(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) PS Illustrated by Angela Brooksbank. From Atinuke and Brooksbank (Baby Goes to Market), another tenderly funny story set in an unspecified African village and starring a winsome baby girl. B is not only for baby but also for an intriguing basket with a lid; when the little girl peeks inside, a sequence of pictures shows her overbalancing into the basket and then settling in happily. Brooksbank's mixed-media illustrations use warm colors on spacious off-white pages.

Reviewer: Susan Dove Lempke | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2019

(4) PS A panda mother reads a bedtime story "that grows" like the bamboo bed her cub is tucked into; a walrus dad sits atop ice reading a story "that's made to melt" to his child; and so on. The story types are occasionally stretches, but playful language and art details (such as the goldfish child playing with a toy octopus on a seashell rug) enliven this French import.

Reviewer: Maeve Visser Knoth

(2) PS Illustrated by Simona Mulazzani. This picture book invites children to observe nature as a variety of creatures busily create homes to live in with their babies. Bajaj's text is simple, specific, and active, reflecting the hard work of each type of creature to stay alive. Mulazzani's mixed-media illustrations use soft colors and have a generally cozy feel, yet they're clear and precise enough that viewers can spot even the smallest insects.

Reviewer: Susan Dove Lempke | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2019

(1) K-3 Illustrated by Giselle Potter. Pekoe is a large yellow puppy with energy and enthusiasm to spare, and Olive is a small older dog with a much more subdued outlook on life. Readers follow the good friends on four short walks outside that showcase their differences and commonalities. Davis's deadpan text is the perfect foil for Potter's expressive art, which captures the ups-and-downs of canine life and friendship with understanding and humor.

Reviewer: Martha V. Parravano | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2019

(2) K-3 In this final collaboration (much of the book had been finished before Leo Dillon's death in 2012), a rocking chair bought in anticipation of a baby's birth is well loved, well used, and then passed down to the next generation. Acrylic paintings inspired by Milton Avery use flat pastel shades, pared-down shapes, and minimal facial expressions. A quiet story with underpinnings of love, loss, and the strength of family bonds.

Reviewer: Martha V. Parravano | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2019

(2) PS Translated by David Boyd. Twins Chirri and Chirra explore new territory in their fourth gentle adventure available in English. Creatures have tunneled into the basement of their cozy cottage, so the girls hop on their bikes and follow the mysterious intruders (revealed to be badger youngsters) into the tunnel. Doi has created a compelling story with almost no tension, relying on intriguing world-building. Glowing, soft-edged pictures repay a leisurely search for details.

Reviewer: Sarah Ellis | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2019

(2) K-3 Squirrel Otto discovers a spiky ball; the small creature within declares Otto "MOMMY." "Pio" grows larger and larger (and thus more inconvenient as a roommate), but he also cooks, tidies up, and is good company. Full of funny details, the watercolor and colored-pencil illustrations move the plot along. This tender story about the value of taking care of each other also quietly considers the meanings of home and family.

Reviewer: Julie Roach | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2019

(3) 4-6 True Tales of Rescue series. Photographs by Shelly Ross. The rescue stories of four orphaned raccoon kits and an injured anteater pup are used to spotlight the work of two animal sanctuaries in these series entries. Accessible text, engaging photographs, and frequent informational sidebars allow readers to shadow the volunteer caregivers as they work toward the ultimate goal: releasing the animals back into the wild. One of the young creatures "narrates" part of each book. Bib., glos., ind. Review covers these True Tales of Rescue titles: Anteater Adventure and Racoon Rescue.

Reviewer: Gail Hedges

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Katy Wu. When Luna outgrows her stroller, she passes it along to the family that lives downstairs. The boy, upon outgrowing it, gives it to another family, and so on across the miles and years; sunny digital art captures each family's particular composition, heritage, and interests. While the storytelling in this celebration of sharing is a bit treacly, the book's premise is grand.

Reviewer: Nell Beram

(2) PS This opposites book follows one active brown-skinned toddler and stay-at-home-father throughout a busy, fun-filled day. "Up, up, up!" as Baby tries to climb out of the crib, followed on the next page by "Down!" At breakfast: "No, no, no" to scrambled eggs, oatmeal, and toast; "yes!" to blueberries. Clear, unfussy digitally painted pencil illustrations in subdued hues against lots of white space make the story line clear.

