(1) K-3 Two "migrantes," a mother and her infant son, arrive on "the other side." Here they meet cultural challenges (customs, language) that are resolved at the San Francisco Public Library, with its "unimaginable" wealth of books that offer paths to literacy, community, even a career. Occasional Spanish words enrich the succinct, gently poetic text, illustrated with rich and vibrant pen-and-ink, acrylic, and collage art. Back matter sets the narrative in personal and historical context. Concurrently published in Spanish as Soñadores.

Reviewer: Joanna Rudge Long | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2018

(2) 4-6 Illustrated by Allan Drummond. In 1940, the Jewish Reys barely managed to escape the invading Germans--on bicycles. An early draft of Curious George was one of the few items they carried with them as they fled occupied France. Borden's quietly dramatic text is enhanced by well-integrated historical and family photos and documents. Drummond's watercolor-enhanced sketches nicely complement Hans's art. These smaller paper-over-board and paperback editions include "A Conversation with Louise Borden" and activities. Bib.

Reviewer: Joanna Rudge Long | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2005

(2) 4-6 Translated by Carol Della Chiesa. Illustrated by Swarna Chitrakar. Edited by V. Geetha. Della Chiesa's excellent 1925 translation of Collodi's 1883 classic is trimmed to about half its original length for a well-paced version of the unruly marionette's adventures. This handsome Indian edition features traditional Patua scroll paintings; stylized compositions are made eloquent by energetic slashes of black line and a rich palette. A curious cross-cultural matching of art and iconic tale.

Reviewer: Joanna Rudge Long | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 2015

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Sophie Blackall. In four vignettes set a hundred years apart, parents and children make blackberry fool. Accompanied by Blackall's decorative and informative art, this thought-provoking sample shows how a simple task has changed over time. In 1810 Charleston, an enslaved woman and daughter get only bowl lickings; in 2010 San Diego, a dad and son host a diverse group of friends. Recipe and historical notes appended.

Reviewer: Joanna Rudge Long | Horn Book Magazine Issue: January, 2015

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Sydney Smith. A man and child walk through a rundown city and through a park. The man listens to his phone; the child gathers wildflowers from pavement cracks, then begins giving them away. Ambiguities are subtly hinted at in this wordless book. The pen-and-ink art is well paced, with broad, assured lines in dramatic black enhanced by gray wash. Significant details appear in increasingly vibrant watercolor.

Reviewer: Joanna Rudge Long | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2015

(2) K-3 Pinkney transforms Aesop's harsh fable about the consequences of improvidence into one celebrating the value of the arts. Grasshopper's dancing and singing beguile the ants, but when he begs for shelter, he's turned away in a poignant wordless sequence. After conferring in their cozy warren, however, the ants invite him in; Grasshopper leads a convivial songfest. Woodland scenes teem with flora, insects, and seasonal activity.

Reviewer: Joanna Rudge Long | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2015

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Suzy Lee. On their walk through a park, a playground, woods, and then back home, a father-and-daughter pair shares the kind of queries and responses that gradually refine a small child's language: "'I like bugs.' 'Insects?' 'No, bugs.'" They explore wildlife and words with equal contentment. Lee's illustrations feature a spare colored-pencil line; imagination-welcoming white space; and a grand eye for color, action, and detail.

Reviewer: Joanna Rudge Long | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2015

(1) K-3 Illustrated by Melissa Sweet. Sweet's child-friendly mixed-media illustrations--loosely rendered, collage-like assemblages in seasonal palettes--enhance the thirty-six excellent poems showcased on the book's ample spreads. As brief as three lines or a dozen words, most of the verses are by familiar poets (Carl Sandburg, Langston Hughes), including those known for their children's verse (Alice Schertle, Charlotte Zolotow). A fine addition to the seasonal poetry shelf.

Reviewer: Joanna Rudge Long | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2014

(2) K-3 Bopped on the head by an acorn, this Chicken Little does rush off to tell the king that "the sky is falling." However, once Foxy Loxy has locked the whole crowd (Froggy Woggy, Natty Ratty, etc.) in his cellar, our chick turns clever hero. Byrd, much abetted by his elegantly detailed illustrations, upends both the classic tale's conventions and its cautionary message.

Reviewer: Joanna Rudge Long | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 2014

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Barbara McClintock. Aylesworth extends the Yiddish folksong's events over four generations. "My grandfather," a tailor, made his own blue wedding coat; while his daughter's a baby, it serves for a jacket. Soon it's reduced to a vest, then a tie, then a toy for "you" (his great-grandchild). The old-timey, inviting book has well-paced pages, spreads, and vignettes that nicely celebrate one family's ongoing affection and continuity.

