(2) 4-6 Illustrated by Charles Santoso. Applegate and Santoso (Willodeen, rev. 9/21) pair for another creature story, this one a verse novel about an otter named Odder who lives off the coast of California near Monterey Bay. The tale is divided into three sections, beginning with "The Queen of Play," a reference to Odder's daredevil nature. But the opening poems are about sharks, foreshadowing what is about to happen. On this day Odder can't resist going a little too far, despite her more cautious friend Kairi's warnings, and is attacked by a great white shark; she manages to make her way to the Monterey Bay Aquarium. The second section flashes back to three years earlier, when as a baby Odder became separated from her mother and was rescued and painstakingly taught survival skills by the aquarium's aquarists. The final section returns to the present, as Odder, too injured to be returned to the wild, becomes a surrogate parent to another otter pup that has lost its mother. Applegate grounds the story in scientific fact, slipping in ­interesting details in a lyrical way, as when she talks about keystone species, "nature's glue, / holding habitats together." "Without otters, / sea urchins, purple as a bruise, / gobble kelp forests / until the ocean floor / becomes a barren wasteland." Santoso's tender black-and-white drawings, together with the large type, will make this novel very accessible and appealing to young animal lovers. Back matter includes a glossary; an author's note about Monterey Bay Aquarium and the real-life stories on which Odder's is based; and a selected bibliography.

Reviewer: Susan Dove Lempke | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2022

(2) PS Illustrated by Brooke Kerrigan. Pink-cheeked, wide-eyed ghost Wee Boo is too small and cute to be scary. At Ghost School, her teachers make allowances, but finally she's down to her last chance to earn her haunting license. In her assigned human household, no one pays Boo any attention except the baby, who thinks she's hilarious and laughs ­uproariously. The parents find that "kind of creepy" (they can't see Boo), which earns Boo her license at last. However, Boo realizes that what she really wants to be is the baby's imaginary friend. The book is snappily paced; Boo is an endearing protagonist; and the humor in both text and mixed-media art will keep readers engaged.

Reviewer: Martha V. Parravano | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2022

(2) K-3 Heading to the first day at a new school, this story's young narrator boards the bus looking glum and apprehensive. Typical concerns about different teachers and friends are quickly overshadowed by a more immediate problem: "I'm on the wrong bus! AUGHHH!!!" And that's not the only issue: this bus is filled with puppies instead of children, and the oblivious (human) driver drops everyone off at puppy school. The ridiculous canine twist addresses familiar new-kid/first-day anxieties and insecurities with humor and understanding. The narrator's remark that "everything about this school is strange and different" will resonate with anyone who's been in a similarly disorienting situation. ­Brockington's spirited cartoonlike art is in on the joke: there's the all-dog cast's speech bubbles ("Woof + Woof = ?"), dog food for lunch ("disgusting"), and a fire hydrant instead of a toilet in the bathroom stall. When things seem the most hopeless for our protagonist, a few friendly (furry) faces and recess help make puppy school more welcoming. "Maybe this school isn't so bad after all." And hopefully that's what young readers embarking on new adventures will carry with them. Also, make sure you're on the right bus.

Reviewer: Kitty Flynn | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2022

(2) PS Gosling Ollie (Ollie the Stomper) is feeling out of sorts, and "Nothing feels right!" One by one, his friends kindly offer help. Does he want to wear Gertie's boots or play with Peedie's ball or go exploring with Gemma? Ollie patiently refuses each offering ("Ollie would rather stomp alone... / Ollie isn't hungry") until Gideon innocently suggests some quiet time. And with that, Ollie has reached his limit: "Ollie wants to be loud!" Dunrea's spot-on illustration shows our frustrated gosling yelling, beak wide open. Cue Gossie, who now knows exactly what Ollie needs: a hug. Just right for toddler attention spans and well-aimed at little ones learning to identify emotions and get their needs met, this board book is a soothing story for trying times. Get your hugs here.

