(2) K-3 Illustrated by Meilo So. A young monarch butterfly enthusiast recounts her first year in a new school in a new country, where she "didn't like to stand out or be noticed" as she was learning English and becoming familiar with a new community. Through the seasons, as the girl gains confidence in her language skills, and with encouragement from the school librarian, she deepens her knowledge about butterfly science. The girl alternates between sharing her own story and presenting factual details about butterfly migration, life cycles, feeding habits, and alarming declines in the monarch population. The creative illustrations parallel the shifts in tone, with scientific information presented as if on the pages of a textbook, in contrast to glowing illustrations of an idyllic neighborhood filled with people, colorful buildings, and a community garden. The girl comes into her own in a triumphant class presentation on the monarch butterfly, where her plan to build a monarch way station is eagerly adopted by her schoolmates and community. "Once, I tried to hide. But a caterpillar never stays the same for long...It emerges as something new, unexpected, surprising. Just like me." Readers inspired by the girl's activism can find additional resources on monarchs and environmental activism in the book's closing pages.

Reviewer: Danielle J. Ford | Horn Book Magazine Issue: January, 2021

(3) PS Illustrated by Meilo So. Though inspired by real personal experience (per the author's note), McLaughlin endows her heartfelt rhyming story with a fairy-tale tone. A birth mother searches earnestly for the right adoptive parents; the new parents then describe their delight and plans for the future with the child, "Wonderful You." So's illustrations build on the enchanted vibe, with the family floating joyfully, like figures in a Chagall painting.

Reviewer: Martha Sibert

(2) 4-6 Translated by Helen Wang. Illustrated by Meilo So. In this story set during the Chinese Cultural Revolution, seven-year-old Sunflower is taken in by a kind village family after her artist father's untimely death. Nainai (grandma), Baba (father), Mama, and Sunflower's friend Bronze all care for the girl fiercely, but life in 1960s rural China is filled with hardship. The emotional depth and unflinching realism help sustain readers' interest.

Reviewer: Roxanne Hsu Feldman | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2017

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Meilo So. Many newly hatched loggerhead turtles die when house lights lead them away from the ocean. For a community action project, Viv and her summer-school classmates follow five clearly outlined steps and ask beachfront vacationers to turn off their lights. The strong narrative culminates with a moonlit mass turtle hatching, reverently depicted in quiet blue and brown watercolors. Websites.

Reviewer: Betty Carter | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 2016

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Meilo So. A clutch of river otter pups grows and develops through the four seasons of its North American habitat. The main narrative, in a larger font, tells the story of this otter family, while a second, smaller text periodically provides additional factual information about otter development. Lively illustrations capture the kinetic movements of otters; their slinky, flexible bodies; and irresistible cuteness. Ind.

Reviewer: Danielle J. Ford | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2016

(3) PS Illustrated by Meilo So. So's active watercolors picture children from many countries going through their daily routines--from rising in the morning until going to bed at night--while interacting with other kids and parents or relatives. The rhymed text is simple but meaningfully conveys the author's message of global commonalities. Gibson is donating her proceeds to the Global Orphan Project.

Reviewer: Melinda Greenblatt

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Meilo So. Fourteen three-line verses, in English and Spanish, celebrate water in its many forms. Each verse is accompanied by a majestic painting from a specific place in the world, from Arizona to Zambia. Skillful alliteration and assonance in the English versions are mostly lost in the literal Spanish translations, but in either language, the poems, read aloud, can be as dramatic as the accompanying illustrations.

Reviewer: Kathleen T. Horning | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2014

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Meilo So. In this new tale of long-ago China, Mei fears she lacks Grandpa's magical genius for making noodles. When she asks him and the Moon Goddess for guidance, both advise that she look to herself, and Mei soon discovers her own magic. So's lively illustrations, with their busy street scenes and eye-catching details, will draw readers into the entertaining, whimsical story.

Reviewer: Katrina Hedeen

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Meilo So. Look expertly narrates this tale about an ancient Chinese painter whose art fills people with such awe that they claim he has the "brush of the gods." An author's note provides information on the real Wu Daozi (689–759), and So's invigorating art perfectly suits a story about the first Chinese artist to introduce "movement in figures and their clothing."