Reviewer: Elissa Gershowitz | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2019

(2) K-3 This book's Little Doctor, like Steig's Doctor De Soto before her, provides medical care to potentially dangerous animals. The little girl administers medicine, provides tail splints, etc., and the gentle crocodile patients pay her with stories. So far, so sweet--but there is underlying tension, involving teeth and jaws and plastic debris. Watercolor illustrations, rich in detail and in texture, give the dreamy narrative (with an environmentalist reminder) its energy.

Reviewer: Sarah Ellis | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2019

(2) PS Illustrated by Freya Blackwood. This Australian import begins by setting the scene: "There's going to be a party" for a baby's first birthday. A spare, lilting text introduces the guests with humor and warmth. As the party progresses, cheerful (and realistic) baby-sized mayhem ensues. The day ends with a bath, bedtime, and "sweet dreams" for the birthday baby. Inviting, scribbly pencil and watercolor-wash illustrations on generous white space allow for lots of audience engagement.

Reviewer: Martha V. Parravano | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2019

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Ehsan Abdollahi. Greenfield presents poems from new puppy Thinker's and young owner Jace's points of view. The two philosophize about poetry and life while getting to know each other. The poems range from free verse, sometimes with well-paced internal rhyme, to more structured rhyming poems. Abdollahi's bright paper collages show a joyful, brown-skinned family, in a welcome addition to the too-small canon of lighthearted animal fantasy (and poetry) featuring children of color.

Reviewer: Shoshana Flax | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 2019

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Jonathan Bentley. This Australian import opens with baby penguin Gilbert's magnificent view of a seabird-filled sky. As he grows, Gilbert makes repeated efforts to soar, without success. The illustrations of soaring seabirds, snowy vistas, and underwater landscapes are splendid. Cleverly, the text plays with the story's premise: "up up up" at the opening is followed by "down down down" as Gilbert discovers the breathtaking "second sky" under the waves.

Reviewer: Julie Danielson | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2019

(2) 4-6 Mollie sets out to return Guest, a changeling child, to the Kinde Folke and bring home her true brother, Thomas--but on the journey, she grows to feel compassion for the unwanted creature. Mollie's sisterly affection toward both of her brothers gives the story its heart. Twists and turns provide ample opportunity for Irish folklore and legends to mingle with very human concerns about family, growing up, and bravery.

Reviewer: | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2019

(2) K-3 Judge's latest volume focuses on the places that mammals inhabit as they bear and raise their young. The sheltered spaces are roughly organized by their purpose or location; each spread features three species, accompanied by paragraphs highlighting how the natural environment contributes to the protection and care of the newborns. Animal families are front-and-center in the soft-colored, idyllic illustrations that include characteristic details about the creatures and their habitats. Websites. Bib., glos.

Reviewer: Danielle J. Ford | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 2019

(3) PS Bespectacled babies travel to space to learn about the moon, sun, and planets. There's a fact or two about each as the babies float around in their spacesuits, making cartoon speech-balloon comments. Even though the "nerd" label and glasses for anyone interested in science is a bit stereotypical, this is a lively introduction to outer space for the youngest readers, who are encouraged to "stay curious!"

Reviewer: Janet Dawson

(3) PS Bespectacled babies explore the seashore and ocean, with an emphasis on marine animals at different ocean depths and their adaptations. The babies float around in scuba gear, making cartoon speech-balloon comments. Even though the "nerd" label and glasses for anyone interested in science is a bit stereotypical, this is a lively introduction to science for the youngest readers, who are encouraged to "stay curious!"

Reviewer: Janet Dawson

(2) PS Lighthearted direct-address rhymes describe the things a new baby can do. Colorful digital-collage illustrations show cute blob-shaped babies with a variety of skin tones, their actions and emotions easy to read as they grow and learn. Their accomplishments may seem small, but they're monumental for young ones (and their grownups) and reassuringly portrayed for all: "You might not know just what to do... / That's okay when you are new."

Reviewer: Elissa Gershowitz | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2019