Reviewer: Jennifer M. Brabander | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2022

(2) PS Illustrated by Elly MacKay. As the book opens, the child who narrates this atmospheric tale heads straight for Mama and Daddy's bedroom and wakes them up. Both parents then admonish the child not to wake the baby. "You wake up too early," Daddy adds more than once. After Daddy makes coffee, he and the child head outdoors into the chilly pre-dawn to sit on the porch. They marvel at the starry sky in which "the wind is waking" and the father asks, 'Can you find Venus? She's the morning star, like you.'" Fondly, he cradles the child in his lap, as the mountains appear in the growing light. They hear the birds and, from upstairs, the baby waking up. They see a shooting star and then, the book's closing gift, the golden light of the rising sun: "I wake up just in time," the child notes. Ericson's short sentences and soft onomatopoetic flourishes (shhhh, sip, rustle, whooo whooo) bring a soothing rhythm to this story. MacKay's illustrations ("drawn, cut, set up in layers, and photographed with light") capture evocative shadows and the ways in which the rising sun warms and reveals a morning--as well as the tender, deeply affectionate bond between parent and child.

Reviewer: Julie Danielson | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2022

(1) 1-3 This third, standalone installment of the Miller family saga (The Year of Billy Miller, rev. 9/13, and sequel) is told from four-year-old Sal's point of view. It's New Year's Day, and there's simply too much going on for Sal. She can't find her favorite pair of underwear; visiting Uncle Jake calls her "Salamander," a nickname she hates; and the new baby, a week after being born, is no longer exciting or even cute. She's boring. Even worse, the baby has displaced Sal as "Mama's favorite." It's not going to be easy to be a big sister to the as-yet-unnamed sibling and a little sister to eight-year-old Billy. "It is so hard to be me," Sal thinks. But if Sal is at times overwhelmed by life's complications, she is part of a loving family that takes her emotions seriously and includes her in their day-to-day decisions. Sal even ends up contributing the name for the baby, albeit inadvertently. Henkes is a master at probing the mind and heart of a young child, writing with gentle humor and affection. Black-and-white spot art embellishes pages and adds to an already rich character study of young Sal. Readers will hope that as the Miller family members grow, so will the series.

Reviewer: Dean Schneider | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2022

(2) 1-3 Translated by Cathy Hirano. Disappointed that her new baby brother "looks just like a potato" and is always crying, a young girl heads to town to offer herself for free to a new family. She imagines she'll have servants, a big backyard, and, most importantly, no baby brother. The spunky narrator spends the day in a cardboard box with "FREE KID" written on the front. People walk by, but no one stops. As she waits, a lost dog, stray cat, and turtle join her. One by one, each animal is claimed by a passerby, and the girl finds herself alone in the box once again. Finally, at day's end, a loving family stops by "looking for a sister for our little potato." Ito's choice of a first-person voice--"maybe I don't look special enough just sitting here"--lets readers experience the fluctuations in the main character's emotions as she first rejects and then feels rejected by possible families. In the satisfying conclusion, she chooses her own family, giving her a much-needed sense of control. Uncluttered pages with just a few sentences on each feature spare cartoon-style black-line drawings with red accents. The self-declared "cute-kid" sports a black-and-white pleated skirt, short black hair topped with a red bow, and lollipop red cheeks. The chapter-book trim size should appeal to young readers looking to tackle a longer book; they will be rewarded by getting to know this can-do narrator.

Reviewer: Maeve Visser Knoth | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2022

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Jenni Desmond. Jenkins (Bird Builds a Nest, rev. 1/18; Beware of the Crocodile, rev. 3/19) again offers readers solid science in an entertaining package. The cover illustration of an Atlantic Puffin, beak overflowing with sand eels and standing somewhat pigeon-toed, creates a slightly comical but altogether appealing sight, encouraging youngsters to open the book to see what this bird is all about. Readers will find an engaging, accessible narrative describing a puffin's life cycle, initially revealing, through text and sweeping full-bleed illustrations, that flocks of puffins populate a favored breeding site in the spring. Spot art complements short sentences relating subsequent action: former mates find each other, birds reclaim their burrows and repair their nests, and eventually males and females take turns sitting on a solitary egg and foraging for food. When the egg hatches, parents continue to swap tasks. One night, about six weeks after birth, the chick (or puffling) exits the burrow and flies away to make a life of its own. Puffins are at their most colorful in the spring, and Desmond's lively mixed-media art accentuates this quality by often displaying the black-and-white birds with their deep orange, blue, and yellow beaks against a bright blue sky (or ocean), creating a cheerful setting for their annual ritual. Further information appears on several pages in sentences set apart from the main text and in a concluding author's note. An index and suggested websites are appended.

