(2) K-3 Illustrated by Susan Gal. On Passover, inside his warm and cozy house, a boy waits expectantly for his family's Seder. Outdoors, a kitten waits alone for the moon to appear. Inside, the Seder begins. The boy fills the Cup of Elijah, a ritual that welcomes the prophet into the home. The child listens to the Passover story and enjoys a traditional meal, while outside the cat listens to whispering leaves and "ate nothing at all." Readers recognize or learn about nearly all the steps of the Seder while getting to know the roaming feline, whose roughly parallel activities are shown, split-screen-style, on every spread. The cat's rambles lead to the boy's doorstep at the same moment he opens the door for the prophet: "And that's how Elijah found a home." Gal's warmhearted illustrations, in ink, charcoal, and digital collage, show a diverse, loving extended Jewish family. The art is suffused with light, including golden hues, warm browns, and midnight blues along with textured brushstrokes, subtle patterns, dark outlines, and the whitish-gray cat. Passover-themed details in the text ("Tonight would be different from all other nights," think boy and cat--a nod to the Four Questions), the illustrations (gefilte fish advertised in a market window), and the story's message (let all who are hungry come and eat) will resonate with readers; for those unfamiliar with the holiday, Newman's informative and personal appended author's note provides more detail. Waiting is a feeling with which young Seder-goers will likely be familiar. The protagonist's wait ends not as he expected, but satisfyingly nonetheless.

Reviewer: Elissa Gershowitz | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2020

(2) PS Snail sees an enticing field of cabbages across a road and heads for it. He is too small to recognize the automobile that barrels over him for what it is--"Some things are too big and fast for snails to ponder"--but, luckily, the wheels miss him. When rain derails Snail, as well as some determined ants he meets on his journey, Snail invites them into his cozy, snug shell so they won't drown, and serves them tea. After this brief respite, Snail resumes his trek (the repeated refrain: "Nothing could stand in his way!"), but while avoiding a crow, he unknowingly makes a U-turn and ends up back where he started. Never fear: his new ant friends prove to be true blue--and they help to deliver Snail his hoped-for snack. Tabor uses scale to emphasize Snail's helplessness; viewers may gasp at the oncoming vehicles and Snail's vulnerability in the face of danger. Yet cheerful Snail never despairs. A glass-half-full tone pervades the story, and Tabor creates an endearing character in Snail, with his big eyes and determined spirit. A moment of larger vocabulary--"Evasive maneuvers!" Snail declares as he changes direction to avoid a crow--will have children putting context clues to work to learn new words. An appealing story about friendship and how little characters can overcome big obstacles.

Reviewer: Julie Danielson | Horn Book Magazine Issue: January, 2020

(1) K-3 In a gentle story of patience, young mouse Penny (Penny and Her Marble, et al.) has a new sled, but it seems as if "it would never snow." Eventually, Penny uses her imagination and turns the sled into a bridge, a house, and more. In a Henkes-esque twist, it never does snow; Penny's waiting is rewarded with a different type of snow in spring. Colorful illustrations sing with emotion and movement, extending the simple beginning reader text.

Reviewer: Emmie Stuart | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2019

(2) K-3 In a somber and serious first-person voice, a polar bear wanders through northern landscapes and across seasons in search of food and describes her survival practices. As summer ends, she moves to land--not her natural habitat--to patiently wait for the sea ice to return. In Moore's blue-saturated illustrations, ice, sky, and sea dominate. Back matter explains the effects of global climate change and includes an illustrated guide to fellow Arctic creatures.

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

(1) K-3 Fox + Chick series. Ruzzier presents three more brief comics-format adventures about odd-couple friends Fox and Chick (from The Party and Other Stories). Pastel-hued pen, ink, and watercolor illustrations are easy to follow from panel to panel and spread to spread, with tantalizingly off-kilter details and fanciful supporting characters. The protagonists seem to have mellowed somewhat from the previous book, with fewer examples of sniping and more of sharing.

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

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Anoosha Syed. Pakistani American boy Bilal and friends help his father make daal, a thick lentil stew common in South Asia. They cook then play for hours, because "daal takes time." As they prepare, patiently wait, and enjoy the dish, Bilal's friends demonstrate open-mindedness to cultural differences. Colorful digital illustrations accentuate humorous antics in the kitchen and at play. Author's note and recipe included.

Reviewer: Julie Hakim Azzam

(4) K-3 Translated by Annie Prime. Elderly Bo lives with young Koko, who greets every direction with "I DON'T WANT TO!" Bo doesn't press, knowing that Koko will eventually see the logic behind wearing a coat (it's cold outside), getting out of bed (how else to get breakfast?), etc. Readers yearning for bratty Koko's comeuppance may be disappointed, but this sweet intergenerational-friendship tale from Sweden features beguiling skewed-line illustrations.

Reviewer: Nell Beram

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Zachariah OHora. Massive elephant Poe is sitting in the middle of Prickly Valley's only road, and he "won't go." The perturbed townspeople encourage Poe to leave, but all attempts fail until a young girl asks him why. It turns out that Poe has been waiting for--and unknowingly sitting on--his friend Moe, a monkey. This humorous, offbeat story's outlandish scenarios are nicely supported by quirky, playful acrylic and pencil illustrations.

