(3) K-3 Illustrated by John Ledda. There is indeed something odd about Freddie’s new babysitter, who scares the dog, doesn’t talk much, and eats garbage for dinner. Eventually Freddie realizes what is already clear from the digital art—the babysitter is three adorable raccoons inside a trench coat, the top one wearing a hat and moustache. Readers will delight in being in on the joke from the start, and the deadpan narration (“Was this babysitter raised in the wild?” Freddie wonders) amplifies the humor.

Reviewer: Rachel L. Kerns

(2) YA Lo Simpson, twelve, is no Margaret Simon: she'd just as soon never get her period, and to her a bra is just "a medieval torture device." But her best friend, Jazz, suddenly wants to go bra shopping and sneers at Lo's Doctor Who cosplay. In fairly short order, Jazz is sitting at the "It Girls' table," leaving Lo bereft, pouring out her sadness and confusion in letters to the Doctor that she never sends. As sensitively as Florence depicts the dissolution of Lo and Jazz's friendship, this is more than a middle-school friend-breakup story. Lo quickly (some would say conveniently) discovers a table of fellow nerds who get her Doctor Who references and give her a new community and new confidence. When, after an excruciating sex-ed session capped by a mass condom handout, some boys target the It Girls with condom-balloons, innuendo, and bra-snapping, Lo draws on lessons about consent from her lawyer mother and fights back -- just the first skirmish in her "revolution." The many references to Doctor Who risk confounding readers unfamiliar with the BBC classic, but Lo comes across as a genuine fan, and the Doctor is an important factor in her growth. Lo's metamorphosis from "friendless loser" to a "new, badass version of herself" is swift but rewarding; readers get enough of Lo's interiority to believe her journey. Breezy and bracing.

Reviewer: Vicky Smith | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 2024

(2) YA Color by Sarah Davidson. Marcus McCalister begins eighth grade ambivalent about trying out for soccer despite pressure from those around him in this lively graphic novel. Unlike his varsity-soccer superstar brother, Marcus finds himself yearning for something more. Tough-minded Izzy Briggs, with her purple hair and punk-like fashion sensibility, wants to design costumes for the theater club's stage plays. The two end up together in gym class, where they must cooperate on an extra-credit assignment: performing a swing dance routine in a talent show. This amusing story of boy-meets-girl-in-unusual-circumstances unfolds through strategically composed panels containing details that build aspects of character and tension in a rapidly paced tale. Comical facial expressions and body language accompanied by natural-sounding dialogue advance the plot, ratcheting up the tension between an unlikely duo with dramatic flair and humor.

Reviewer: Jerry Dear | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2025

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Hayden Goodman. A young girl and her family celebrate the annual West African tradition of masquerade -- the first one since her grandfather's death. The dark-skinned protagonist hears the "Dum! Dum! Dum! Dum!" of drums and knows masquerade, which "honor[s] our ancestors," will soon begin. Her family, dressed in traditional garb, shares akaras, "Grandpa's favorite food," and carries items that belonged to him: Mama wears his bead bracelet; Papa wears his green velvet hat; and the girl's brother proudly carries his special walking stick. Despite the festivities, the little girl feels that "masquerade without [Grandpa] hurts too much." The drummers and musicians "stream by in splashes of color and fanfare," followed by the masquerades -- costumed performers whose masks (per an author's note) symbolize "the tribe's cultural roots" and represent deities, spirits, or ancestors. "The burst of energy in the air lifts my spirit and gives me courage. I know what I must do." When the dancers finally appear, the girl courageously participates in the celebration in her own way. Goodman's culturally rich gouache illustrations add energy to this heartfelt introduction to the uniqueness of this village-wide masquerade celebration. A joyful story of a ritual of remembrance.