Reviewer: Betty Carter | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2022

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Rowboat Watkins. Over-the-top writing meets equally over-the-top illustrations in this tongue-in-cheek tale featuring "the tiniest king...Cedric, King ME the First" (a possible relative of Lloyd-Jones's His Royal Highness, King Baby, rev. 11/17). From his absurd handlebar mustache to his delusions of grandeur, the self-absorbed and self-conscious Tiny Cedric is more cartoonish caricature than credible royal. To make himself feel "all big and tall, and NOT SMALL," Tiny Cedric banishes from the palace everyone taller than himself. His brash action leaves the tiny tyrant without adult workers--and with a castle full of babies. Hilarity ensues across a series of spot-art sequences after Tiny Cedric hires the little ones, culminating in an impressively chaotic spread featuring a botched rescue by the "Baby Fire Brigade." Not until Tiny Cedric is forced to perform a few simple caring acts for the babies does he see past his own insecurities and open his heart to others. The mixed-media illustrations have a handmade, tactile quality, featuring colorful watercolor washes and a pleasing, wobbly pencil line. Additional storytelling is packed into the highly detailed illustrations--from sardonic articles seen in Tiny Cedric's personal newspaper (The Daily Me) to a meta-cameo of this very book in the bedtime-story pile. While a modern political analog to Tiny Cedric may be obvious to more savvy readers, the overall message of general fairness and mutual respect, delivered through humor and whimsy, remains timeless.

Reviewer: Patrick Gall | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2022

(2) PS Illustrated by Dan & Jason. Tiny Spoon has always helped Baby eat solid food until the morning a new utensil emerges from the next kitchen drawer. "The name's Little Fork. The job? Feed the baby." Baby may be ready "to BITE! And CHOMP!" but Tiny Spoon isn't going down without a fight. Spoon and fork trade barbs ("I'd like to see you try and twirl spaghetti!" "I'd like to see what you would do with chicken soup!") until Baby pads into the kitchen ready for breakfast. "The moment of truth has arrived." Who will Baby choose? Baby grabs both utensils, lifts them up, and--very on-brand for toddlers--throws them on the floor. The two utensils call a truce and work together to get back up on the highchair tray, where they find they're both useful in their own ways (oatmeal! scrambled eggs!). Easy-to-follow digital comic-style panel illustrations work with the all-dialogue text to amp up the humor, convey action and emotion, and help advance the plot. All the characters, from the kitchen clock to the cutlery to Baby and Baby's chipper stuffed bunny, are engagingly expressive. Silly fun with a side helping of the benefits of cooperation.

Reviewer: Kitty Flynn | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2022

(2) 1-3 Illustrated by Daniel Miyares. This quiet chapter book is pure MacLachlan: lots of warmth and family love; a sensitive protagonist adapting to change; and spare, evocative prose that cuts to the heart of matters. Nine-year-old Jacob would rather have a puppy, but he has to make do with ­newborn triplets. His first impression of his sisters isn't positive, as he records in his notebook: "They're not pretty. They look like birds without feathers. Puppies are cuter." When he needs a topic to research for a school assignment, "A Litter of Trips--from Birth On" is the obvious choice. In the beginning, the three babies seem the same ("They cry and eat, wet their diapers, and sleep"), but over time Jacob becomes aware of individual differences. As the "Trips" change, Jacob realizes that he's changing, too, and growing into his role as an older brother. His perceptive, sometimes funny notebook musings are interspersed throughout the story and set apart from the main narrative, giving independent readers a chance to pause. Miyares's lighthearted black-and-white illustrations, which match the text's gentle tone, serve the same purpose. MacLachlan keeps the first-person narrative tightly focused on Jacob and his life at home with the babies (with a few scenes in school and at the doctor's office); well-realized secondary characters add depth to the narrative.

Reviewer: Kitty Flynn | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2022

(2) PS Though signs on the opening page foreshadow drama, the narrator's description of events stays obliviously deadpan: "This is Mom. This is Mom's precious little baby. They are in the park together for some good, safe fun." By the page-turn, the baby has crawled away from distracted Mom, found a skateboard, and taken off on her own. With the cumulative energy of the Gingerbread Man, Skater Baby races through the park collecting objects: an umbrella from a picnicking couple, a dog from a dog-walker, a treat from an ice-cream seller, and more. Colorful cartoon art (in tidily patterned panels--at first) shows each object's owner joining the chase until there's quite a crowd in pursuit of Skater Baby and the lost items--always with Mom trailing behind, adding new terms of endearment to her ever-growing list: "My itty-bitty, lovey-dovey, teeny-weeny, honey bunny, cutie patootie, sweetie pie!" Meanwhile, the baby is headed straight for the skate park ("Skater Baby is totally rad") and the Mega Ramp. Things look like they could end badly, but a subsequent vertically oriented spread shows the baby coming "back down to solid ground" safely. Not for long! While everyone poses for a celebratory selfie, Skater Baby heads for her next adventure. The buildable details and exaggerated antics lend themselves well to sharing aloud one-on-one or with a group.

