(2) K-3 "For a perfect Yalda Night, you need a pomegranate." No sooner does young Pouya find one than the wind plucks it from his hand. The fruit falls and rolls to Rabbit, who takes a few seeds and then passes it to Bear; who takes a few and passes it to Fox; who shares what's left with her kits. Pouya is sad to miss out on "a perfect Yalda Night" but is happy that his loss is the other creatures' gain -- a selfless sentiment noted by the wind, who rewards him for his generosity. The story's pleasing pattern and satisfying ending will be enjoyable to readers familiar with the ancient Persian solstice celebration and those just learning about it. "Yalda means birth in Syriac-Aramaic and refers to the triumph of light over darkness," and the illustrations, in wintry hues, exude warmheartedness.

Reviewer: Elissa Gershowitz | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2024

(2) K-3 An entourage of well-dressed animals sets out for a festive picnic in this wordless Dutch import. Just as they begin cake-baking and merry-making, an eagle swoops down (on the title page) and snags their picnic blanket and, with it, the animals' signature possessions -- the pig's parasol, the frog pair's soccer ball, the poodle's purse, and so on -- casting doubt on the titular promise of "cake for everyone." When the eagle drops everything off a cliff, high jinks ensue. As the animals hunt down their belongings, readers enjoy Tjong-Khing's Where's Waldo–like visual puzzle. But what's the viewer's best strategy? Track one animal at a time or immerse oneself in the simultaneous chases that unfold over multiple page-turns? There are no wrong answers, and indeed many opportunities for re-reading. Soft pastel-colored scenes with fine black outlines invite repeat readings and reward careful viewers with a myriad of hidden surprises. In the end, there is, indeed, cake for everyone -- even the trouble-making snake and gorilla.

Reviewer: | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2024

(2) PS Illustrated by Alice McKinley. Two headstrong frogs battle it out for sole proprietorship of their favorite rock. A long-legged green frog fishes on its side of the rock, while on the other side a paler, squatter frog naps. When they become aware of each other, an argument ensues. They defend their ownership in back-and-forth rhymes. "This is MY rock! / See over there? / My orange towel, / my folding chair. / My flask of tea. / My underwear. / This rock is MINE." A large blue heron watches the two flailing about and swoops in for a snack, sending the pair diving into the water. Frog and Frog are united by this close call and decide to search for a new rock together. The mixed-media and digital illustrations feature blues and greens, befitting a pond or bog. Both frogs sport colorful swimsuits -- a playful detail in a story bursting with silliness. A lucky pink worm, originally destined to be fishing bait, escapes in the early chaos and is one of several creatures that can be found on each page (a bonus seek-and-find for curious readers). An entertaining read-aloud on the merits of sharing.

Reviewer: Hill Saxton | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2024

(1) K-3 Illustrated by Hanna Cha. In this picture book set in 1950, Kyung lives with her family in a seaside house in the southeastern Korean coastal city of Busan. As the North Korean and Chinese militaries push south, many families begin to flee toward Busan. Kyung's parents take several of these refugees in, giving them shelter and safety. The girl shares her home, food, parents' attention, and sleeping mat, which she tolerates but becomes increasingly annoyed about. She eventually learns grace and perspective: "visitors are not stones we can toss into the sea. They are people, our neighbors, to help and to love." Cha's illustrations pay exquisite attention to the beauty of the seaside landscape, using color to intensify the experience of being near the ocean. Vibrant greens and blues swirl, producing the feeling of an ever-moving sea, while wheaty shades of tan create sand and scrub, all of which contrast with the darkness of a makeshift air raid shelter where women and children hide. This gorgeously illustrated book contains beautiful turns of phrase and metaphors ("we sat like two quiet hills, the breeze combing through our hair"). It's a touching homage to the author's own grandparents' heroism, which also offers rare insight into complex feelings about personal sacrifice and witnessing the suffering of others. A glossary is appended, and author and illustrator notes provide historical context.

