(2) K-3 This hide-and-seek story begins: "Tiny was giving a big party. But where was Bina Bear?" Thereafter the drama plays out through simple, comical dialogue ("'Bina? Is that you?' 'No. I am a table'") and cartoon illustrations. Bina, a large blue bear, attempts to avoid the party by disguising herself as inanimate objects--a chair, groceries. While Tiny (a small bunny) searches, the bright art showcases Bina's amusing contortions. Meanwhile, the characters' expressive faces and gestures capture their vulnerability and affection for each other. After hearing that Tiny misses seeing her, Bina opens one eye as though she may stop pretending to be a chair and finally show herself. When her friend asks if she's okay, Bina claims to be fine but sheds a tear. In the end, Bina is able to come out from hiding and tell Tiny how she really feels about parties...but also how she feels about Tiny, and so the two pretend to be lamps together in the kitchen while the party goes on without them. This warm and comforting look at friendship offers meaningful insight into the value of support and of acceptance.

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

(2) K-3 Translated by Lawrence Schmiel. In first-person narration, an anxious child describes their day. "When I leave the house, everything is so difficult for me. I feel a prickling that won't go away, and every step I take is a triumph." Between the overstimulating environment of the bus and an inability to answer a greeting from the baker or to say a classmate's name, the young narrator struggles, hopeful that someday it won't be so hard to say more than a quiet "yes" or "thanks." Originally published in Spain, the book does a remarkable job of presenting the actions and feelings of a child who lives with severe anxiety. Spreads alternate: the child's narration is printed in white type set starkly on black pages (mostly double-page spreads), while the following wordless spread or spreads feature hectic, emotionally charged drawings. While riding the bus, the narrator comments, "A man shouts. I don't like it when people shout." Turn the page, and we see a man's face, mouth open, brows furrowed; the image is repeated over and over, filling much of the spread, on top of irregular blocks of color. A final scene gives the narrator and readers a small success and some relief. Reminiscent of Yashima's Crow Boy, the book, with its flat text and uncomfortable, jarring art, makes a powerful impact.

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

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Addy Rivera Sonda. Young Ava and her parents visit her abuelita's farm to celebrate New Year's Eve with their extended familia. Shyness prevents Ava from enjoying the festivities, and she wonders why her voice hides "like a mouse in its hole." Ava's anxiety and efforts to overcome her fears should resonate with many listeners. The supportive text and welcoming illustrations include details about South American (the setting isn't specified) Año Nuevo traditions. Alessandri's author's note discusses her Colombian family's customs. A glossary translates the Spanish words in the text.

Reviewer: Kitty Flynn

(2) PS Ghost Gustavo is terribly shy, a problem compounded by the fact that the other monster kids can't see him. His attempts to appear/appeal to the others--disguising himself as a lampshade, a surfboard, a sheet--are funny but hopeless; it's only when he throws a Day of the Dead party at the cemetery and reveals his passion for the violin that the other monsters come to see him as he really is. While the logic of the story won't stand up to much scrutiny, Gustavo is a sympathetic protagonist, and the illustrations are filled with appealing monsters and witty details.

Reviewer: Roger Sutton | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2020

(2) 4-6 When her storm-beast egg hatches into a dragon-like lightning beast, Mina's family thinks there must be a mistake--introverted Mina is nothing like the reckless, impulsive children who usually hatch lightning beasts. The political ramifications of Mina's discovery--that her society's weather manipulation has dangerous effects on those outside the community--are laid out straightforwardly, allowing readers to come to their own moral conclusions.

Reviewer: Anita L. Burkam | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2019

(3) YA Anxiety-sufferer Stefanie Brons hates the diagnosis "selective mutism": it makes others think she has control over her inability to speak. (Her narrative voice, however, is wonderfully sardonic and plainspoken.) When Steffi befriends cute new boy Rhys, who's deaf, and communicates with him through sign language, she sees herself anew. Thunder is the rare, authentic novel that dives into the day-to-day of debilitating anxiety.

Reviewer: Robyn Bahr

(3) PS Kangaroo and Koala both enjoy blowing bubbles, but Koala is too shy to talk to Kangaroo or climb out of her tree. However, when some of their bubbles stick together to form a bubble monster, Koala musters the courage to help her new friend. Delicate watercolor and pen-and-ink illustrations depict the rosy-cheeked animal tykes' sweet friend-courtship and keep even the bubble monster looking more cute than scary.

Reviewer: Rachel Marsh

(4) PS Illustrated by Greg Pizzoli. An interactive read-aloud features a pink dinosaur who loves birthdays, hats, dancing, and painting, but who is also very timid. The direct-address text leads the reader through a number of suggestions ("Go on, say hello") that result in inane mistakes ("Your voice startled him") and occasional silliness. The illustrations are bold and vibrant, but the text often misjudges the reader's responses.

