(2) 4-6 Illustrated by Ellen Heck. "Cold winter winds rattle your window and the blast of the foghorn weaves into your morning dreams, warning ships away from the rocky cliffs behind you." In a second-person narrative voice, Partridge (Parks for the People, rev. 3/22) follows the 1930s construction of the Golden Gate Bridge through the eyes of two fictional siblings, the children of one of the workers. This enables her to highlight key events, simplify complex processes, and weave in compelling factual details. Double-page spreads feature the children observing the construction from up close and from afar. Inset illustrations zoom in to provide extra detail about the construction work, while the bottom of every spread provides a visual timeline of the bridge's progress. Heck's textured art, varied compositions, and striking color choices (blues and greens contrast with the famous reddish orange) provide the appropriate mood and gravitas for the accomplishment of such a noted architectural wonder and historical landmark. An informative afterword provides intriguing additional details such as the challenges presented by tides and currents; the expert Mohawk Indians who came west and worked as riveters; and the choice of the iconic International Orange.

Reviewer: Jonathan Hunt | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2024

(1) K-3 Illustrated by Jon Klassen. Frequent collaborators Barnett and Klassen serve up a delectable rendition of the oft-retold folktale. The bare-bones narrative "clip clops" along with abundant humor and plenty of verbal delights, repetition, and rhyme ("Who seeks to reach the grassy ridge? / Who dares to walk across my bridge?") as the brash, blustery bully of a troll gleefully lists all the ways he loves to eat goat. Droll digitally compiled illustrations created with ink, watercolor, and graphite capture a proscenium view of the action above and below the bridge and depict a large, rodent-like troll who dwells in the muck of a bone-strewn riverbank. How the menacing meat-eater gets his comeuppance and the clever brothers go on to enjoy grassy glory on the other side of the bridge are the stuff of legend, and here they're given a playful twist by these masters of the deadpan. The tale wraps up with the troll floating down the river and around a bend. "Where he ended up I really can't say. I've never gone that far. There are too many mosquitoes." Sure to be a read-aloud favorite, this engaging interpretation will sit comfortably next to classic versions by Marcia Brown, Glen Rounds, Paul Galdone, and Jerry Pinkney.

Reviewer: Luann Toth | Horn Book Magazine Issue: January, 2023

(1) K-3 Illustrated by Steve Light. Roads, bridges, basketball courts, skyscrapers--so much of our world is made out of concrete, the combination of stone, sand, water, and cement that is our most ubiquitous modern building material. Without getting too bogged down in technical nitty-gritty, Theule presents readers with the fascinating story of concrete, from its ancient nonstructural uses to today's massive feats of engineering. The brief, clear expository text delivers the information well (as readers learn, for instance, the difference between tensile strength and compressive strength), with additional details provided by conversational, often humorous word balloons from various figures found in the illustrations. Light's pen, ink, and watercolor art is bright and engaging, with plenty of white space. Occasional double-page spreads convey the magnitude of the giant structures depicted, such as the Roman Colosseum, Three Gorges Dam, and Salginatobel Bridge, all made possible by the invention of reinforced concrete. Bright blues and greens are used throughout, highlighting the environment and providing contrast to the gray and earth-tone structures. Hand this to fans of Macaulay's building books (such as Castle and Underground). A bibliography is appended.

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

(2) K-3 Here's a classic David vs. Goliath tale, with a twist--or possibly more than one. The town of Puddletrunk, a higglety-pigglety, near-vertical construction on a tiny circle of land, is separated from the mainland by a deep chasm. The wooden bridges that span the chasm collapse with disturbing regularity--destroyed, apparently, by termites. A large bridge troll with bright green skin who towers over the other ­residents--"the fabulous Mortimer Gulch!!!" gushes the effusive and clueless narrator--bilks the residents of their money and possessions to pay for succeeding new bridges. (They're now on #272.) Then a newcomer, a diminutive clock repairman, arrives to rebuild the town's crumbling clock tower; he seems curiously immune to the troll's grift. And that grift is even greater than we first suspect, because it transpires that Mr. Gulch, not termites at all, is the ­culprit/bridge chewer. One night, he gnaws at the base of the (now fully repaired) clock tower--"Just as delicious as bridges!" enthuses the narrator--causing the tower to fall over. But when it does, it exactly spans the width of the chasm, becoming a strong, sturdy, covered bridge. The town rejoices, Mr. Gulch slinks off into the night...and the narrator still doesn't get it. The book's success lies in the sliminess of Mr. Gulch; the surprise outcome; the many clever details in the illustrations (including a blueprint that reveals what the repairman intended, all along); and the mismatch between the narration and the story being told in the illustrations. The palette's lurid colors, the exaggerated figures, even the curlicue font all match and reinforce the over-the-top, funny, and many-times-pore-over-able story.