Reviewer: Joanna Rudge Long | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2014

(2) PS Sylvie discovers a door to the zoo in her bedroom and begins bringing animals home, but--being an orderly child--just a few at a time. When she forgets to close the door, a crowd of creatures troops in to watch television. Sylvie's arrangements have both the childlike logic and the solid reality of the best fantasy. Masterfully limned drawings feature harmonious hues.

Reviewer: Joanna Rudge Long | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2014

(2) PS The narrator kidnaps his sister's stuffed rabbit, lashes it to his toy boat, and sets it sail on the lake. The boat capsizes, and sister and mom are angry; later when the bunny disappears--again!--they understandably suspect the narrator. (Readers will see that a wild raccoon is the real culprit.) With boldly rendered spreads, the book is at once handsome and child friendly.

Reviewer: Joanna Rudge Long | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2014

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Brian Floca. Twelve-hundred-pound elephant seal Elizabeth preferred the Avon River in Christchurch, New Zealand, to the ocean. She sometimes hauled herself up onto the city's roads and obstructed traffic, prompting an "elephant seal crossing" road sign. Cox creates an appealing narrative for this intriguing, if problematic, individual. Floca uses a spare but agile pen to convey Elizabeth's persistence; spacious sweeps of watercolor evoke sea and sky.

Reviewer: Joanna Rudge Long | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 2014

(1) K-3 Illustrated by Christian Robinson. Bumptious Gaston looms over his elegant poodle sisters. At the park, they meet a family like theirs but in reverse: bulldogs Rocky, Ricky, and Bruno and their petite sister Antoinette. Were Gaston and Antoinette switched at birth? Should they trade families? DiPucchio's lively text was made to be read aloud. Robinson's elegant illustrations feature dogs with minimal yet wonderfully expressive facial details.

Reviewer: Joanna Rudge Long | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2014

(2) K-3 In this wordless, enigmatic Western, prisoner Coyote escapes into the desert, with the burro-like sheriff in hot pursuit. There, entranced by the lights of tiny insects, the two drop their weapons, share a meal, and ultimately ride a swarm of the magical insects into the bright white sky. Dorémus's spare desert scenes, rendered in delicate line and crosshatching, set off the solid-looking characters to good effect.

Reviewer: Joanna Rudge Long | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 2014

(1) K-3 Translated by Claudia Z. Bedrick. Spare color-enriched drawings tell the story with minimal text: in autumn, a bird falls to earth from its migrating flock. Lion takes it into his cozy home, but when spring comes the bird rejoins its kind. When autumn arrives again, however, Lion is overjoyed: his friend returns for another companionable winter. Minimal detail, gentle colors, and white space contribute to this inviting, affectionate tale.

Reviewer: Joanna Rudge Long | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2014

(2) 4-6 Translated by Laura Watkinson. Illustrated by Philip Hopman. Mikis makes friends with his grandpa's donkey, Tsaki, becoming the animal's advocate. Fortunately, the old man is kind as well as gruff; though "Mikis had to give his grandpa donkey lessons," he eventually builds Tsaki an airier stable with Mikis's help. In this affecting picture of a close-knit Greek community, loosely drawn illustrations capture windswept landscapes, village life, and human character with equal aplomb.

Reviewer: Joanna Rudge Long | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2014

(2) YA When the master of her circus commands aerialist Remy to steal a gem during a heavily guarded Tower of London event, she nicks it only to find it's a fake. Plot turns involve circus folk, Remy's tragic past, and her romance with policeman Thaddeus. The action--much of it in a steampunk technological realm controlled by the (real) diamond's magic--is vivid and engrossing.

Reviewer: Joanna Rudge Long | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2014

(2) K-3 Miniatures by Hannah E. Harrison. Lulu is a clever little Parisian dog. Remy is an itinerant painter. Once the two join forces, Lulu's meticulous vignettes of Remy's sitters' pets, which she surreptitiously adds to Remy's paintings, delight his subjects--though not Remy. Lulu's canny taking-charge is amusing. Meanwhile, the three contrasting painting styles--Lulu's classic elegance (thanks to Harrison), Remy's turn-of-the-twentieth-century modernism, and Hawkes's own lively and painterly milieu--are inviting.

Reviewer: Joanna Rudge Long | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2014

(2) 4-6 Illustrated by Sarah S. Brannen. In 1971, the tomb of "Lady Dai" was discovered, virtually intact and of enormous archaeological significance. Here, buried in 158 BCE, was her still-soft body and more than a thousand artifacts. Liu-Perkins describes the discovery in fascinating detail; brief imagined scenes supplement the evidence. Illustrative materials include maps and well-captioned photos as well as Brannen's watercolors of the fictionalized scenes. Timeline. Bib., glos., ind.

Reviewer: Joanna Rudge Long | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 2014