Reviewer: Michelle H. Martin | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 2024

(2) 4-6 Phoenny, a thirteen-year-old Chinese American girl, is ecstatic to return to SCCWEE (Summertime Chinese Culture, Wellness, and Enrichment Experience) -- Camp Squee for short. It is sure to be another awesome summer with her best friends, the Squad. However, new (and initially unfriendly) campers arrive who aren't as familiar with Chinese language and culture as the Squad is; their extra numbers cause the friends to be split into different groups. Suddenly, Phee is unsure about the summer, even as she unpacks her sewing machine and shares handmade, eye-catching costumes with her friends. Nightly camper meetings lead to honest and transformative conversations about what it means to be Chinese; for example, some newcomers are adoptees living in white families with different perspectives on identity and culture. Then, internet trolls post nasty social media comments that threaten the camp, and Phee feels fragile and afraid. Wang's tightly woven plotting and lively dialogue paint a rich portrait of the ups and downs of middle school friendships, social awkwardness, and a desperate desire to belong. Add in a few crushes, lots of hilarious camp hijinks, and an ingenious solution to the troll problem, and you have an excellent companion to Kelly Yang's Front Desk series (Front Desk, rev. 7/18, and sequels) and Grace Lin's Pacy Lin series (The Year of the Dog, rev. 3/06, and sequels).

Reviewer: J. Elizabeth Mills | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2024

(2) 1-3 Narwhal and Jelly Book series. Excited Narwhal can't decide which costume to wear for Halloween, while scared Jelly doesn't plan to participate. But when Jelly and their friends must "superfy" themselves to bravely rescue Narwhal from a "humongously hungry" sea monster (i.e., Narwhal in too many costume com[cf2boonations), that gives Narwhal the perfect costume idea for their Narwhalloween party...featuring waffles, of course. Humorous puns abound; the varied panel structure and dynamic character expressions in this graphic novel for transitional readers help build age-appropriate suspense. This entertaining eighth series entry includes three "story chapters" plus facts about potentially scary real-life creatures and a "Super Waffle, Strawberry Sidekick and the Bat Attack" comic interlude.

Reviewer: Cynthia K. Ritter | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2023

(2) K-3 "'The rules of the game are simple,' my sister said. 'Avoid the monsters. Don't get caught. And keep moving.'" What sounds like make-believe play is actually quite a dire situation: two young siblings depart their home, joining a group of other masked figures traveling by foot, bus, raft, and train toward a border wall, all the while being tracked by terrifying, spiky, shadowy creatures. Their identities safely concealed behind brightly colored animal masks, the children, for a time, are able to lose themselves in pretend play, with their bold face-coverings making them feel "fast like a rabbit" and "brave like a tiger." But as the trek drags on, reality starts to set in ("This isn't a game...is it?"). Meza's memorable mixed-media illustrations include warm, vivid hues; menacing grays; and lots of white space, which can leave the eye-catchingly drawn children vulnerable in otherwise spare scenes. They finally reach the border wall, but their journey is still not over; their emotional twists and turns know no borders. Making a friend finally allows for the narrator's mask to cautiously be lowered. Meza's appended note describes the inspiration for this story: "Migrants and refugees are often portrayed as either heroes or villains; and yet, the children I was lucky to meet when working on this book were simply that: children [who deserve to] finally feel safe."

Reviewer: Elissa Gershowitz | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2023

(2) PS OHora (Sonny Says "Mine!", rev. 9/21; Fuzzy, Inside & Out) employs his signature bold outlines and vibrant acrylic colors in this rollicking story of shaggy gray dog-child Elise and the adoring little sister, Rosemont, who emulates her every move. Elise usually likes to spend time with her sibling, but she cannot stand being copied. When Elise dresses as a pickle on Halloween, Rosemont dons a cornichon costume. When Elise wears ribbons or learns to play the sousaphone, guess who does the same? Rosemont even takes credit for the cookie soup Elise invented. OHora throws in funny visual gags during these scenes of comical distress. A black cat reacts in shock to Rosemont's Halloween outfit. Tiny Rosemont plays her sousaphone inside Elise's larger instrument. Making cookie soup also means making quite a mess. The book uses some comics conventions, including occasional panels; the irregular shape of some speech bubbles reflects the turbulent emotions Elise feels. Things reach a crisis point at a friend's birthday party: Rosemont not only crashes the celebration, but also copies Elise's gift of a homemade rainstick (instructions appended). Elise angrily leaves the event, but Rosemont comes to her aid. An enjoyable, storytime-ready, sibling-themed romp.

