(2) K-3 Caldecott winner Floca (Locomotive, rev. 9/13) presents a love letter to New York City and its essential workers during COVID-19. "We are here at home now, watching the world through our windows. Outside, we see the city we know, but not as we've seen it before." As children peer out from their apartment windows, the streets are quiet, but not empty. There are food deliverers on bikes, sanitation workers, mail carriers, first responders, and more; an ambulance pulls into a hospital driveway, and we enter the building to see the medical professionals and support team, "everyone working through long days and worry to help patients heal." As evening falls, we're back to the neighborhood, where at seven o'clock people open their windows, clap their hands, bang pots and pans, shout, and cheer their thanks. (The appended author's note provides further context.) Floca's watercolor, ink, acrylic, and gouache art, in his beautifully realistic style, features delicate lines, light-catching hues, and pore-over-able details, much like an actual city scene. Motion-filled vignettes alternate with expansive spreads to help pace the narrative and hold readers' attention; so, too, do many of the figures' gazes, looking directly out at viewers. The text is true to events but un-alarmist, with restrained lyricism that underscores unity: "We hear the city say to us--and we say back to the city--that we are still here, and we are here together."

Reviewer: Elissa Gershowitz | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2021

(2) 4-6 Illustrated by Marianna Raskin. Eleven-and-a-half-year-old Becca, one of a set of quadruplets, discovers an ailing baby pig by the side of the road and brings it home. From this point on, life in her family goes from baseline busy to complete mayhem as Saucy destroys the kitchen cupboards, breaks the fridge, shreds the living-room curtains, uproots the garden, eats everything in sight, and, thriving under Becca's loving care, gets bigger and bigger over the course of a summer. (As the prospect of a six-hundred-pound pet looms, there is really only one solution...the pig sanctuary.) But Becca's experience has given her fresh confidence, which she uses to right a wrong she had done to her best friend and to organize the youth of her town to protest the practices of factory farming. The tale includes classic middle-grade tropes such as kindly, hapless parents with financial challenges; mean girls; a grumpy grandmother with a heart of gold; and a supporting cast of characters each identified by broadly defined qualities (of Becca's three brothers, Jammer is a jock; Bailey, who has cerebral palsy, is sensitive and artistic; and K.C. has a scientific/philosophical mind). This funny, lively story, with scene-setting digital illustrations, also serves as a cautionary tale regarding oh-so-cute pigs as pets.

Reviewer: Sarah Ellis | Horn Book Magazine Issue: January, 2021

(2) YA Micah and his parents have disappeared. Right before winter break they stepped into a white van, and Micah's girlfriend Sesame hasn't seen them since. Her only clues to Micah's whereabouts are a cryptic message on his kitchen whiteboard and what he shared before he was taken: his parents had joined a cult led by a man called The Prophet. In dual first-person voices in alternating chapters, Sesame and Micah harrowingly describe their experiences. While Sesame, living in an abandoned garage since her beloved grandmother's death, frantically searches the snowy streets of Minneapolis, distributing missing-person posters and trying to compel local authorities to take action, Micah suffers solitary confinement and starvation under The Prophet's rule in an underground bunker. The vital necessity of personal connection and questions of power and abuse underpin this compelling plot, with reverberations from the recent Nxivm cult revelations and convictions.

Reviewer: Jennifer Hubert Swan | Horn Book Magazine Issue: January, 2021

(1) YA Illustrated by Danica Novgorodoff. Reynolds has skillfully edited and rearranged his original verse novel (Long Way Down, rev. 7/17) to create room for Novgorodoff's impressionistic ink and watercolor illustrations to flourish, resulting in an adaptation that feels authentic to its new comics format. Fifteen-year-old Will's older brother, Shawn, is murdered. According to "The Rules," Will must not cry or snitch, but must seek revenge. Soon after the murder, Will leaves his apartment with his brother's gun and a resolve to kill. As Will descends in the building's elevator, he is inexplicably confronted by a deceased victim of gun violence at each floor, from old friends to the father he can barely remember. Each encounter further shakes Will's confidence in "The Rules" and in his deadly plans, leading to an open-ended conclusion. Novgorodoff's cartooning is never static; at times she opts for clearly defined panels and figures, and at others she forgoes panels entirely and leaves characters abstracted or incomplete. These artful decisions offer readers insight into Will's emotional state at any given moment. The layered, fragmented layouts found across many spreads have potent impact, along with stylistic touches such as Polaroid photos, video screens, and storyboards seamlessly substituted for panels. Scenes of violence are starkly portrayed, including a double-page image of Shawn's dead body; however, the complex and unjust reality of Will's position remains front and center, in sharp focus.

Reviewer: Patrick Gall | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 2017; January, 2021

(2) YA Appelt personifies Texas' Buffalo Bayou as it witnesses complex backstories from the past and present. Readers meet contemporary sixteen-year-old Cade; his father, who promised he'd leave newborn Cade for adoption but couldn't let him go; and freed slave Achsah, attempting to lead her daughters to freedom through the Underground Railroad in 1845. Readers are entrusted with putting the pieces together to make their own connections before the final denouement.

Reviewer: Betty Carter | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2019

(2) YA Bryan was a nineteen-year-old art student when he was drafted into a segregated army unit of stevedores, where he used every opportunity to sketch and record his experiences, from training to D-Day and its aftermath. Bryan's present-day text serves as a kind of voice-over to the scores of images included: original paintings and drawings, letters, journal passages, photos, maps, and army posters. The dynamic book design and lavish production choices make this a fully immersive experience. Ind.

