(2) K-3 Illustrated by Ekua Holmes. From darkness, we experience the Big Bang, the birth of the universe, and the emergence of life on Earth. Holmes breathes life and depth into Bauer's ambitious poem with marbled paper and collage, in which representational shapes subtly emerge from the mottled background. By book's end, we see an adult and child together: "You, / and me / loving you. / All of us / the stuff of stars."

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

(1) PS Five sturdy elephants are rendered in a pastel color with a thick brown outline: the blue elephant first, then yellow, violet, green, and, finally, a smaller pink one. Bold panel arrangements portray the group steadfastly marching until bedtime. Henkes addresses the concepts of counting, colors, and prepositions while once again displaying his understanding of preschoolers: hungry for new information but also needing a framework of solidity and comfort.

Reviewer: Lolly Robinson | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2018

(3) K-3 A half shark–half dog creature follows an explorer and his child (the narrator) home; everything is great until the pet begins to feel homesick. They travel back to his native land, but Shark Dog decides to stay with his new family. The watercolor illustrations' humorous, cartoony style (especially in depicting googly-eyed Shark Dog) lighten this story of finding one's place in the world.

Reviewer: Lolly Robinson

(3) K-3 Mama and Grace each give thanks before eating dinner. Mama thanks rain, soil, and sunshine; Grace's thanks (alpaca, road workers...) require explanations: alpacas gave wool for the scarf uncle Fred wore while catching the fish, road workers fixed the bike path to the produce stand, and so on. Balla's cheerful cartoonlike illustrations and realistic conversational text provide a cozy picture of this small family.

Reviewer: Lolly Robinson

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Mark Hoffmann. "You can read in the classroom / you can read in the park / you can read on a mission / under cover in the dark." Hand-lettered rhyming text describes the many places one can read, while retro illustrations show large-headed children with thin limbs reading. The text makes somewhat labored attempts to be subversive, but sly details in the art add cohesion and substance.

Reviewer: Lolly Robinson

(3) PS A hungry giraffe is repeatedly interrupted in her apple-eating by smaller, also-hungry animals. When she gives away her last apple, a didactic message seems certain. Luckily, the final spread reveals a long row of fruit-filled trees and a humorous twist: "She walked to the next tree and ate twenty-seven apples." Digital illustrations resembling collage use simple shapes and bold colors against plentiful white space.

Reviewer: Lolly Robinson

(4) K-3 Ollie the owl is jealous of his grandmother's treatment of baby cousin Lily. The initial scenes of jealousy ring true, but later the text tells rather than shows the problem at hand, and the resolution is too sudden and too happy. The illustrations contain appealingly fluffy brown owls, but the bright teal grass is at odds with the purple sky and nighttime setting.

Reviewer: Lolly Robinson

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Caroline Pedler. Badger, Hedgehog, Rabbit, and friends return (When You Need a Friend; Friends to the Rescue), this time working together to solve a mysterious water shortage. Though the situation seems dire at the start, sunny illustrations foreshadow a happy ending. Information about watersheds feels forced and the teamwork message is rather preachy, but accomplished book design and art increase the book's appeal.

Reviewer: Lolly Robinson

(3) K-3 Mr. Postmouse (Mr. Postmouse's Rounds) is back, this time taking his family--and the mail--on holiday. At each stop, we learn that a parcel has been delivered, and we can search the large spreads for more information and several side-stories, à la Mitsumasa Anno. Dubuc's small animals living in cutaway homes and habitats are endlessly rewarding for sharp-eyed explorers.

Reviewer: Lolly Robinson

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Josée Bisaillon. When eight-and-a-half-year-old Milo's family moves to the city, his little sister Georgie explores and makes new friends while Milo sulks inside. When Georgie goes missing and Milo is forced to look for her, he finds that his new neighborhood isn't so bad after all. Mixed-media illustrations depict the city and its colorful, endearing characters in an eclectic style incorporating digital collage.