Reviewer: | Horn Book Magazine Issue: January, 2024

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Oliver Jeffers. The crayons from The Day the Crayons Quit (rev. 11/13) and The Day the Crayons Came Home (rev. 9/15) (among others) are back in this fun-size book. Excited about the holiday, the gang heads out in color-appropriate costumes and high spirits. But Orange (pumpkin), Green (witch), Gray (wolf), and Peach ("I'm naked") don't have a clue about what to say. White (ghost), Black (bat), and Purple (vampire) try to coach them, but it's going to take more than hints like "think holiday" and "be polite." Fans of the colorful cast will enjoy this silly confection.

Reviewer: Kitty Flynn

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Diana Toledano. In the early-1900s, lonely Edith dressed animals (real ones and toys) in whatever she could, gradually building a collection of fabric scraps ("[her] greatest treasure"). During high school in L.A., she falls in love with the movies; persevering through a long career full of rejections, Head eventually becomes an (eight-time!) Oscar-winning costume designer. Well-versed in female-artist-underdog stories (Ablaze with Color; Maya Lin), Harvey's plainspoken narrative conveys Head's scrappy determination and a humble personality content out of the spotlight. Toledano's hand-rendered illustrations utilize different techniques--including what appears to be, fittingly, fabric collage.

Reviewer: Katrina Hedeen

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Jessixa Bagley. Mae (a human girl) and Bear (a bear) are both embarking on a train journey to an undisclosed destination, and neither feels comfortable. Mae worries about bears who might eat small people, and Bear worries about people who eat big things, like bears. Separately, they each decide to make a paper-bag hat, disguising themselves as the things they fear for protection. The narrative tells their story from a distant, knowing vantage point, creating a philosophical atmosphere. "Courage is something that comes from your heart--but if you can't find it there, you can wear it on your head at first." The soft graphite and watercolor illustrations effectively use perspective and point of view to develop tension and meaning for these two as they board the train from opposite sides and, in their disguises, choose to sit together, share a snack, and form an alliance. As the train winds through a variety of settings, from mountainous to woodland to metropolitan, the art depicts Mae and Bear bonding over the same delights. An aerial view shows the train's path and then a train car full of human and anthropomorphized animal passengers, expanding the reader's comprehension in parallel with Mae and Bear's growing friendship. Eventually the disguises come off, and, unfazed by each other's true identities, they exchange the hats as gifts. The train moves on, but in a satisfying conclusion, it's revealed that these two are heading to the same destination: "Welcome Campers!" While visually capturing the thrill of travel, this warm story pays tribute to bravery, new experiences, and special connections.

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

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Alejandra Barajas. "Charly rummaged through the mishmash in the old costumes box for something that showed they were both a girl and a boy." (An appended note identifies Charly as bigender.) The Red Riding Hood costume they find feels too feminine; the Dracula one, too masculine--neither expresses wholly who they are. Then Charly has an idea: to create "one [costume] from two." And on Halloween night, out trick-or-treating with friends, they feel "one hundred percent Charly." Cartoony illustrations capture Charly's determination to find the right costume, and the way wearing it ultimately makes them feel "joyfully jazzed" and "harmoniously hopeful."

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

(2) 4-6 Fifth grader Sofía is proud of her Cuban American heritage and of her family's reputation in the ballet world: her parents danced with the Ballet Nacional de Cuba; her sister, Regina, is on a path to the American Ballet Theatre; and her little brother, Manuel, plays Fritz every year in The Nutcracker. Sofía dances, too, but her passions are more in visual arts and costume design. The Acostas are famous for their openness and generosity; their home is known as the Acosta Accordion "because sometimes it's just my family, like an accordion smooshed to the smallest setting. Sometimes the accordion expands and we have my parents' friends or relatives or a million of Manuel's and Regina's friends over. That's the biggest setting." When friends from Cuba come to visit--the ballet-dancer son is guest-performing a tribute to Alicia Alonso--Sofía learns more about her background while complicating what she already knows about her family, her closest friendships, geo-politics, the arts, and what makes a home. Sofía's voice is authentically tweenlike, as are the conclusions she draws and the realizations she makes; Spanish is naturally incorporated into the dialogue. In the Acostas, Otheguy has created a close-knit family whose warmth, kindness, and openhearted honesty will both educate readers (about the ballet world and Cuban history) and welcome them in.