Reviewer: Julie Hakim Azzam | Horn Book Magazine Issue: January, 2024

(2) PS Readers can expect much more than just a counting book in Gravett's (10 Cats, rev. 5/23) latest: it's also a delightful mathematical puzzler for preschoolers. In the opening spread (one of only two moments of peace), ten sausages sit on a table, and ten dogs, licking their lips, stand around it. The book does, indeed, count down; with the exception of the first spread, the recto of each goes from nine dogs to one (with the finale hinting at zero). But how readers get to zero is where the engaging adventure with math comes into play. For instance, on the second spread, in which chaos immediately ensues, one dog grabs all the sausages, leaving "9 dogs with none." Next, "2 dogs each with half of them, 8 dogs wanting some." And so it goes, Gravett prompting viewers to look carefully at her detailed illustrations to see the deductions in action. Her fine-lined, brightly colored images of ten distinctive canines convey much humor as the pups try to snatch sausages and keep the others away; in the "3" spread, for example, "7 dogs hide sausages" and "3 dogs hunt around." Expect big laughs from preschoolers, particularly those who are dog fans. The dogs topple furniture and put the chairs and the polka-dotted tablecloth to creative use--but, in the end, decide to share. A doggone good adventure.

Reviewer: Julie Danielson | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2023

(2) K-3 Violet spots a pack of eighty-four "brand-new, never-used, perfect crayons" in a store and is ecstatic when (after some wheeling and dealing) they become hers. She imagines all of the wonderful, colorful things she can draw, but soon realizes that she can't bring herself to use the crayons. Little sister Marigold questions why; Violet responds, "They are too pretty. I don't want to ruin them...I think I'll save them for another day." But that day doesn't come, and Violet's mood declines--especially once Marigold decides to help herself to their use. Thankfully, the sisters are able to come to an understanding, "and together, they wore down the perfectly pointed tips of eighty-four brand-new, never-used, perfect crayons." The illustrations are drawn digitally, with the palette sometimes reflecting Violet's emotions (e.g., when she first encounters the crayons, gray backgrounds give way to more varied colors). Textured, crayon-like strokes create a colorful, relatable world. The text uses accessible language and conveys its message about embracing the imperfect without being overly didactic. This story makes a useful social-emotional learning resource and will resonate with anyone hesitant to change or with tendencies toward perfectionism.

Reviewer: Sara Danver | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 2023

(2) PS Each element of this playful battle of wills between two best friends exudes joie de vivre. Otter spots sticks and branches and sees them as toys. Beaver, however, sees them as tools to build a dam, and so the pair spends a happy day jostling over who gets the twigs. The patterned, rhythmic dialogue between Otter and Beaver makes for a musical read-aloud: "Give me those branches. I need those branches. Please give me give me give me those branches right now!" The illustrations reinforce that this is all in good fun: frolicking, not bickering, without any moralizing over the value of work over play. Exuberant Otter is shaped like a smile, and stalwart Beaver is sturdy and strong. The two mirror each other in spread after spread, set against sunny, impressionistic backdrops made of swoops and swirls in glowing yellows and cool aquas. While this book is bound to become a storytime favorite, the word repetition, straightforward plot, and clear images make it a fine choice for new readers too. Please give us give us give us more Otter and Beaver.

Reviewer: Adrienne L. Pettinelli | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2023

(2) K-3 As a girl helps her family set up their stall on "beeping, bickering, and bartering" Tai Yuen Street in Hong Kong, she complains that every day is boringly the same. ­Suddenly and with a "THWUMP!" a man falls to his knees. He tells the crowd of hawkers and shoppers that he's traveled a thousand miles through forests and across rivers, leaving "everything behind but the clothes on his back" to cross the border. The crowd turns away, "uninterested in hearing their own stories retold to them," but the girl's mother asks her to bring the tired and hungry man a mooncake--the very one that was promised to her and her brothers. Reluctantly, she offers him the mooncake, "the best kind" with a double-yolk center. Her act of kindness ripples out into the crowd, reminding onlookers (and readers) of the satisfaction of being able to share what they can. AuYeung's expressive digital illustrations depict Hong Kong's Tai Yuen Street and its people with lively details that lighten the tone. An author's note provides historical context and explains that the story is based on her family's experiences.

