(4) K-3 Illustrated by K-Fai Steel. A noodle-loving elephant is jailed for violating a kangaroo-authorized law: "Noodles are for kangaroos." The book wouldn't have lost anything at half its length. Nevertheless, there's nothing undercooked about the story's message: "When the laws are so unjust / Misbehavior is a must!" Scenes of anthropomorphized animals about town help bring to life the politics of the human-free community.

Reviewer: Nell Beram

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Nahid Kazemi. A white bird with humanlike legs is perched on a roof, feeling "far away inside." Then: "suddenly / you feel something / that gets you moving / and wondering / about life." The illustrations indicate an outward journey, taking the bird to a tropical clime and back, its plumage changing from white to multicolored. Poetic text and mysterious art together assume a sophisticated audience. It's about a quest--but where to? Self-discovery? Community? You decide.

Reviewer: Lolly Robinson | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2019

(3) K-3 Translated by Claudia Zoe Bedrick. Illustrated by Olivier Tallec. From his perch on "his island," a boy imagines solutions to problems he sees (such as famine: "What if we lasso the clouds and bring rain to the desert?") as painterly art interprets his musings. The premise of this French import may sound twee, but the ending delivers a wallop: all along, the boy has been trying to decide whether to be born. (He decides yes.)

Reviewer: Nell Beram

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Alessandro Sanna. The narrator addresses a developing human baby, describing the nine months before birth during which "you move in your space, without a sound" and soon "you can sense the light." Sanna's handsome watercolor paintings use the curved silhouette of an expectant mother to connect birth to the wider natural world; the belly becomes a seagull's wings, a shoreline, a hillside, and so on.

Reviewer: Maeve Visser Knoth

(3) 4-6 Edited by Maria Popova and Claudia Zoe Bedrick. This aesthetically pleasing coffee-table book features 121 letters from a wide array of artists, writers, actors, musicians, and scientists, among others, addressed to young people about the influence of reading on their lives. Each letter is paired with an original illustration from an artist or graphic designer. The diversity of contributors and artistic styles elevates this anthology above its many predecessors.

Reviewer: Kristy Pasquariello

(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 Translated by Annie Prime. Two siblings embark upon a night in a tent in the backyard in this charming Swedish import. Their adventure is indeed grand until darkness falls, accompanied by mosquitoes, sharp rocks between shoulder blades, and the "need to poop." So the children return inside to their father and find happiness. Soft illustrations--clear, spare pencil sketches overlaid with loose washes of watercolor--establish a gentle, slightly offbeat family scene.

Reviewer: Thom Barthelmess | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 2018

(2) K-3 In this surreal, wordless summertime story, a young girl explores outdoors until her grandfather calls her inside. They walk to the train station to meet a small, sailor-hat-wearing elephant, who brings stress and disharmony. After the elephant departs, the girl returns to exploring nature--but not before a final moment of surprise. Lush colors and screenprint patterns radiate from the roughly textured pages, creating an open-ended, dreamlike reading experience.

Reviewer: Elisa Gall | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 2018

(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

(1) K-3 A brown-skinned boy in a red crown shown reading the very book youngsters are holding lets his imagination take him into the narrative as he joins a pachyderm caravan and discovers facts about elephants in expository text. The mixed-media illustrations are both informative and beautifully executed, with varied motifs and an overall design that imparts complicated facts through clear and clean layouts.

Reviewer: Betty Carter | Horn Book Magazine Issue: January, 2019

(3) K-3 A thunderstorm carries a pumpkin from a farm to an island near town. Soon, vines creep across a bridge and pumpkins begin "popping up all over town." As the pumpkins grow in number and size, the townspeople find creative uses for them: pumpkin-flinging contests, pumpkin boats and houses, and the "biggest Halloween celebration ever" lit by jack-o'-lantern light. Geisert's copperplate etchings hand-colored with watercolors depict expansive, whimsical scenes with much to explore.