Reviewer: Elissa Gershowitz | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2022

(2) 4-6 Sixth grader Zinnia and her young aunt join the Reality Shifters, a league of Real-Life Superheroes who aim to "help the helpless [and] bring hope to the hopeless" through such missions as delivering blankets and water to people experiencing homelessness, while raising awareness with their conspicuous costumes. Quiet Zinnia joins the group largely because her adventurous brother, whose death she is grieving, would have loved it. The influence of fellow Reality Shifters brings her out of her shell, encouraging assertiveness in her daily life; an episode of standing up to a classmate's teasing reveals a lot about both characters. The superhero theme--complete with alter egos (rainbow-loving Zinnia is Spectrum, a bold-when-in-costume classmate is Wrecking Ball, a wheelchair-using member is Papa Wheelie) and a rivalry with another RLSH league--adds a lively element, but the story stays grounded in day-to-day life, encouraging readers to think critically about what allyship means and how to avoid centering oneself. An author's note gives background on the real-life RLSH movement and advice on both grief and advocacy.

Reviewer: Shoshana Flax | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 2021

(2) PS Illustrated by Zoey Abbott. Marty the Martian has been able to blend in with society on Earth and observe humans, thanks to a vast collection of disguises. (Apparently, his green complexion and short stature don't give him away.) He spends his days dressed as a construction worker or a cowpoke or an old woman, mingling with people but mostly ignored. It's a safe if lonely life. Abbott's delicately rendered illustrations take advantage of humorous opportunities (see Marty as a tattooed and bearded barista) while expanding Noble's matter-of-fact text. "Look at his wardrobe of costumes!" accompanies a full-bleed image featuring a magnificent old tree festooned with hats, wigs, footwear, and more among its branches. Marty's bed is balanced high up on a branch, too, and at the foot of the tree a comfy-looking armchair, rug, and bookcase complete the homey, enchanting scene. Marty's undercover existence is threatened after a "Creative! Cutting edge!" costume choice draws attention, which leads to suspicion, investigation, and discovery. But the latter--Marty's biggest fear--turns out to be a good thing, resulting in friendship, a home, and "a safe place" where Marty the Martian can be himself. This satisfying and surprisingly tender story beams an encouraging message about acceptance to young Earthlings (and to undercover Martians).

Reviewer: Kitty Flynn | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 2021

(3) PS Illustrated by Betsy Lewin. Halloween humbug Farmer Brown leaves candy on the porch, and hangs a "DO NOT DISTURB" sign on the door. After hearing strange noises outside, he trembles under the covers. However, we know that his animals are hosting a Halloween bash. Well-paced text and appropriately shadowy illustrations assure listeners that the only foul thing afoot is a costumed fowl. The brief, sound effects–heavy text lends itself well to this new board-book format.

Reviewer: Kitty Flynn | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2013; September, 2019

(3) YA Lou Parker is a sarcastic, passionate teen with a summer job dressing as a hot dog at a rundown but beloved amusement park. Lou turns her enthusiasm into saving Magic Castle Playland from closing down, but relationship dramas among her park coworkers distract her. This is a pleasantly peppy rom-com populated with memorable characters and refreshingly nonchalant treatment of their varied evolving sexual identities.

Reviewer: Jessica Tackett MacDonald

(2) K-3 Young dancer Lena is worried about whether she'll be able to meet her recital's requirement of white ballet slippers: "At home, money was tight..." Happily, the night before the recital, Lena finds an ingenious solution. An understated text focuses on Lena's joy in dance and the anxiety of her predicament. Unfussy ink, watercolor, and acrylic illustrations use a variety of perspectives to further communicate Lena's emotions.

Reviewer: Katie Bircher | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 2019

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Allison Colpoys. In this Australian-import picture book, young Alfie gets a case of the nerves before the Underwater Dress-Up Parade. His anxiety (including nightmares, upset stomach, and negative self-messaging) is palpable as the event approaches. The story's resolution is realistic about Alfie's current state of readiness, with hope for the future. Striking illustrations in a limited palette (coral, blue, and seafoam) reflect the warmth of Alfie's home life, his active imagination, and his complex emotions.

Reviewer: Elissa Gershowitz

(3) PS The plot of Charlip's (Fortunately!; Thirteen) very first book, here reissued, is simple: John invites his friends to a dress-up party; as the book unfolds, we see them all arrive, enjoy cake, and then depart. The variation in the costume choices is entertaining, and the page turns flow effortlessly. For Charlip collectors.

Reviewer: Martha V. Parravano