Reviewer: Patrick Gall | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2018

(2) PS Taylor's dejected after a crow topples the child's wooden-block structure. A chicken urges Taylor to "talk, talk, talk about it!"; others offer well-intentioned but unhelpful advice. Expressive illustrations depict Taylor with closed-off body language. Finally, a rabbit sits beside Taylor, silent until Taylor decides to talk: "The rabbit listened," patient and compassionate, letting Taylor work through complex emotions without pressure, culminating in a positive ending.

Reviewer: Megan Dowd Lambert | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2018

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Jay Fleck. Curious and absentminded Flo, the smallest panda, likes taking her time and lounging ("her number-one saying is 'Get floppy!'"). Although this frustrates the other pandas with their daily tight schedule of activities, her "floppy," relaxed ways are more appealing after a near-disaster. Spare, brightly drawn illustrations and occasional speech-bubble dialogue complement the simple message that slowing down can be a good thing.

Reviewer: Aimee Chevrette Bear

(3) K-3 This significantly longer follow-up to A Home for Bird includes three short stories instead of just one. Patient toad Vernon gets some unexpected help from a snail, he goes on a nontraditional fishing outing with Skunk and Porcupine, and his two friends cheer him up when he misses Bird. Unfussy mixed-media illustrations perfectly capture Stead's laidback dry wit and lovable, oddball animal characters.

Reviewer: Cynthia K. Ritter

(2) K-3 In this follow-up to Leaves, Bear wakes from hibernation. He patiently keeps busy during spring and early summer, trying his best (but failing) to forget that it's not yet time for his favorite snack: honey. Repetition and steady pacing make for compelling page turns. Stein's uncluttered compositions keep the focus on the endearing protagonist, who is depicted in relaxed, carefree lines, with warm yellows and greens dominating.

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

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Vivienne To. Always on the go, Amy's family does everything in a hurry. When Amy brings home a sloth, he slows down the family, and they learn to appreciate one another and life around them--to Amy's relief. This story about the drawbacks of today's rapid-fire life and the benefits of taking time out will resonate with both jet-propelled readers and those who move more purposefully.

Reviewer: Cyrisse Jaffee

(3) PS Translated by Sally-Ann Spencer. Forget Godot: Bear is waiting on a bench for Goliath. The seasons change, but Bear doesn't lose faith. His patience--like the reader's--is rewarded when spring comes and so does Goliath, who turns out to be a snail ("I came as fast as I could"). This German import is an endearing ode to friendship, with photographed art of what looks like a paper-based three-dimensional set.

Reviewer: Nell Beram

(3) 4-6 Illustrated by Daniel Rieley. A clever layout and engaging illustrations invite readers into Arthur's world, where his autistic brother's needs and unpredictability make Arthur feel nearly invisible. An enormous polar bear named Mr. P. turns up at his door to help Arthur learn patience and understanding--and is a lot of fun to boot. A sweet story likely to start always-welcome conversations about differences and acceptance.

Reviewer: Rebecca Kirshenbaum

(4) 1-3 Sofia Martinez series. Illustrated by Kim Smith. In Sofia's large Hispanic family, even a mundane event--here building a time capsule (Abuela's) and shopping for school supplies (Shopping)--can cause excitement. Though the stories' initial scenarios are amusing, the light plots are low-stakes. The accessible English texts are peppered with Spanish words in pink type and amusingly illustrated. Discussion and writing prompts are appended. Glos. Review covers these Sofia Martinez titles: Abuela's Special Letters and Shopping Trip Trouble.

Reviewer: Siena Leslie

(3) PS Illustrated by Matt Phelan. In an amusing twenty questions–like scenario, an inquisitive badger tries to answer the titular question with the help of a not-so-forthcoming rabbit. As the badger--and readers--decipher the rabbit's cryptic replies, soft, earth-toned illustrations in varied layouts feature the two animals exploring the natural world together over a day. Different-colored text delineates the speakers, while the big reveal (in a dramatic vertical spread) encourages rereading.

Reviewer: Cynthia K. Ritter

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Carin Berger. Two dapper pear seeds perform a vaudeville comedy act. During the show, readers learn that the seed-to-fruit process requires patience, soil, rain, sun, and time. Illustrations that look like mixed-media and paper collage show seeds onstage conversing in short-sentence word balloons. Slight but amusing for young children and grownups with a love of wordplay and botany. "5 'Peary' Smart Facts" are appended. Bib.

Reviewer: Paula M. Cairo

(3) PS Jelly Bean is a kind blue giraffe with black spots whose head accidentally becomes home to a bird's nest. Jelly Bean's animal friends entertain her while she waits for the eggs to hatch. The short, simple sentences highlight themes of friendship and caring. Set against the mostly white background, the bright collage illustrations (containing torn tissue- and construction-paper and twine) are full of texture.

Reviewer: Miriam Steinberg-Egeth

(4) PS As Mr. Panda (Please, Mr. Panda) whips up something special to eat, a parade of other black-and-white animals marches through the plain light-blue background asking him what he's making. Only Penguin is willing to wait for the (surprise) answer. Mr. Panda's repeated obliviousness to Penguin's presence is frustrating, but in the end, Penguin's patience is rewarded with a giant, tasty doughnut.

Reviewer: Aimee Chevrette Bear