Reviewer: Lolly Robinson | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2019

(1) 4-6 Illustrated by Julia Kuo. Hanako's family, interned during WWII and pressured by the government, renounces the family's American citizenship and returns to Japan after the war. Hanako is horrified at the devastation; however, the unconditional love of her grandparents allows her to adjust to a completely different way of living. Kadohata brings readers tightly into Hanako's psyche as she struggles to comprehend near-impossible situations--and ultimately to recognize the strength of people in the most challenging of circumstances.

Reviewer: Monica Edinger | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2019

(1) K-3 Using deceptively simple, repetitive verse, an enslaved girl narrates her family's daily plantation activities over a week, every morning beginning with the bell ringing--until Thursday when her brother runs away. The author communicates the complex emotions of individuals fleeing enslavement and the aftermath for those left behind. Through lush watercolors that expertly frame and highlight the characters, the reader is drawn into scenes of tenderness, joy, terror, and despair.

Reviewer: Monique Harris | Horn Book Magazine Issue: January, 2019

(1) 4-6 Ten blocks. Ten stories about middle schoolers, each filled with humor and heart. The characters cope with difficult problems, but they are first and foremost ordinary, good kids. Names, jokes, and details are cleverly woven between tales to show the interconnectedness of the characters' world, while the individually distinct stories remind us that you never know what someone else is going through.

Reviewer: Autumn Allen | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2019

(2) 4-6 Illustrated by Gabriel Evans. Adolescent tree squirrel Phoenix is happily living in a New Jersey forest when a hawk grabs him, then drops him in Manhattan. After rats--the lowest of rodents--rescue him from drowning, Phoenix is surprised that they generously care for him. Gradually, Phoenix becomes a valued member of the community. Seidler playfully provides a squirrel's-eye view of the world but, with questions of creature cooperation and interspecies relationships, fosters deeper contemplation.

Reviewer: Betty Carter | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2019

(2) YA After her family is evicted (again), thirteen-year-old Genesis has to worry about a new home and school, as well as the unraveling of her family from past secrets. Teased for her dark skin and kinky hair, Genesis feels invisible, unloved, and un-pretty; her journey teaches her that beauty really is only skin deep. Williams's debut also addresses the consequences of addiction and the instability that goes along with it.

Reviewer: Monique Harris | Horn Book Magazine Issue: January, 2019

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Ron Barrett. In a companion to the nearly half-century-old Animals Should Definitely [cf4]Not[cf3] Wear Clothing., the Barretts present a gallery of elegantly--if hilariously--dressed animals. A horse in sneakers, a bear sporting a down coat, a turtleneck-wearing turtle: accompanying sober-sided text explains why the animal is better off without. The digitally colored pen-and-ink illustrations have a decorum that plays well with the silly, kid-pleasing concept.

Reviewer: Roger Sutton

(2) PS Illustrated by Betsy Lewin. Farmer Brown and the barn animals (Click, Clack, Moo etc.) are invited to visit the local elementary school. He quells the animals' noisy enthusiasm with stern warnings: there will be none of that boisterousness. But when the recess bell rings, chaos ensues, and humans and animals alike happily run amok. The text's effective sound effects and repetition combine with expressive, relaxed-line watercolors for a funny and exuberant "quack"-to-school adventure.

Reviewer: Julie Danielson | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2018

(3) 4-6 Almost-twelve-year-old Edgar, sensitive and insecure, and his troubled mother, Stephanie, who's just gone through a breakup, are house-sitting in the Yukon. There Edgar bonds with a dog named Benjamin, while friendship and family drama swirl around him--leading to a near tragedy. An engaging read, with well-developed characters, a strong sense of place, and a fast-flowing narrative.

Reviewer: Jack Forman

(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

(3) 4-6 Accomplished pianist Isabella loves both of her parents. Unfortunately, they no longer love each other, which means she divides her time between two homes and blended families. Having a black father and a white mother also has Isabella examining her biracial identity. A hate incident at school and an unexpected confrontation threaten to tear apart her already fragile world in Draper's perceptive and engaging story.

Reviewer: Monique Harris

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Ashley Bryan. Bryan's vibrant, colorful, and moving illustrations accompany a selection of Giovanni's poems (new and previously published). Topics range widely (dance, self-reflection, nature, friendship); illustrations affirm the beauty and worth of black and brown children. Several poems recall slavery and the civil rights movement, providing a historical source of strength and courage. It's a combination of poetry and art that will bring readers back again and again.

Reviewer: Michelle H. Martin | Horn Book Magazine Issue: January, 2018

(3) YA High-school junior Bett is still reeling from an accident involving her best friend, Stephanie. A former thrill-seeker, Bett is now controlled by guilt and fear and has divided her life into "Plus" and "Minus" experiences. Any positive experience (such as running) must be counteracted with a punishing Minus, which for Bett has become overeating. Griffin's compelling prose helps this story about self-harm pack an emotional punch.

Reviewer: Kristy Pasquariello

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Steven Henry. When Elliot wakes to a terrible smell, he searches everywhere for its source. Readers should discern the culprit long before Elliot does: the skeleton costume Elliot's wearing. One bath and a load of laundry later, all is well...until Elliot dons his monster pajamas ("he was never ever going to take them off"). Lively mixed-media illustrations provide visual gags that just might entice reluctant bathers into action.

Reviewer: Rebecca Kirshenbaum

(4) 4-6 Guardians series. In this conclusion to the epic saga, Jack Frost--once an immortal Guardian named Nightlight, now a half-human residing on Earth in 1933--leads the Guardians in a final battle against the evil Pitch. However, readers must wade through various characters' lengthy backstories before they can engage with Jack's own origin story or the current conflict. As in previous books, copious black-and-white drawings enhance the creative world-building.

Reviewer: Rita Soltan