Reviewer: Lolly Robinson

(4) PS Illustrated by Carmen Saldaña. When a friendly red bug chooses to settle in Bear's fur, the uncomfortable host desperately tries to dislodge the guest. In the end, a wise owl recommends new lodgings: a sloth who's looking for a friend. This British import's rhyming text doesn't always scan, but the appealing paintings successfully reduce both animals and setting down to more simplified shapes, à la Jon Klassen.

Reviewer: Lolly Robinson

(2) PS Illustrated by Laura Vaccaro Seeger. At first glance, this is the simplest of books for very young children. Short questions are posed with answers provided by turning the page. The acrylic paintings often give hints of what's to come; the rhyming text sets up patterns. But the entire book is actually one continuous scene spanning space and seasons that should keep children thinking long after the initial guessing game.

Reviewer: Lolly Robinson | Horn Book Magazine Issue: January, 2018

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Eliza Wheeler. Showing the roots of many themes later found in The Hobbit and the Lord of the Rings trilogy, McAlister introduces John as a boy who loves horses, trees, words, and especially dragons. Despite Tolkien's sometimes-difficult young life, the prevailing tone is one of warmth and security. In Wheeler's illustrations, swirling shapes and trees silhouetted against pearly skies are reminiscent of Arthur Rackham. Bib.

Reviewer: Lolly Robinson | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2017

(2) K-3 An artist asks, "what should I paint?" Now we zoom in on objects in her studio, where Munro has incorporated photos of actual paintings and one sculpture. This is a book about art and artists, and also a puzzle book. Sharp-eyed viewers will be rewarded, though it might take a while to find references to all thirty-seven masterpieces. Back matter includes a key and notes on each work of art.

Reviewer: Lolly Robinson | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2017

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Roxanna Bikadoroff. Rhyming, dactyl-filled verses describe a thief who wreaks havoc as she steals letter after letter, turning coats to cots, bowls to owls, and so on. While many of the thirty-two quatrains are well crafted, others use contorted syntax and arcane vocabulary in an effort to maintain the conceit through the entire alphabet. Humorous line and wash illustrations clarify the sometimes-complicated plot.

Reviewer: Lolly Robinson

(2) K-3 Illustrated by John Rocco. A picture book biography of author-illustrator Burton focuses on her adult life as mother to two boys who love trains and trucks. The text and art are at their best when "Jinnee" is illustrating, creating lifelike scenes out of blank paper and charcoal. Rocco's paintings of the artist at work and his replicas of her illustrations are masterful. An intriguing, loving introduction to a picture book icon.

Reviewer: Lolly Robinson | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2017

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Mary GrandPré. Using Van Gogh's lifelong insomnia and his 1889 painting The Starry Night, Rosenstock and GrandPré have created a combination picture-book biography and bedtime story. Economical, evocative text introduces the essence of this famously troubled, sensitive man, highlighting his fascination with the night sky along with events throughout his life. GrandPré's paintings and drawings reveal her own ease with color and a deft mimicry of his style. Bib.

Reviewer: Lolly Robinson | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2017

(2) K-3 Cardinals Red and Lulu love their evergreen-tree home in the country. When the tree is cut down (with Lulu still in it), Red follows the delivery truck to New York City. He finds his home--transformed into that year's Rockefeller Center Christmas tree--and is joyously reunited with Lulu. Realistic watercolor and gouache paintings make the most of dramatic birds'-eye perspectives.

Reviewer: Lolly Robinson | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2017

(2) K-3 This third wordless installment (Journey; Quest) brings the story full circle. The father of the lonely girl with a red crayon follows her into the steampunk-meets-fantasy kingdom to share in the adventure. Becker is at his best creating lush, mysterious landscapes. Return's plot is, happily, simpler than Quest's, but observant readers will still find plenty of questions to ponder.

Reviewer: Lolly Robinson | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2016

(1) K-3 In Gerstein's unexpectedly humorous version of Henri Rousseau's The Sleeping Gypsy, with a context-setting prologue, he eschews his familiar style for Rousseau-like opaque acrylics. One by one, animals inspect a woman sleeping by moonlight until Rousseau appears, explaining that this is a dream, which he intends to paint. Neatly conceived and wittily executed, Gerstein's story exemplifies the visual thinking strategies children often use at museums.

Reviewer: Lolly Robinson | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2016