighted on an appended world map. Ind.

Reviewer: Melinda Greenblatt