Reviewer: Eric Carpenter

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Richard Jones. After Caro and her mom move to a new home, the lonely girl finds an indoor playmate in the Snow Lion. When they spot some kids out the window, the lion encourages Caro to make human friends. In this subtle book's deftest touch, the white lion is barely visible against Caro's home's white walls--a gentle intimation of his being imaginary.

Reviewer: Nell Beram

(3) 4-6 Illustrated by Rebecca Crane. After Annie's family moves from Brooklyn to rural Clover Gap, quiet Annie hides her quirks, including her amazing memory and orderly thinking. But soon the fifth grader makes new friends and learns to be--and speak up for--herself. Decorated with simple yet lively spot illustrations, the story is primarily told in a series of lists (e.g., "Four reasons I'm quiet"), which emphasizes Annie's perceptive and clever personality.

Reviewer: Mariko Turk

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Pamela Zagarenski. A young girl imagines that her new next-door neighbor, Zola, already has a best friend: an elephant. Hesitant to say hello, the narrator finally finds the courage to overcome her shyness and discovers a new friend. Gorgeous, sweeping, dreamlike illustrations fill the pages, conjuring up the story's fantasy elements and providing readers with an enchanting invitation to add their own interpretations.

Reviewer: Cyrisse Jaffee

(3) 4-6 Eleven-year-old Shirley Burns has trouble asserting herself and her opinions. Her overprotective single mother keeps a tight rein on her in their 1961 Queens neighborhood, even withholding the information that her absent father has died. An accusation from a teacher leads Shirley to take small steps toward independence. Without fanfare, Best carefully develops a realistic character in whom to believe.

Reviewer: Betty Carter

(4) 4-6 Quartz Creek Ranch series. Kids come to Quartz Creek therapeutic horse ranch for various reasons: Ella's prone to outbursts (Speed); Rivka lashes out at her family's traditions after an attack on their synagogue (Home); Paley's addicted to online gaming (Summer); Hanna is painfully shy and, ironically, afraid of horses (Shy). Although the tweens' emotional problems get only superficial treatment, this hi-lo series provides plenty of realistic situations with horses. Review covers these Quartz Creek Ranch titles: At Top Speed, The Long Trail Home, One Brave Summer, and Shy Girl & Shy Guy.

Reviewer: Lisa Catherine Findlay

(3) K-3 Lily wears a cat-shaped mask in myriad social situations. It's a sort of safety blanket: the mask helps Lily hide when she's nervous or instantly gain attention when she wants to be seen. The perceptive story is furthered by watercolors showing the emotions behind Lily's attachment to the mask as well as the compassion of the adults (and other kids) who understand these feelings.

Reviewer: Lauren Causey

(4) 4-6 Nine-year-old Amy Anne Ollinger is used to keeping quiet, even when she has a lot to say. But when her favorite book gets banned from the school library, followed by tons of others, she decides to "finally...do something." Passages occasionally veer toward the didactic, but Amy Anne's relatability and the ambitious scope of her protest project make it easy to root for her.

Reviewer: Rebecca Fox

(3) 4-6 Girl vs. Boy Band series. In this second entry, Lark's friend/love interest Teddy is now a bona fide teen idol, and "Songbird" (a.k.a. Lark, on YouTube) is rapidly becoming a country music sensation. When Abbey Road (Teddy's band, produced by Lark's mom) asks Lark to be its opening act, she battles stage fright. Music lovers will delight in the world of fandom and in watching Lark follow her dreams.

Reviewer: Rebecca Kirshenbaum

(2) 4-6 Since she started middle school, shy Amina struggles with self-consciousness about her Muslim Pakistani American identity. Meanwhile, her conservative uncle objects to her singing and piano playing, and the local Islamic Center is vandalized. A relatable portrayal of a tween who wants to fit in and who's devoted to her faith even amid her confusion about her family's varied approaches to it.

Reviewer: Shoshana Flax | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2017

(3) 4-6 Painfully shy Pixie is the exact opposite of her party-planner and costumed-performer parents. When her mom leaves town for a while, Pixie steps up to help her dad--and finds herself stepping more into the spotlight. But she manages to cope and even develops confidence (in mermaid attire no less). Similarly introverted readers will sympathize with Pixie's situation and appreciate her satisfying growth.

Reviewer: Cyrisse Jaffee

(3) YA Shy, obedient Victoria Cruz attends a NYC prep school on scholarship and works hard for grades that will one day get her into Harvard--her traditional Cuban American parents' dream for her. Secretly, though, she has started doubling as the lead singer in an indie rock band. Despite its harmlessly predictable plot, Milanes's charming, authentic characters make this an entertaining story of music and identity.

Reviewer: Yaisha Cordero-Rivera

(3) YA Vicky's social anxiety spirals out of control when her one friend moves away. She only allows herself to be seen through a secret Instagram identity that gains likewise-isolated followers worldwide (#alone). "Vicurious" does everything Vicky can't--until a real-life emergency forces Vicky to reveal her identity. Roat offers a nuanced picture of social anxiety while exploring the positive possibilities of social media.

Reviewer: Lisa Catherine Findlay