(2) 4-6 In Christmas's debut graphic novel, Bree and her dad are moving to Florida from Brooklyn for his new job. Bree is excited for the first day of school until she finds out swim class is the only available elective. Bree doesn't know how to swim but is too embarrassed to tell the teacher. When her neighbor, Ms. Etta, finds out Bree's secret, she offers to give her private lessons. The lessons pay off, and Bree joins the swim team to improve her grade. When arguments among team members threaten to break them up, Ms. Etta and her friends step in to help them pull together, and when Bree finds out her dad can't swim, she teaches him. Like Johnson's Twins (rev. 11/20) and Craft's New Kid (rev. 1/19), this enjoyable graphic novel deals with familiar and ­middle-grade-appropriate themes of friendship, perseverance, and overcoming fears. The accessible illustrations add to the humorous (and sometimes serious) moments within the text. The book also introduces readers to the history of Black people being denied access to public pools, which limited their ability to learn to swim.

Reviewer: Nicholl Denice Montgomery | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 2022

(2) 4-6 The first day of sixth grade at Mendez Middle School is coming up, and Isaac Castillo's Amá expects him to become "más responsable": "no more forgetting my lunch, no more missing homework, no more detentions, no more bad grades. And most importantly, no more tears for Amá--at least not because of me." Isaac's parents are getting a divorce, and he hopes that his good behavior can keep the family together. Isaac's best friend, Marco Honeyman ("half-Jewish, half-Mexican"), lives next door, and his parents are divorcing, too. Unlike Isaac, he's a top student: "all geek awards, nothing my dad can brag about." Maybe if Marco plays a sport, he can make his father proud. Alternating first-person narrations effectively offer Isaac's and Marco's perspectives on their own experiences and on each other's. Isaac teaches Marco to play basketball, and Marco--who's truly bad at offense but is a scrappy defensive player--makes the team; the latter part of the novel features exciting basketball action. By the end, Isaac has indeed become more responsible, and his schoolwork is better. He has learned how much basketball is like life and school: "It pretty much comes down to the hustle we put in." Though their families don't come back together the way that they'd hoped, the boys do indeed make their loved ones proud. A well-told story of family, friends, basketball, and life.

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

(1) 4-6 Color by K Czap. The Eight Bitz dance crew has one more year together before they all go off to different high schools, and they're determined to make the most of it. For protagonist Cory that means freestyling and having fun, but for team captain Tess it means pushing everyone into a tightly choreographed routine that she secretly hopes will get her into dance school. On top of tensions in the crew, Cory is having a tough time in class and is grounded until he brings his grades up. The tutor his parents hire is his prickly lab partner, Sunna--who's secretly a yo-yo prodigy. Yo-yo turns out to be a surprisingly efficient way to interest someone in math and science, but Cory's crew notices that he's passing up time with his old friends as he gets closer to a new one. Galligan's crisp, bouncy, cartoonlike style captures the story's constant motion, making for a fast-paced visual experience with yo-yo strings or b-boying limbs constantly busting out of panels. The narrative speeds along just as quickly, with calendar pages whizzing past. While the focus is on Cory, Galligan finds space to land emotional beats for several members of the large and diverse cast. The changes and challenges of middle school should resonate with many kids, and readers will cheer when Cory finds a way to bring everyone together in a whizz-bang finish.

Reviewer: Laura Koenig | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 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

(1) K-3 Summer on the blacktop courts of ­Milwaukee gets infinitely more exciting when a new kid joins the Eagles. From the first time they see him handle a basketball, the team members know that with Gravity on their squad they have a chance to be the best in the city. Palmer's (Mama Africa!, rev. 11/17; A Plan for the People, rev. 7/21) entertaining modern-day tall tale, told in direct-address by teammate Butta, is heavy on both hyperbole and basketball action: "Gravity once jumped so high that we were able to go out for ice cream before he came down." On-point gameplay descriptions bring readers into the action as the awe-inspiring heroics of a mythically great ballplayer take center court. The story's climax is at the city finals where the Eagles realize they can't rely only on Gravity's immense skills and abilities to overcome their opponents. Vivid colors and heavy brushstrokes bring the city, its courts, and the characters to life, with the fluid basketball movements and positioning of the players being exceptionally well rendered. Palmer's author note dedicates the story to "unsung basketball greats who never made it to the NBA but left a lasting impression on those who witnessed their incredible feats and heard their amazing stories." Hand off to fans of Peoples-Riley's I Got Next (rev. 11/19) and Myers's H.O.R.S.E. (rev. 1/13).

