(3) K-3 Illustrated by Amy June Bates. This portrait of the 2020 Democratic presidential nominee focuses on Joe Biden's childhood and young adult years. The narrative ties together anecdotes showcasing Biden's leadership, compassion, faith, and strong commitment to family, with a focus on his humble upbringing and struggles with stuttering and bullying. Written by his wife--with veteran nonfiction author Krull--this picture book biography is laudatory but not overly so. Warm illustrations contribute to the text's comforting mood. Family tragedies are included in a timeline (current to March 2020). A list of homey "Bidenisms" and a bibliography are appended.

Reviewer: Kitty Flynn

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Amy June Bates. Newman tells the story ("based on two true stories") of nine-year-old Jewish immigrant Gittel's voyage to Ellis Island; details in the Old World–style illustrations, along with the appended author's note, place her home as Eastern Europe around the turn of the twentieth century. When her mother doesn't pass a health inspection, Gittel must make the journey alone. Accessible text, warm-toned art, and lavish page decorations enhance the tale of courage and kindness. Websites. Bib., glos.

Reviewer: Elissa Gershowitz

(3) PS Illustrated by Amy June Bates. Although it begins small, a "big, friendly" red umbrella fantastically expands to protect and comfort everyone--big and small, human and not--during a city rainstorm. "There is always room." This low-key, simply told story about kindness and acceptance is an effective allegory for our times. Kids will enjoy identifying the sets of legs under the umbrella in the watercolor, pencil, and gouache illustrations.

Reviewer: Cyrisse Jaffee

(3) 1-3 Sam the Man series. Illustrated by Amy June Bates. In his third entertaining chapter book, Sam the Man's "plan" involves attempting to convince his car-shopping parents to buy an awesome monster truck instead of a boring used minivan. Second grader Sam continues to be an endearing protagonist, supported by his amusing (and amused) family and older close-friends-and-neighbors Mr. Stockfish and Mrs. Kerner. Sketchlike black-and-white illustrations enliven the text and extend Sam's plan.

Reviewer: Elissa Gershowitz

(4) PS Illustrated by Amy June Bates. The relationship between a single mother and her child is celebrated as viewers follow a boy growing up under his mother's tender gaze and loving touch, culminating with the child--now an adult--showing her the same loving care in her old age. Soft and lovely, Bates's watercolor, gouache, and pencil illustrations capture the sentimentality conveyed by the text.

Reviewer: Aimee Chevrette Bear

(2) 1-3 Sam the Man series. Illustrated by Amy June Bates. Likable second grader Sam Graham returns (Sam the Man & the Chicken Plan), this time as a reluctant rutabaga expert. Dowell paints a realistic picture of second-grade life. The Graham family is a realistic crew, full of good humor and gentle jibes; the intergenerational (and interracial) friendship between Sam and neighbor Mr. Stockfish also grows richer. Bates's sketchlike black-and-white illustrations add depth and emotion.

Reviewer: Robin L. Smith | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2017

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Amy June Bates. Eagan's rosy picture-book biography focuses on Ruth Handler's persistence in the face of naysayers and her desire to create dolls that would "encourage girls to be anything they want to be." However, the girl-power message feels forced, and the book lacks resources and back matter for reference. Bates's appealing pastel-colored illustrations exude nostalgia, featuring plenty of iconic Barbie styles and outfits from 1959 to today.

Reviewer: Cynthia K. Ritter

(2) 1-3 Illustrated by Amy June Bates. After seven-year-old Sam Graham makes a little money chicken-sitting, he decides to get a chicken of his own: Helga, who lays blue eggs. Black-and-white illustrations, some humorous, some gentle, accompany each chapter. The short sentences and amusing situations make this a perfect read-aloud or first read-alone for young readers, whether they have a chicken or not.

Reviewer: Robin L. Smith | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2016

(3) 4-6 Illustrated by Amy June Bates. Two siblings, Faith and Peter, encourage their grieving elderly uncle to once again tell his enthralling stories during the first apple-picking season following the death of his wife. Coupled with expressive oil-based pencil drawings, simple verse reveals the rotating first-person perspectives of the characters in this intergenerational look at one family's mourning and conversational support.