Reviewer: Julie Roach | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2022

(2) PS If Animals Kissed Good Night series. Illustrated by David Walker. On Halloween, Owlet finds that every animal celebrates the scariest time of the year differently. From Hatchling and Papa Crocodile's segmented croc-o'-lantern with the "sneee-eeery smile" to Raccoon's "garbage-fudge squares," each animal's traditions feel unique to its species. Refreshingly, Halloween regulars (such as bats) mingle with animals not often featured (such as an armadillo). As in previous entries in the series, lines of text sometimes curve (like a smiling jack-o'-lantern) or sway (like an eerie breeze), which is appropriate and effective for this particular book's design given the subject matter. Walker's brightly colored critters contrast nicely with the dark and starry night.

Reviewer: | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2022

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Becca Stadtlander. On page one of this true story behind the making of the 1942 Caldecott-winning Make Way for Ducklings, readers see legendary author-illustrator McCloskey hard at work in his studio. After completing his first children's book (Lentil, 1940), he wants to put mallard ducks into a story but struggles to draw them correctly. He brings home a box of "very alive (and very LOUD)" ducklings after deciding that he needs "live models." They wreak havoc, but he "was willing to do whatever it took to make these drawings perfect," and in the end, the drawings were "absolutely top-notch!" Smith emphasizes her subject's determination (respectfully referring to him throughout as "Mr. McCloskey"), with the spreads depicting the ducks' "terrible mess" and "infernal quacking" being sure to delight young readers. Stadtlander captures it all in thickly textured gouache and colored-pencil illustrations. Back matter includes a note from McCloskey's daughter Jane; information about publisher Viking's May Massee, the exacting editor depicted in the story; a timeline; and more. Children's literature aficionados will note mention of McCloskey's roommate (who was, in point of fact, illustrator Marc Simont) and will also note the story's absence of red wine, which he and Simont fed the ducks to slow them down for easier drawing. This is the children's version of that tale, after all--and a satisfying one at that.

Reviewer: Julie Danielson | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2022

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Carson Ellis. This heart-tugging story centers on "a kitten, hungry and dirty, / scared and alone, / meowing sadly, / needing a home." On a walk in the neighborhood with their dog, a child and adult ("the dog's people") spot the kitten under a car. The dog barks at the kitten; a woman jogging nearby calms the dog; adult twins carrying boxes to or from a moving truck donate an empty box for the kitten; a man drinking tea on his front porch offers it milk; and everyone carefully coaxes it into the box. The child gains a new pet, and the kitten ends up "now full-bellied and clean, / no longer alone, / purring happily. / Home." De Sève (Zola's Elephant) constructs the story cumulatively; as the tale unfolds, she regularly negates the notion that its beating heart is about one character alone--the kitten or the child or the neighbors. Ultimately, instead, it's about "stopping / and listening / and... offering / and asking / and working together." The final pages are immensely rewarding: Ellis (In the Half Room, rev. 9/20), who paints a diverse and idiosyncratic community of caring and concerned neighbors--strangers no more--gathers everyone together in the kitten's (and her people's) home. Dialogue on the concluding spread reads: "I can't believe you two lived next door this whole time and we never met." That is precisely what the story is about.

Reviewer: Julie Danielson | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2022

(2) PS Illustrated by Elissambura. "Now don't make a peep... / The baby's finally asleep," begins this lighthearted and enjoyable story. After putting Baby down, big sibling and Mama tiptoe away from the crib. "Creak! Creak! Creak!" goes the floor, but, phew, they make it. What's that noise from the kitchen? It's Daddy's "loud belly," which "wants PB and jelly...Grumble! Grumble! Grumble! 'Shhh! The baby's asleep!'" The older child goes around the house shushing people--handkerchief-holding "Pop Pop's red nose / just needs some good blows"; hairdryer-and-comb-wielding "Shae's hair is still wet / her curls haven't set." Finally everyone, including a lawn-mowing neighbor, knows to keep it down. But dogs will be dogs, and with a spread-spanning cry, the baby awakens. Fortunately, there’s one more trick up our protagonist's sleeve: a book. Elissambura's digitally painted mixed-media illustrations, featuring textures galore and variations in family members' skin tones, are lively, colorful, and personality-filled. The story, with its predictable pattern, highly relatable situations, and enjoyable sound effects, has good read-aloud potential--but quietly.