Reviewer: Eric Carpenter | Horn Book Magazine Issue: January, 2022

(1) K-3 Translated by Lawrence Schimel. Illustrated by Raquel Catalina. On a playing field in a city neighborhood's central square, young Madani, a recent arrival, is the best player on his soccer team. He plays barefoot, and his teammates speculate how much better, even, he would play if he had proper cleats. They know Madani is saving up little by little (skipping afternoon snacks, walking instead of taking the bus) and await the day he can afford to buy cleats--hopefully before the upcoming match with their longtime rivals. Meanwhile, his mother sews all day in their apartment, listening to the faint cheers for Madani that waft through her window. The story is narrated by one of Madani's teammates and reflects childlike concerns and perspectives. So the focus stays on the wonder of Madani's skills rather than where he came from; and also, crucially, on the anticipated new cleats rather than what Madani is actually saving up for, which will likely come as a surprise to young readers. The illustrations in this Spanish import, in pencil, gouache, and colored pencil, capture a bustling neighborhood of sidewalk cafes, newsstands, fountains, passersby, traffic, and pigeons. The spreads showing soccer action are full of movement and energy as Madani juggles the ball, dodges opponents, shoots, and scores. A beautiful book centering on the beautiful game, but about so much more: immigrant life, family, friendship, love.

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

(2) K-3 Five friends--Turtle, Anteater, Badger, Mandrill, and Owl--try to decide on a "terrific" activity to do together. Each suggests something that they enjoy themselves but that, when tried by the whole group, is not a success. Digging works for Badger, but not for Owl. Hanging from toes upside-down works for Mandrill--"your hands are free to comb your fur"--but not Anteater. Interloper Snake offers suggestions, but young readers will recognize them as the red flags they are--"I think squeezing things tightly in my coils is terrific." When the friends collapse in a heap, tired from their efforts to find a common pastime, Snake declares that "eating together is terrific" and proceeds to entwine them in his coils. Luckily, Owl rescues herself and the others by beating her wings. In the final spread the friends are feasting on a variety of fruits, vegetables, and fish, agreeing that eating together is indeed "TERRIFIC!" Did Owl, pictured with a smug smile and swollen belly as she preens a wing feather, eat the snake? It is up to readers to decide. The story is paced particularly well. As each animal suggests an activity, their figure fills the left-hand page of a spread, getting a turn in the spotlight. Lush, detailed illustrations, done in watercolor and pen and ink in a muted palette of greens, browns, and grays, invite readers close to the page to focus on each character's facial expressions and body language.

Reviewer: Maeve Visser Knoth | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2021

(1) K-3 Illustrated by Nguyen Quang & Kim Lien. Young Prasit Hemmin and his friends loved soccer. But because their small island home of Koh Panyee, off the coast in Thailand, had so little land (the homes were built on stilts over the ocean), there was no room for even a small field. The boys played on sandbars at low tide, but as soon as the tide came in, the game was over. Set in 1986, this inspiring true story of determination and teamwork tells of Prasit and his friends' wild plan to use scrap lumber to build a floating soccer field. Not only did the young people succeed, but practicing on this small, unsteady, nail-and-splinter-filled field floating off the docks helped build the players' quickness and footwork. They entered a local tournament--and, playing their own way, came in third. In the ­colorful pen and digital illustrations, soccer scenes are especially lively and expressive, filled with happy smiles and strong kicks. An appended note tells more about the real-life players and about the Panyee Football Club, which is still in existence. A bibliography, further reading, "Words You Might Hear on the Floating Field" in English and Thai (with a pronunciation guide), and a first-person "Prasit's Perspective" section are appended. A splendid nonfiction picture book to pair with Baptiste Paul's fictional The Field (rev. 5/18).

Reviewer: Eric Carpenter | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2021

(2) K-3 Barnabus is a mouse/elephant hybrid who has "lived in a secret lab...as long as he could remember." The location of the laboratory is quickly revealed on an impressive double-page spread showing first a "perfectly ordinary" city street--including a store called Perfect Pets--and then its underground, which makes visible the secret pet-manipulation operation. Barnabus, trapped in a glass jar alongside other pint-sized hybrid creatures, learns about the outside world from a cockroach named Pip. The trees, lakes, and "mountains that reached all the way to the sky, lit with their own stars" (a.k.a. high-rises) described by Pip spark Barnabus's sense of wonder. After the creatures are officially deemed "Failed Projects," off to be recycled into something more perfect, a glass-shattering "BWAAHHH!!" (courtesy of Barnabus's trunk) jump-starts their escape. The graphite and digitally colored illustrations convey a gentle, handmade quality through substantial cross-hatching and an emphasis on shading. A harrowing chase through the lab's pipework showcases the Fan brothers' strong sense of perspective, spatial continuity, and skillful expression of light. After Barnabus releases a massive, tentacled creature (also a Failed Project) from its watery tank, the entire cast of creatures rockets up a pipe and into Perfect Pets, creating a literal splash that leads to their freedom and reinforces Barnabus's optimistic mantra that "nothing is impossible."