Reviewer: Rita Soltan

(3) PS Illustrated by Amy June Bates. In this dreamlike description of a family's annual summer vacation at a beach house, short, simple rhyming phrases capture the family's feelings and events of the day: "Breathe salt air. / Squint at the sun. / Hot-foot hopping. / Squeal and run." Bates's airy watercolor and pencil illustrations contribute to the carefree, whimsical feeling, leaving readers dreaming about their next beach day.

Reviewer: Lana Barnes

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Amy June Bates. This "updated for 2016" picture-book biography shows Clinton repeatedly surmounting obstacles to reach her goals. Each spread includes straightforward text alongside trite inspirational messages ("Take the lead role in your own life"). Browns and reds dominate the loose-outlined watercolor, gouache, and pencil illustrations; a few show Clinton looking spacy when she's meant to appear deep in thought. Bib.

Reviewer: Nell Beram

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Amy June Bates. This reality-based story concerns composer Moshe Cotel and his adopted kitten, Ketzel, whose run across the piano keyboard results in a special mention from the Paris New Music Review for the twenty-one-second composition, "Piece for Piano: Four Paws." In watercolor, gouache, and pencil, the illustrations convey an appealing human-animal bond. An author's note explains the true events that inspired the book.

Reviewer: Frieda F. Bostian

(3) 4-6 Illustrated by Amy June Bates. When her adoptive American mother is deported from China, Kara, who was abandoned as an infant and who has a malformed hand, is sent to an orphanage. She's adopted by another American family and brought to the U.S. Illustrated with black-and-white spot art, the affecting first-person account in lyrical verse unveils the Chinese one-child policy and strict international adoption rules.

Reviewer: Rita Soltan

(3) PS Illustrated by Amy June Bates. Mary, Joseph, and the stable animals try to soothe a crying baby Jesus on the night of his birth. But it is a small kitten, which nuzzles the babe's neck and emits a "calm, contented purr," that finally stops Jesus's tears. Textured watercolor, gouache, and pencil illustrations in soft hues add a peaceful quality to a sweet Nativity bedtime story.

Reviewer: Cynthia K. Ritter | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2013

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Amy June Bates. This picture book employs songs and lines from the Broadway retelling of J. M. Barrie's beloved story. The lyrics are woven into the narrative (not always fluidly), and a link to listen to the songs online is appended; children interested in musicals will relish the opportunity to sing along. Bates's feather-light paintings make this a pretty, appropriately dreamy-looking package.

Reviewer: Katrina Hedeen

(3) 4-6 Illustrated by Amy June Bates. William's father leaves; his mother is about to have a baby; and his little sister Elinor is talking with the family's new pets--four dogs and a cat. Soon William starts hearing the animals, too, and when his father returns, the pets help keep the family together. Emotions ring true in this poignant story about family dynamics.

Reviewer: Lauren Aimonette LIang

(4) 4-6 Illustrated by Amy June Bates. Tommy discovers that a soldier he befriended is a Yankee. The boy must decide whether to betray the man or to help him and a slave escape. Once Tommy makes his choice (it's never really in doubt), he risks his own saftey to do what's right. The whole thing's a bit idealized, but Tommy (who's based on Woodrow Wilson) is a compelling character.

Reviewer: Nancy Hull

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Amy June Bates. This adulatory, earnest picture book celebrates John, Robert, and Edward Kennedy (Joe, killed during WWII, is also introduced). Krull integrates the siblings' powerful words into her text (e.g., "Ask not what your country can do for you...") to create a moving portrait that might resonate more with adults than children. Bates's watercolor, gouache, and pencil illustrations bring the passionate political family to life. Timeline. Bib.

Reviewer: Chelsey Philpot

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Amy June Bates. After their pet lion outgrows their London apartment, his owners send him to Kenya; incredibly, he remembers them when they later visit. Based on actual events (a 1970s video of the reunion became an Internet sensation in 2008), the sweet story is conspicuously padded for the picture-book format. Sandy-hued watercolor, gouache, and pencil illustrations capture the era's bell-bottomed glory.

Reviewer: Nell Beram

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Amy June Bates. Bryant spins context around a slim childhood recollection of Lincoln's, when he gave a fish to a hungry soldier. Some of the details (e.g., Abe's inability to lift his father's heavy ax, his musings on freedom) seem too deliberate, while others feel more organic to the story. Soft earth-shaded watercolor and pencil drawings suggest the sepia tone of period photographs. Reading list, websites. Bib.

Reviewer: Frieda F. Bostian