Reviewer: Jennifer M. Brabander | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 2013

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Meilo So. The creatures and allure of the sea are captured in twenty-three poems with as many moods as the sea itself. Shark, sea turtle, coral, or whale, So's sea creatures are all engaging, but it's the ocean itself that stars in her beautiful art, whether in translucent underwater greens, intense blue against a dazzling white horizon, or simply as splashes of color and light.

Reviewer: Joanna Rudge Long | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 2012

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Meilo So. In her groundbreaking studies with African grey parrot Alex (acronym for "Avian Learning Experiment"), Irene Pepperberg successfully teaches him language skills beyond the usual mimicry. Spinner explains methods clearly and dynamically, but readers will most enjoy displays of Alex's personality. So's mixed-media illustrations, with their agile lines and splashes of tropical color against white backgrounds, further enliven the text's details.

Reviewer: Christine M. Heppermann | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2012

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Meilo So. Nai Nai reads a story about the Chinese zodiac to her granddaughter, Willow, and Willow's pet cat, Mao. Mao, angry that the tale omits Cat, stalks off to bed, then tells Willow the real (and wordy) story. The framing is contrived; more effective are the illustrations, which reflect both the story's contemporary setting and its Chinese folk-art elements.

Reviewer: Melinda Greenblatt

(1) K-3 Illustrated by Meilo So. Narrating in an easygoing, lucid style, Schulman tells Pale Male's story in great detail, integrating it into the context of city life. Meilo So captures New York's rich variety with impressionistic virtuosity. Her point of view varies from curbside to hawk's-eye, her watercolor and colored-pencil palette keyed to the russets and creams of Pale Male's plumage, enlivened with splashes of intense color. Reading list, websites.

Reviewer: Joanna Rudge Long | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2008

(4) PS Illustrated by Meilo So. This book shows a baby becoming more and more independent. Attractive watercolor, gouache, ink, and pencil illustrations alternate between the girl as infant and toddler (e.g., a picture of her being spoon-fed is followed by one of her feeding herself). The rhyming text is good for reading aloud, though the refrain "That special little baby, always up to something new" grows tiresome.

Reviewer: Lauren Maggio

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Meilo So. On her way from Canada to Mexico, a monarch stops in Wichita Falls, Texas, meeting Hurry the tortoise in his garden. They meet again in the spring, when she returns to lay her eggs and die. The watercolor palette explodes with color. This fictionalized account allows young children a glimpse into the monarch's amazing saga. An afterword provides discussion of the monarch's migration.

Reviewer: Betty Carter | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2005

(3) PS Illustrated by Meilo So. With each new season, a brown bunny learns to adapt to and appreciate her changing environment. Soft illustrations convey the essence of each season, whether a riot of colorful summer vegetables or a steel blue night sky lit by a cold winter moon. The gentle story captivates with its simplicity and carefully selected details.

Reviewer: CHristine Sarrazin

(3) 4-6 Illustrated by Meilo So. Using free verse and rhyming forms, this companion volume to Footprints on the Roof: Poems about the Earth offers nineteen eclectic, tightly woven poems about water. Singer moves beyond an examination of water's forms and functions to create a contemplative consideration of its effects on all creatures and on the land it covers. Blue-ink drawings capture each poem's nuances.

Reviewer: CHristine Sarrazin

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Meilo So. A lengthy text follows a group of North Americans on their trip to China to adopt baby girls living in an orphanage. The slightly abstract, angular watercolors fill the pages with busy motion and bright color, reflecting the excitement of the journey. Instead of being child-focused, the text centers on the experience of the parents, which may limit the story's appeal.

Reviewer: Anne St. John

(3) PS Illustrated by Meilo So. "It's spring! Do you think the children who live here will remember their animal friends on this special day?" The text for this small, sprightly book counts down from "10 Ladybugs crawling all around the crocuses" to "1 Easter Basket filled with treats for all the animals." The delicate, spontaneous-looking illustrations feature a multitude of spring colors.

Reviewer: Martha Sibert

(3) 4-6 Illustrated by Meilo So. A suitable addition to any multicultural holiday collection, this volume includes folktales, recipes, and activities for celebrating Chinese New Year and the Lantern Festival, Qing Ming and the Cold Foods Festival, the Dragon Boat Festival, and the Mid-Autumn Moon Festival. Accompanying the stories and activities are So's stylized watercolors, some of which evoke the brushwork of Chinese calligraphy. Bib.

Reviewer: Tanya D. Auger