Reviewer: Jeannie Coutant

(3) K-3 Poetic and contemplative yet sometimes silly, a hand-lettered text with rhymes and near-rhymes urges readers to "Be Still" and promises extraordinary sensual perceptions: seeing a shadow grow, hearing leaves sway, feeling a heart beating, smelling rain, and more. The kid-appealing illustrations--with simple stylized shapes, bold colors, and thick black outlines--further encourage imagination and observation.

Reviewer: Gail Hedges

(3) 4-6 Translated by Mara Faye Lethem. The Argentinian cartoonist's comic strips are turned into a book full of witty one-liners, reflective moments, and imaginary friends, set in a world that's fantastical but not entirely happy. There is no plot, only recurring characters--most notably Martin and his giant blue imaginary friend Olga, who helps Martin as he studies, eats vegetables, and plays (alone). Liniers's simple aesthetic is vitalized by beautiful but muted coloring.

Reviewer: Jessica Costello

(3) K-3 Translated by Mara Lethem. Illustrated by Chiara Carrer. The lives of seven disadvantaged children who share the same name and live throughout the Americas are highlighted in short, almost poetic snippets translated from the Spanish. Each Pablo has his own unique struggles and sources of hope. The evocative colored- and graphite-pencil illustrations underscore a somber mood and evoke readers' empathy for the boys.

Reviewer: Katie Darrin

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Zoey Abbott. Young Finn is thrilled to find a white feather on his doorstep one morning. His excitement seems overblown until it becomes clear that he believes the feather was sent by his "angel" brother. This is a beautifully understated grief story featuring art that allows sadness to edge Finn's elation.

Reviewer: Nell Beram

(3) K-3 A bear and a wolf meet in a snowy forest and go on a walk together, taking in the sights, sounds, and tastes of the wintry night. Then the winter passes; spring comes, and the two meet again for a springtime walk. The contemplative tone of the quiet text is matched by evocative paintings that are beautiful and serene.

Reviewer: Martha V. Parravano

(2) K-3 Translated by Karin Snelson. Illustrated by Olivier Tallec. In a bittersweet story of a tender bond between narrator Raphael and his friend Jerome, the opening illustration shows the boys riding bicycles hand-in-hand. Their obliviousness to the traffic jam behind them creates humor but also anticipates their need to ignore others' judgment. Raphael's righteous anger at his parents' disapproval fuels his resolve in the poignant (and satisfying) conclusion to remain loyal to Jerome and to his own heart.

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

(2) K-3 In Nu Dang, a boy loves flying his kite "more than anything else." One windy day the kite breaks free. Paper-Flower is about a girl who tries to grow a "paper-flower tree" from a bead given to her by a traveling performer. Ayer relates both tales with a storyteller's cadence; her vivid illustrations show a range of daily activities, people, and places in mid-twentieth-century Thailand.

Reviewer: Elissa Gershowitz | Horn Book Magazine Issue: June, 1962; November, 2017

(2) K-3 In Nu Dang, a boy loves flying his kite "more than anything else." One windy day the kite breaks free. Paper-Flower is about a girl who tries to grow a "paper-flower tree" from a bead given to her by a traveling performer. Ayer relates both tales with a storyteller's cadence; her vivid illustrations show a range of daily activities, people, and places in mid-twentieth-century Thailand.

Reviewer: Elissa Gershowitz | Horn Book Magazine Issue: April, 1959; November, 2017

(2) K-3 Translated by Claudia Zoe Bedrick. A story of courage, dedication, contradiction, and love. In Paulina's male-dominated family, "they fought each other to decide who would do the chores"--and little Paulina (nicknamed Feather) ends up with the most. She trades her true passion (piano) for boxing, resulting in fewer chores and more respect. But after winning a big match, she never fights again. Textured print-like illustrations use rich colors contrasting with white space.

Reviewer: Elisa Gall | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2018