(2) K-3 "This is a story that will have a happy ending, so don't worry too much!" With that reassuring front-matter spoiler, Brantley-Newton launches into her tale about a little singing goat. Conflict is immediately introduced, as those around her despise the goat's voice and dislike her penchant for climbing. Seemingly oblivious to others' annoyance, she seeks adventure, only to fall into a deep, dry well. Making good use of the book's materiality, Brantley-Newton offers an illustration that must be rotated ninety degrees for proper viewing, showing the goat at the bottom of the well and only the neighbors' and animals' feet visible up top. They've assembled after hearing her piteous cries but quickly abandon trying to save her, deciding instead to "give her a decent burial." This alarming twist is softened by the established light and humorous tone of text and illustrations. "CAN YOU BELIEVE IT?" reads the all-caps print in bold colors as shovelfuls of dirt rain down on a close-up image of the beleaguered, incredulous goat. She's also clever and resourceful as she shakes off the dirt and packs it down, singing to herself, "Shake it off. Pack it under!" A sequence of wordless panel illustrations shows the dirt rising under her hooves until she emerges, dirty but victorious, having gained new respect from her neighbors. The potential for the story (reminiscent of the parable of the donkey in the well) to be read metaphorically is encouraged by Brantley-Newton's dedication to "every child who has been counted out" and her author's note about overcoming childhood struggles with stuttering, dyslexia, and bullying.

Reviewer: Megan Dowd Lambert | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 2024

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Christy Hale. Sama is hurt by a boy from the enemy village, but she decides to end the cycle of hate by building a "forgiveness garden" instead of retaliating. Hale's mixed-media collages in a limited palette of natural colors beautifully illustrate this gentle but profound parable. An afterword addresses the Garden of Forgiveness in Lebanon and the movement to spread its peaceful message.

Reviewer: Melinda Greenblatt

(4) 4-6 Illustrated by Sergio Martinez. This picture book in verse explores the meaning behind the biblical parable of the vine and the branches. The text has a promising beginning, but the constraints of the rhyme scheme are a drawback: the message becomes muddled due to the authors' need to find the right rhyme and rhythm. Loose, flowing black lines define the details in the careful illustrations, which are rendered in natural brown-and-green tones.

Reviewer: Anne St. John

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Katya Krenina. This story moves adroitly through its plot: Haskel the tailor wants to make a cloak to keep his beloved Moon warm but lacks appropriate material. Searching for fabric, he finds a wedding gown made of beams of moonlight, mends it for its royal owner, and is rewarded with enough thread to begin his own project. Richly colored gouache pictures illustrate this retelling of a story by Rabbi Nachman of Bratslav.

Reviewer: Frieda F. Bostian

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Jackie Morris. Attractive watercolors illustrate eight well-known parables from the Bible. Hoffman's retellings are faithful to the original stories, and the short explanations that precede and follow each selection interpret the spiritual messages and make practical connections to everyday life. Designed and written well, the book is a good introduction to Jesus' teachings.

Reviewer: Anne St. John

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Gail Newey. Adept illustrations in jewel tones accompany simple, accessible retellings of seventeen parables. No explanations of the stories are offered, other than the commentary that Jesus himself presented to his disciples, but Rock includes some background information about Jesus' ministry and introduces some of the parables by describing the situations that prompted Jesus to tell them.

Reviewer: Anne St. John