Reviewer: Patrick Gall | Horn Book Magazine Issue: January, 2021

(1) K-3 The "strongest guys in the whole forest" are the Little Guys--small pastel-colored creatures with acorn-cap hats and stick arms and legs. This presumed root-for-the-underdog story takes a humorously unexpected turn as close observation shows the Little Guys obnoxiously stealing food from the other forest animals ("None for you! All for us!"). Brosgol's jewel-toned mixed-media illustrations are imbued with humor both subtle and exaggerated, enhancing and extending the spare text.

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

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Germán Blanco. "Pencil liked to work alone." So imagine its chagrin when little pink Eraser comes on the scene, undermining Pencil's work. Eraser's effacing marks on Pencil's charcoal-colored drawings will win over the reader as they ultimately win over Pencil: Eraser calms Pencil's choppy ocean waves, etches star shapes into Pencil's night sky ("Look! Now we can stargaze"), and more.

Reviewer: Nell Beram

(3) YA Exiled after a cruel betrayal causes her to fail her coming-of-age trial, Rasmira leaves her village for the treacherous wilds, where she meets fellow exiles Iric and Soren. Working together, they can accomplish their "mattugrs"--impossible tasks--and return to their villages, but Rasmira's mattugr is daunting: she must assassinate a god whose supernatural powers kill at a gesture. Growing self-confidence, humorous banter, and an incipient romance distinguish this fantasy adventure.

Reviewer: Anita L. Burkam

(3) K-3 Mip challenges Pip to a race to build the tallest treehouse. Impulsive Mip gets to work right away, while planner Pip drafts detailed blueprints. When things don't go as hoped, the two young fairies work together and discover the joys of teamwork. The mixed-media art has an immersive 3D quality that makes the fairies and their creations pop off the page.

Reviewer: Meredith Madyda

(3) K-3 Steve the Horse series. Horse Steve always wins the annual race-a-thon, but this year's race is a relay and Steve's been paired with the slowest runners: Duck, Turtle, and Snail. Can he coach his team to success? Can he keep his hubris in check? This comical story about a self-absorbed yet endearing equine is filled with cheeky asides and balanced by simple, monochromatic ink and watercolor art.

Reviewer: Lana Barnes

(4) K-3 I Can Read Book series. Illustrated by Jim Paillot. A.J. refuses to join Ryan's curling team. But after learning the coach is star athlete Mo Deen, A.J. watches every practice and replaces an injured player during the big game. A slight but accessible easy-reader plot centers on the (forced) humor the series' longer chapter books are known for. Full-color cartoon illustrations capture the story's frenetic spirit.

Reviewer: Russell Perry

(4) 1-3 Makers Make It Work series. Illustrated by Anthony Lewis. In each of these early-reader stories, the main character learns a makerspace skill--woodworking, robotics, 3D printing, and baking--to solve a problem. If the child's first effort fails, he or she persists to achieve success. The various illustrations (by different artists) are serviceable and the stories are fairly engaging, but kids will likely be more interested in the included hands-on activities. Useful for early-elementary classrooms and makerspaces. Review covers these Makers Make It Work titles: Double or Nothing, The Color Day Coach, Robot to the Rescue, and The Runaway Chicken.

Reviewer: Janet Dawson

(3) 4-6 Illustrated by Neil Hooson. Ophelia von Hairball V is the star thief of the Furry Feline Burglary Institute (FFBI). She tries to shake her newly assigned goldfish partner, inventor Oscar Fishgerald Gold, but instead learns teamwork. In this caper, told in a hybrid prose/comic format, cat and fish are as cute as they are clever. Navigating goofy situations with finesse and style, the characters deliver a delightfully pun-filled crime-adventure.

Reviewer: Dorrie Karlin

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Andrea Offerman. Two sisters illustrate the Chinese concept of opposites forming a powerful whole. Strong, energetic Wei and thoughtful, creative Mei together fight the dragon that prevents their family and neighbors from using the local bridge, forcing all the villagers to travel long and far to get to market. With folkloric rhythms and beautifully detailed pen-and-ink and watercolor illustrations, this original story will satisfy readers.

Reviewer: Melinda Greenblatt

(4) 4-6 Cassie's middle-school softball team has a shot at the championship, but its dynamic is destroyed by the inclusion of a new player with Asperger's syndrome. In befriending Sarah, Cassie jeopardizes her own leadership. Lupica's preachiness interferes with his vivid sports writing in this fourth message-driven Home Team novel.

Reviewer: Miriam Lang Budin

(3) 4-6 As seventh grader Wes Davies's basketball team competes for a championship, his Navy-veteran father sinks into PTSD-caused alcoholism. Meanwhile, Wes's showy team nemesis "Dinero" challenges Wes's commitment--drilled into him by his father--to above all be a good teammate. Short chapters alternate between on-court action and Wes's home life. The resolution feels tidy, but hoops fans will root for resilient and likable Wes.

Reviewer: Carolyn Shute