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

(2) PS "¡Hola, bebé! You're finally here, mi dulce, my sweet," begins this adorable--and adoring--portrait of a new baby's first day at home. The text is narrated by the little one's Mamá, but it's clear she speaks for both herself and Papá in expressing comfort and adoration: "This is your home, tu casa, where we promise to keep you safe. And we're your parents, tus padres. We are so pleased to meet you." The words in Spanish appear in type that is slightly larger and bolder and printed in green; an appended glossary provides definitions and pronunciations, though most meanings are clear from context. Throughout, the baby, clad in soft-looking yellow and green, does what newborns do: eat, sleep, cry, snuggle. The book's title is inspired by the swaddling of a fussy, sleepy baby, soothingly wrapped in a blanket, "burrito" style, and coaxed into naptime. Glimpses of a bird family in its nest outside the humans' window provide viewers with a gentle reminder of the interconnectedness of nature. Quiet pastel-hued illustrations, done in a limited palette with "watercolor paint, colored pencil drawings on illustration board, and Photoshop" and featuring lots of rounded edges, prevent overstimulation. In one illustration Dominguez even demonstrates the swaddling technique, a helpful reminder for the sleep deprived.

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

(2) YA At sixteen, Char (the bully from The Skin I'm In, 1998), who's been expelled from several schools, is on the way to live with her grandparents, sent by her sister in hopes of turning her life around. During the multi-day bus ride (where most of the story takes place), Char decides to try to make it on her own; she also befriends a young mother--who then disappears from a station, leaving Char with the baby. Char encounters a man named Anthony, who approaches her with money and kind words, but the dangerous motives behind his generosity are quickly revealed. This compelling look into the sex trafficking world through the eyes of a complex protagonist should help to start conversations about the painful realities of many young victims. For Char, the nightmare ends--thankfully--when she escapes, and her friends and family begin to help her recover. Back matter includes an author's note explaining Flake's rationale for telling this story, as well as a bibliography.

Reviewer: Nicholl Denice Montgomery | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2021

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Elly MacKay. Her family sees a deer while hanging out laundry in a translucent dawn, but the pigtailed protagonist of this spare picture book misses it because "I was getting dressed all by myself." It's not the first time she's felt out of step with her family--too short to pick apples, too young to stay up late to see shooting stars--so she heads out alone later that still-misty morning with a sugar cube in hope of finding the deer. At first her search is fruitless, revealing only a bird and the neighbor's dog, but once she settles quietly in the wet grass, her patience is rewarded--not by the deer, but by its fawn. The magic of this solitary moment is framed and enlarged by the sfumato technique of MacKay's glowing illustrations ("using ink, paper, and light"), which give the illusion of light emerging from a source just out of sight or, conversely, pouring gloriously off the page. Cut paper adds definition; salt stippling creates the impression of apple blossoms; the whole becomes a world set apart from the ordinary. The protagonist, too, is out of the ordinary: returning home, she keeps her encounter with the fawn secret, her rich inner life bringing its own rewards.

Reviewer: Anita L. Burkam | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2021

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Clare Owen. "When they are born, most babies are either called boys or girls based on what their bodies look like." This baby-making primer takes a decidedly inclusive approach to the topic, steering clear of rigidly gendered language and featuring a wide range of family members and configurations. Using a muted color palette, Owen's cleanly rendered art has a retro aesthetic and includes people of different races, genders, shapes, and abilities--happy-looking families all. After dispelling some popular dodges (stork, cabbage patch), the forthright text launches into the old-fashioned method: "A grown-up with a penis and a grown-up with a vagina can make a baby by having sex, if they want to." The illustration keeps the covers on an interracial couple in bed, but a helpful cross-sectional inset image shows what it looks like when "the penis [is] inside the vagina." Greener explains that "there are lots of reasons why" sexual intercourse isn't the only way people have babies and includes descriptions of assisted reproductive techniques, surrogacy, and adoption before moving on to discuss pregnancy, fetal development, labor, and delivery. A final spread discusses gender and biological sex, why "some babies [don't] grow," and premature births. An authentic and honest celebration of babies, families, and diversity.

Reviewer: Kitty Flynn | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2021