(2) K-3 Anna, who is white, and her best friend, Tess, who is Black, go on an afternoon adventure to save bees (much to more-cautious Tess's dismay). The two plant some seeds, and the warm sun lulls them to sleep: "Wake me up when there are flowers," Tess says. When they awake, they discover they've been shrunk by a gnome, who invites them on a new adventure. Tess is unsure, but Anna is delighted. Soon, nothing is familiar to Tess, and she has had enough. Anna continues on without her, but soon she too becomes afraid and flees the gnomes, only to wake up and realize that it was all a dream. Anna's dream helps her realize that she hasn't been a good friend to Tess, as she has not been listening to what Tess wants. She encourages Tess to suggest what they should do next; meanwhile, having become excited after seeing that one of their flowers has sprouted, Tess is no longer as fearful of bees. Vibrant illustrations accompany this friendship story.

Reviewer: Maija Meadows Hasegawa

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Jacqueline Alcántara. It's a beautiful morning, and even though Dad just wants to watch futbol, his full-of-energy daughter reminds him that he promised to go on a hike with her. "Annou ale! Off we go!" to the "tippy top" of their verdant Caribbean island. The adventurous duo encourages each other in Creole, and the accompanying English text makes for easy reading, as does its spacious, verse-like placement amid the lush full-bleed illustrations. The hike is more challenging than either one expected--"Mouté! Climb on!"--until finally, they make it to the top, from which they can see their whole town and the sea beyond. If only someone had brought a camera! Oh, well. "Chonjé. Remember." Fans of the creators' previous, futbol-centered collaboration, The Field (rev. 5/18), will cheer this very welcome addition, but this book also easily stands on its own. The endpapers encourage readers to go back through the book to find a variety of creatures hidden on the pages.

Reviewer: Maija Meadows Hasegawa | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2022

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Devon Holzwarth. Evelyn Glennie grew up 1960s Scotland surrounded by music: her mother played the organ and her father played the accordion. By the age of eight, Evelyn could play songs by ear on the piano. She began to experience degenerative hearing loss when she was ten. She was determined to continue playing music, however; she knew that even though she couldn't hear, she could still feel its rhythm and vibrations. After high school, she auditioned for the Royal Academy of Music in ­London, "but they turned her down. No one believed that a deaf musician could have a career in music." ­Glennie fought the decision and eventually was ­admitted--and because of her, "every music school in Great Britain changed its rules... No one should be turned away because of a disability." Glennie's career has taken her around the world; she has won numerous awards (including two Grammys) and was knighted in 1993. Stocker's engaging text is ably supported by Holzwarth's vibrant illustrations, which effectively use color and pattern and movement to represent sound. An author's note provides more information about this remarkable musician's work, and a list of references is appended.

Reviewer: Maija Meadows Hasegawa | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2022

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Erin K. Robinson. This picture book is a love letter of recognition to children of color who have been "othered" in their school experiences ("I was the only brown person in class...") and singled out to bear the brunt of a history that has been so cruel ("...so when we talked about slavery, I could feel every eye staring at me"). The protagonist's mother's stories about the struggles of their ancestors reminds the child, "I should be grateful," and she is grateful, but also filled with shame for how she is unfairly perceived by her white classmates. The story progresses, and as she grows into adulthood, she guides her own daughter who is walking the same path--this time with pride and empowerment. Robinson's illustrations, "created using digital techniques and abundant love," depict cottony puffs of hair and timid glances (at the start) from the main character, contrasting with the strong, dark-skinned, softly featured ancestors beckoning her to move forward. The colors go from subdued to vibrant, with the protagonist's daughter shown on one page as an almost literal beam of light as she starts to "sit up straight and fly high into the sky." Per an appended note, the author drew from her experiences growing up as the only brown child in her classes, and this story line will resonate with readers who have also been there.

Reviewer: Maija Meadows Hasegawa | Horn Book Magazine Issue: January, 2022

(2) PS In a story inspired by her own childhood, Ejaita introduces us to cousins Olu and Greta. Although they live in different countries and on different continents--Olu in Nigeria; Greta in Italy--and have never met in person, they are good friends. They talk over the internet, mail packages to each other, and are connected through their related hobbies, games, and interests, which span time and place. Their interactions are described in spare, accessible text ("They cannot get to one another by walking") and pictured in eye-catchingly distinctive digital and pencil illustrations. The identical black background palette for both settings serves as a visual representation of the cousins' connectedness, while rich hues and bold textures inspired by the cultures of their respective homelands beautifully explore their activities and backgrounds. The final image in the book gives readers a hint that the pair may someday meet, with an illustration of two young people taking a selfie together.

Reviewer: Maija Meadows Hasegawa | Horn Book Magazine Issue: January, 2022

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Rahele Jomepour Bell. Book, a new and vivacious red library book, is excited to be a part of its community, as it delights children and travels to picnics and sleepovers. But as time wears on and its popularity wanes, Book becomes forlorn, forgotten, and eventually discarded. Book longs to return to the fun it once had with young readers. After a long, lonely wait in a dark and silent box, our protagonist finally gets another chance when it is selected by a new reader at a used-book sale. Richly textured hand-drawn illustrations tenderly highlight the bright red book on each page. An author's note discusses Lehrhaupt's inspiration for Book's story and gives readers ideas for places in need of book donations, so they can pass on their own beloved volumes to new homes.