Reviewer: Martha V. Parravano | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2021

(2) K-3 Illustrated by James Ransome. When, in 1959, the renowned jazz saxophonist Sonny Rollins takes a break from a successful career to hone his skills, he finds the perfect place to do so. Discouraged from practicing in his apartment because the neighbors complain about the noise, Sonny retreats to the ideal setting, NYC's Williamsburg Bridge, where he ascends the stairs and "strolls above / the sprawling / spider city / with / millions of lives / lights / movement and speed / lots of / sound / & / lots of / noise" to blow his horn as loudly as he pleases. Practicing there for two years, he engages in electrifying call-and-response improvisations with the sounds around him, "tugboats / blowing bass notes / back / and forth / Sonny answering / ­note-for-note / with / low moans / of his / own." Following the return to his career, he records an album titled The Bridge. Golio is known for his picture-book biographies about musicians (Carlos Santana, rev. 11/18; Dark Was the Night, rev. 8/20), and here his precise and expressive free verse is well paired with Ransome's (Overground Railroad, rev. 3/20; Northbound, rev. 1/21) evocative art. In beautiful watercolor and collage, Ransome splendidly captures both the vibrant spirit of the city and the luminous persona of the jazzman. Back matter includes information about Rollins's career and the Williamsburg Bridge as well as some of Rollins's own words.

Reviewer: Pauletta Brown Bracy | Horn Book Magazine Issue: January, 2022

(2) PS Illustrated by Katherine Tillotson. It's "the FULL story" of the classic tale of the three billy goats and the menacing troll, or what late author Jackson calls "the story, like all stories, of Who Wants What...and Do They Get It?" Jackson changes nothing about the plot; we still meet three goats who, in order to graze on grass on the other side of a bridge, outwit a troll, but he gives it new life in this spirited text. The tone is chummy ("SO...here are the Brothers Gruff," it begins) in a text that directly addresses readers: "Just look at him," Jackson writes when we first meet Troll. The story is filled with entertaining asides ("Here's the famous part," we read before Big Billy head-butts Troll); rhythmic language that uses repetition to great effect (the usual "trip-trap," but Jackson throws in some "mutt-muttering" from Troll and some "please and kindly" phrasing to remind readers that politeness goes a long way); and lots of alliteration ("Our biggest brother, Big Billy...is a meal-worthy mouthful compared to middling me"). Changes in font size animate the pages, and the book's vocabulary will delight readers with words such as gnarly, modicum, and ferocious. Tillotson's remarkably textured illustrations match the energy of the tale, and she brings playful perspectives (from both under and atop the rickety bridge). An immensely entertaining retelling, trip-trap!

Reviewer: Julie Danielson | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2021

(2) YA Aaron Boroff and Tillie Stanley are both suffering from depression, but different life experiences lead them to the George Washington Bridge at the same moment for their respective suicide attempts. Sequentially, four distinct possibilities play out: Tillie jumps, Aaron doesn't; Aaron jumps, Tillie doesn't; they both jump; neither jumps. Aaron is an introspective loner, a skinny gay kid who's interested in writing and performing music. He's plagued by self-doubt, however, exacerbated by severe depression. Tillie, adopted from Korea, struggles to earn the love of her emotionally unavailable father and feels like her family's "plan B," supplanted by the biological daughter they had years later. The intriguing narrative structure allows Konigsberg to develop Aaron and Tillie with nuance and depth, showing how their absence from this world would affect their families and peers immediately and far into the future. In the last alternative narrative strand, Aaron and Tillie become friends and support each other in a way that their parents, friends, and therapists could not. Mental health and suicide ideation are difficult topics, and Konigsberg handles them with great skill, care, and sensitivity. An author's note addresses depression and suicide, particularly among LGBTQIA+ youth, and provides resources.

Reviewer: Jonathan Hunt | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2020

(3) K-3 Translated by Amy Novesky. Illustrated by Marc Daniau. Inspired by the Norman Rockwell painting The Problem We All Live With, this French import presents the fictionalized story of six-year-old Ruby Bridges, one of the first African American children to integrate a Southern school. Written in first person, and paired with expressive, striking illustrations, the book should resonate with readers with its frank presentation of the difficulties Bridges faced during this flashpoint in American history.

Reviewer: Monique Harris

(3) 4-6 Fact Finders: People You Should Know series. These biographies focus on individuals who've had a significant impact on American culture and history. Ginsburg highlights important decisions the Justice has been outspoken about and describes her place in pop culture. Bridges takes a broader look at the integration of Ruby's school and the reactions of her community. Sidebars, "Did You Know?" text boxes, well-chosen photographs, and word definitions accompany the readable texts. Reading list. Glos., ind. Review covers these Fact Finders: People You Should Know titles: Ruby Bridges and Ruth Bader Ginsburg.

Reviewer: Kristy Pasquariello

(3) 4-6 Freedom's Promise series. Cleanly designed and supported with lots of photos, these books feature clear texts that help contextualize pivotal episodes in African American history. The treatments don't shy away from the violence and hatred that the fight for civil rights unleashed in America. Bloody looks at how the U.S. civil rights movement inspired Catholic activists in Northern Ireland. There are eight other spring 2019 books in this series. Reading list. Glos., ind. Review covers these Freedom's Promise titles: Daisy Bates and the Little Rock Nine, The March on Washington and Its Legacy, Ruby Bridges and the Desegregation of American Schools, and Two Bloody Sundays.

