(3) K-3 Illustrated by Chris Hsu. This picture-book retrospective of current House Speaker Pelosi's life depicts her as a strong, independent girl, raised to champion those in need, who became a strong, independent American leader. Each page or spread features plot elements as well as direct quotes (on most of them) to support the narrative. Friendly, inviting illustrations show Pelosi at different stages of her life, in both personal and public scenes. Biographical, historical, and inspirational, this book does an effective job of personalizing a major historical figure and explaining why her contributions, including the 2010 Affordable Care Act, are so significant. A timeline and bibliography are appended.

Reviewer: Miriam Steinberg-Egeth

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Paola Escobar. López follows the singer's short but influential career from childhood to young adulthood, emphasizing her Mexican American family's support and her natural talent. The tone is upbeat and focuses on Selena's devotion to family, her success, and her impact on Tejano and Latino music; events surrounding her murder are mentioned only in the back matter (leaving the main text feeling somewhat unfinished). After an illustrated timeline, López provides "A Little More About..." related topics including some history of Tejano culture, Tejano music, quinceañeras, and the Texas towns where Selena grew up. Escobar's warm, stylish illustrations have a southwestern vibe. Quotations in the text are unsourced.

Reviewer: Kitty Flynn

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Joshua Heinsz. "Boys play monster trucks with glee. / Girls bake cakes and serve hot tea." Gehl's energetic rhyming text and Heinsz's lively illustrations begin by setting up stereotypical gender ideas--then put on the breaks: "Except when they don't." The illustrations show kids doing and wearing what they like, gender expectations be damned. Sure it's single-issue, but the "be exactly who you are!" message is always welcome.

Reviewer: Kitty Flynn

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Becca Human. When it's announced that a medieval prince must choose a bride, only one village maiden doesn't see him (or any man) as husband material. But when she meets the prince's sister at the ball... This follow-up to the likewise gay-positive Prince & Knight features rhymes that are indifferent to meter, but the sumptuous jewel-toned art gives the Middle Ages an enchanting aura.

Reviewer: Nell Beram

(3) PS As they relax on their dilapidated sofa, a panda tells its penguin housemate that they need a new one. While out shopping, they disparage every prospective sofa ("Too squishy," "Too colorful," etc.). Upon returning home, they find the "perfect sofa": theirs. This sweet story about the comforts of home has cheeky visuals—e.g., the "too modern" sofa's pattern is Mondrian-esque.

Reviewer: Nell Beram

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Tomoko Suzuki. Rhyming text begins in Australia and meanders west, introducing typical breakfast foods in twelve countries. Brightly colored illustrations with a cut-paper look show smiling people eating Vegemite in Australia, hagleslag in the Netherlands, rashers and bangers in the UK, and more. Each country's double-page spread includes a map, a flag, and images of landmarks in addition to a small prose section offering more detailed information about the meals.

Reviewer: Gail Hedges

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Frank Morrison. This look at the pioneers of rap music begins with canonical African American poets and ends with the women who rapped first: "Female MCs break it down: Salt-N-Pepa and TLC. / Queen Latifah sports a crown, reigning like royalty." The rhymes suffer a bit without a backing track, but the art, spiked with graffiti motifs, hits all the right notes. Glos.

Reviewer: Nell Beram

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Masha D'yans. "Pictures were his words, fashion his language." Blumenthal's quote-filled tribute to New York Times street-fashion photographer Bill Cunningham focuses on his approach. D'yans's vibrant watercolors catwalk across each page, emphasizing the patterns, palettes, and shapes of the clothing that so enamored Cunningham; the man himself is fittingly pictured where he most liked to be: behind the camera. An author's note provides more straightforward biographical information. Bib.

Reviewer: Erica Wetter

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Daniel Duncan. Nate loves to pretend that he's a shark, although his older brother points out that real sharks can swim. So Nate takes lessons, conquering his fear of the water and ultimately beating his brother in a competition. The humorous stylized cartoons make the most of Shark Nate-O's triumph in this appealing fantasy for both shark lovers and the water avoidant.

Reviewer: Nell Beram

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Keum Jin Song. In 2016, South Korean church members, originally refugees from North Korea, sent rice bags attached to helium balloons to North Korea to feed starving people. In this fictionalized story, a girl tries to convince other children who feel North Koreans are "the enemy" to join the effort. Slick digital illustrations contrast the lush South Korean countryside with barren North Korea. Includes extensive background material. Reading list.