Reviewer: | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2022

(2) PS Illustrated by Molly Idle & Juana Martinez-Neal. It's all about the body language in this enjoyable collaboration. Idle (Flora and the Flamingo, rev. 7/13; Witch Hazel, rev. 9/22) and Martinez-Neal (Alma and How She Got Her Name, rev. 5/18; Fry Bread, rev. 11/19) apply their signature styles to two children: a light-skinned child with a blond kewpie cut and a child with darker skin and a thatch of straight black hair. They stand on either side of a thick tree trunk that bisects the double-page spread, backs to each other and arms crossed. Children and tree are both rendered in soft graphite on creamy stock; the only colors are a teal oval that hovers over Idle's kid and a similar yellow one over Martinez-Neal's. What puts them at odds is a mystery, but Fogliano's (My Best Friend, rev. 3/20) lilting first line will have young readers speculating: "i really don't care what you think of my hair / or my eyes or my toes or my nose." As the text trots along, the children first look at each other, then engage in parallel play. They share their separate snacks, smiling, as their respective ovals begin to overlap. Meanwhile, the text never breaks from its rhythm as it modulates from what the characters don't care about to what they do, including sharing, playing fair, and each other's feelings: "i really do care about all of that stuff / i really do care a lot." Here the children embrace on a tire swing, together on the page with friendship now assured. Thoroughly charming notes from each illustrator close this winning outing.

Reviewer: Vicky Smith | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2022

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Raúl Colón. A "little house" is at the center of this story about generosity among members of an extended immigrant family and the stability they provide for one another. When Esperanza, her brother, and their parents emigrate from Cuba, they need a place to live that "doesn't cost too much money." They find la casita. "Even though they were far from home, the family was together. They were safe. They were happy in la casita." In an ­economical and sensory-rich text, Jennings describes the family's new life in the U.S. Esperanza's parents each work two jobs, and she and her brother have responsibilities around the house. "After work and after school," la casita holds "the scrumptious smells of beans and sofrito and plantains--the memories of home bubbling in Mami's pots." Relatives arrive from Cuba, and later a family from Mexico: "La casita offered a home for those who didn't have a place to go." Colón's (Imagine!, rev. 9/18) signature crosshatched drawings bring out the house's character. His watercolor and colored-pencil illustrations in a palette of muted greens, blues, and oranges show the many roles la casita plays as it evolves, expanding to become a haven for hope. In her author's note, Jennings shares her own immigrant family's experiences. Simultaneously published in Spanish as La casita de esperanza.

Reviewer: Lettycia Terrones | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 2022

(2) PS Illustrated by Hyewon Yum. While adults attend an ESL class, their children go to a playroom next door. The room is full but quiet; no one speaks the same language, and all the kids play separately. On a recent visit, young Luli had drawn a picture about an idea she had, and today her backpack holds a ­thermos, a teapot, a tea canister, and some teacups. As Miss Hirokane watches, Luli puts some tea leaves in the pot and pours in the "steaming hot" water, her tongue sticking out in careful concentration. She calls "cha!" (Chinese for tea), and everyone responds with their own words for tea (each word is spelled out and printed phonetically). All gather at the table, where Luli pours tea into cups that get passed around. When there isn't enough left for herself, the kids pass her empty cup around, each pouring in a little tea from their own. After tea it's time for cookies, and with that, "the playroom was no longer quiet." Tea drinking everywhere celebrates community and togetherness; Wang (Watercress, rev. 3/21) has cleverly recreated (and diversified) that ritual in a microcosm. Yum's (Saturday Is Swimming Day[cf], rev. 7/18) overhead view of the table shows smiling faces and varied skin tones, and her illustrations make clear that the Asian teacups with no handles are perfect for small hands--and safe (if it's cool enough to hold, it's cool enough to drink). An appended note describes tea drinking in the ten countries represented, including Iran, Kenya, and Chile, while teacups from each country decorate the endpapers.