Reviewer: Maija Meadows Hasegawa | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2021

(2) K-3 Amara, a bubbly, brown-skinned girl, "really loves bats." She absorbs facts about them, which she eagerly shares with her mother and brother, before, during, and after spending time together observing bats near their home. When her family moves to a new house near a park, Amara can't wait to see the bats there. But there aren't any due to deforestation and habitat displacement. Amara's disappointment is quelled by reading about young people who have made a difference in their community, and she decides that she can, too. With her new school friends, she creates a nature reserve, and eventually bats return to the area, much to Amara's delight. Clearly defined facts appear throughout this encouraging book and give children concrete ideas to champion their own passions. The digital illustrations feature warm oranges and cool blues; as the children work together, robust greens highlight the changes to the park's environment. Back matter includes "Amara's Bat Facts," "How Echolocation Works," and tips for observing bats. The story busts myths and shows what curiosity and research can do for children.

Reviewer: Maija Meadows Hasegawa

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Polly Dunbar. Bear's home is loud--full of Dad Bear's rumbling, shaking, and trembling--and our protagonist enjoys the commotion. Perplexingly, though, Dad and everyone else seems to keep asking, "Can bears ski?" Bear brushes it off--until one day Dad Bear takes the young narrator to meet an "au-di-ol-o-gist." What follows is a thoughtful sequence that illustrates what a visit to an audiologist might look like. Bear has hearing loss, and while there are different therapies available, Bear tries hearing therapy and lip-reading lessons first. Later come a pair of "plastic ears called hearing aids." At this point in the story, a suddenly bright double-page spread shouts the words, "CAN YOU HEAR ME?"--and the startled protagonist realizes that this was the question everyone had been asking all along. The ink-and-paint illustrations are subtle and understated. Warm tones softly illuminate the story, punctuated by bold primary colors, in this compassionately told book.

Reviewer: Maija Meadows Hasegawa | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2020

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Oge Mora. As an enslaved child on an Alabama plantation, Mary Walker would look up at the birds soaring overhead and think, "That must be what it's like to be free." As a teen she was emancipated from slavery but still had to work hard all her life just to get by. At age 114, having outlived two husbands and three children, she decided to learn to read. The appended author's note says that very little is known about Walker's life during the intervening years ("I chose to imagine...details to fill in the blanks"); the generally straightforward (and unsourced) text includes invented thoughts and dialogue ("'I'm going to learn to read those words,' she vowed"). Pronounced "the nation's oldest student," Walker met presidents, flew in an airplane, and at long last "felt complete." She died in 1969 at age 121. Mora's vibrant mixed-media collages work in swirls of deep blues and greens. As Mary's life unfolds, bird motifs appear, reiterating the freedom that she discovered when she learned to read. Words are embedded throughout, enriching each scene, and on the final page we see Walker's quote: "You're never too old to learn." Photos of this inspirational woman appear on the endpapers.

Reviewer: Maija Meadows Hasegawa | Horn Book Magazine Issue: January, 2020

(2) 4-6 In this prequel to OCDaniel, Sara Melvern keeps a list of all the things that "normal" kids do that she can't because of the myriad disorders she experiences. Sara's parents, teachers, and therapist try to convince her that these ­disorders--bipolar disorder, depression, ­generalized ­anxiety disorder, mild schizophrenia, and selective mutism--are not her fault. She copes with attacks and triggers by ­playing "games" that unfortunately lead to her ostracism at school. Sara feels as though her disorders are exposed by joining group therapy, but she is ­pleasantly ­surprised when she is able to tick a couple of "normal" things off her list by making a friend and developing a crush on a fellow therapy seeker. As the story unfolds, Sara ­witnesses her parents' crumbling marriage and unwittingly drives a wedge between herself and her only friend. Sara also takes herself off of her medication without consulting any adults, believing it a step to becoming "normal," but the book doesn't address the ­consequences of her risky decision. More positively, by surviving heartache and a fraught friendship, Sara is emboldened to be part of a larger social circle.

Reviewer: Maija Meadows Hasegawa | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2020

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Evelyn Daviddi. Ivan enjoys being at home with his mother (Here), but sometimes he has to go There (his father's new place). Dad, eventually recognizing his son’s discomfort, plays guitar to help Ivan think of this home, too, as Here. The boy's strong feelings come through in both words and cheerful illustrations. Ivan appears to be biracial, and from his parents' gentle smiles, they appear to be amicable co-parents.

Reviewer: Maija Meadows Hasegawa | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 2019

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Bryan Collier. Thurgood Marshall, the first African American Supreme Court Justice, was a skilled debater and orator from a young age. As a young lawyer, Marshall sharpened his disgust about unjust laws into irrefutable evidence to prove that separate is not equal. In engaging, accessible prose, Winter presents facts of Marshall's life as if presenting a court case. Repeated words--"FACT," "VERDICT"; "JUSTICE," "INJUSTICE"--mark defining moments; vernacular phrases create a more conversational tone. Collier's sometimes shadowy art reflects the violence and chaos that permeated Marshall's everyday life. An author's note presents more about Marshall work.

Reviewer: Maija Meadows Hasegawa | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2019