Reviewer: Melinda Greenblatt

(3) PS In this spin on "The Three Little Pigs," each of three pugs tries to deter a pesky cat from sleeping in the wee doggies' basket: one lines it with (drinking) straws, another with "sticks" (pencils, drumsticks, etc.), the third with "bricks" (building blocks). This simple tale, with clutter-free art and an everybody's-happy resolution, is a grand starter-folktale for toddlers.

Reviewer: Nell Beram

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Stevie Lewis. A prince must choose a bride, but all the women he meets lack...something. He realizes what's missing when a knight in shining armor saves him from a dragon. The simplistic story works as a valentine to same-sex love, but several verses stumble over themselves to complete a rhyme; the glossy illustrations conjure classic Disney movie stills.

Reviewer: Nell Beram

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Alisa Coburn. A fox sneaks into an unoccupied home ("Hello, door") and proceeds, Grinch-like, to bag up loot: "Hello, necklace. Hello, rings. / HELLO, OTHER SPARKLY THINGS!" He's about to bolt when the irate bear owners return and throw him out ("Hello, window..."). The rhymes are word perfect, and the urbane art gives the wily fox-robber the appeal of a Looney Tunes character.

Reviewer: Nell Beram

(3) K-3 Little Penguin longs to fly like other birds, but despite multiple attempts--shown in a series of small, comical drawings of determined flapping--he cannot get airborne. He discovers, though, that for him, swimming is flying. Kuo uses shades of black, white, and blue to illustrate her straightforward text, with loose, sketchlike lines that allow the crayon-like textures to show.

Reviewer: Susan Dove Lempke

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Joshua Heinsz. Paco is a restless student with a vivid imagination; he'd rather daydream and draw than pay attention in class. When his profesor notices Paco's artistic talent, he is introduced to a whole new world: the art room. The serviceable rhyming text includes Spanish words sprinkled throughout. Bright colors bring the illustrations--and Paco's imagination--to vibrant life. Glos.

Reviewer: Katie Darrin

(3) PS Illustrated by Alea Marley. Loretta anxiously awaited the birth of her baby cousin. Before she knows it, Gabe's first birthday is approaching, and Loretta becomes increasing worried because she doesn't have the perfect gift. However, from showing Gabe lots of affection ("Who's the best baby on the block?") and being helpful, Loretta discovers that she is Gabe's greatest gift. A sweet, emotively illustrated story of a tight-knit African American family.

Reviewer: Monique Harris

(4) PS Illustrated by Stephanie Six. The rhyming text of this saccharine sequel to What Daddies Like lists a host of things that "mommies like" as it follows a bear mother and child through their day, from morning yoga to a library visit to bedtime. The soft illustrations are generic but benign, and they underscore the gentle tone.

Reviewer: Martha V. Parravano

(3) 1-3 Alien Next Door series. Illustrated by Anjan Sarkar. Harris suspects Zeke, the new kid, is not quite of this world: Zeke's lunch is totally weird, he can balance on his fingertips while upside down, and he's never eaten pizza. As Zeke tries to fit in, a wary new friendship with Harris develops, presumably to be expanded on in future volumes. Black-and-white illustrations on every page enhance this humorous early chapter book.

Reviewer: Pam Yosca

(3) 4-6 Behind the Legend series. Illustrated by Jomike Tejido. This fascinating series looks at the myths surrounding legendary creatures. Also explored are the factual or scientific bases that provide reasonable explanations for how these creatures may have entered into folklore. Each chapter is further divided into subsections and sidebars, which makes for easily digestible information. The cartoon-style illustrations tend toward dark and brooding and fit well with the subject matter. Reading list. Bib. Review covers these Behind the Legend titles: Unicorns, Werewolves, and Zombies.

Reviewer: Antonio Trujillo

(4) 1-3 Major Eights series. Illustrated by Émilie Pépin. In this appealing early-chapter-book series, four eight-year-old girls from diverse backgrounds create a band for a battle of the bands competition (Battle). In Big Break, vocalist Scarlet feels torn between competing in the talent show solo or with her bandmates. Though the illustrations look like television stills, that they're on every page works in tandem with the large font to entice young readers. Review covers these Major Eights titles: Battle of the Bands and Scarlet's Big Break.

Reviewer: Amy Seto Forrester