Reviewer: Monique Harris

(2) 4-6 To escape their abusive father, eleven-year-old narrator Viji and her intellectually disabled sister Rukku run away to Chennai, the capital city of Tamil Nadu, India, where they befriend two homeless boys. Written in short chapters directly addressed to Rukku in which traumatic events are balanced with personal reflection, this bittersweet story is about breaking the cycle of abuse, reaching for your dreams, and finding home in the most unlikely places.

Reviewer: Julie Hakim Azzam | Horn Book Magazine Issue: January, 2019

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Natalie Nelson. Wishinsky's straightforward, text-heavy picture-book biography places particular emphasis on Roebling's critical role in bringing her husband's engineering feat, the iconic Brooklyn Bridge, to completion after he fell ill. Taking inspiration from nineteenth-century newspapers, Nelson's collage illustrations draw from photographs, giving the book an air of historical authenticity. Speech bubbles with imagined dialogue make Roebling and her milieu accessible to today's readers. Reading list. Bib.

Reviewer: Erica Wetter

(3) 4-6 Illustrated by Carl Wiens. An informative introduction to the way the natural world can influence the built environment features discussion of global architecture and design that intentionally (and unintentionally) copies nature. Photos of real-life structures sit alongside appealingly straightforward hand-drawn images and diagrams. Several manageable activities demonstrating eco-design principles along with design-it-yourself prompts will inspire budding architects to consider the ways nature can help solve design challenges. Bib., glos., ind.

Reviewer: Erica Wetter

(3) YA In the wake of a bridge collapse in Boston, five teenagers from different backgrounds find themselves in a hospital waiting room. Through flashbacks, overlapping perspectives, a vividly described setting, and an effective use of dramatic irony, Lawson carefully develops each character's story and their accidental relationships with one another. Regardless of its neat ending, this debut novel is a worthwhile study of tragedy's wake.

Reviewer: Norah Piehl

(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

(3) 4-6 Fact Finders: Awesome Engineering series. Illustrated by Mark Ruffle. This series packs lots of information about engineering structures or vehicles into slim volumes. Each spread includes a "Building Brief" explaining the challenge, engineer, and location of the featured invention; information on the history and physical science involved; and illustrative diagrams and small photos. The tone respects readers' intelligence, as do the straightforward scientific explanations. A page of facts concludes each volume. Reading list. Glos., ind. Review covers these Fact Finders: Awesome Engineering titles: Bridges, Fairground Rides, and Trains, Planes, and Ships.

Reviewer: Janet Dawson

(4) YA Zusak presents an epic saga of five rambunctious Australian brothers, their long-suffering parents, and the bonds of love that tie them together. The eldest Dunbar brother narrates this story in an elliptical, digressive, somewhat frustratingly enigmatic style. The distinctly Australian landscape is fully realized, and the (many) supporting characters are convincing in their brief cameos, but like the impressionistic vignettes that make up the plot, they are subsumed by this overly demanding book's heftier elements.

Reviewer: Jonathan Hunt | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2018

(3) K-3 Super Simple Engineering Projects series. This series clearly explains engineering principles through hands-on projects. Six-page introductions define each engineered structure, briefly describing its construction, uses, and different types. Five or six activities follow, and "Digging Deeper" sidebars expand on the science involved. Simple directions, inexpensive materials lists, and plenty of helpful photographs make this series a good choice for budding engineers. Each book concludes with a three-question quiz. Glos. Review covers these Super Simple Engineering Projects titles: Engineer It! Bridge Projects, Engineer It! Canal Projects, Engineer It! Dam Projects, Engineer It! Road Projects, Engineer It! Skyscraper Projects, and Engineer It! Tunnel Projects.

Reviewer: Janet Dawson

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Renée Kurilla. A canine city family heads to the shore for a picnic. They drive their "1 pickup" toward the bridge, as do "2 blue scooters," "3 squeaky jeeps," and so on until "10 troopers' cruisers" block everyone's path ("Road closed"). The spontaneous communal picnic has the esprit de corps of a Richard Scarry composition, but the story slumps after the bridge reopens.

Reviewer: Nell Beram

(3) 4-6 Building by Design series. Each book in this engaging engineering-focused series describes the history and construction of a famous structure, and explains how the landmark is maintained today. Sidebars (some with prompts and website links) as well as photographs, drawings, and diagrams enhance each main text's four chapters. Each book includes "Straight to the Source" pages quoting a primary source, discussion questions throughout, and additional appended facts. There are four other fall 2017 books in this series. Reading list. Glos., ind. Review covers these Building by Design titles: Engineering the Golden Gate Bridge, Engineering the Colosseum, Engineering the NYC Subway System, and Engineering the Eiffel Tower.

Reviewer: Janet Dawson