(2) K-3 Etiquette expert Elizabeth Picklepop IV's mettle is tested when her Introduction to Manners lesson goes from bad to worse to very undignified. An accidental splatter of blue paint morphs into a well-meaning but impulsive creature with Technicolor digestive issues. Ms. Picklepop tries valiantly to ignore Blurp's disruptions, managing to keep calm and carry on even after Blurp guzzles first red then yellow paint and the ensuing projectile blurps cast a colorful spray all over our bespectacled hostess and her ornately decorated manor house. Derby's (Two Many Birds, rev. 1/21) vibrant illustrations were made with images from "1950s home décor magazines, using digital tools, and splattering ink and watercolor from across a room." Every page is a feast of visual humor, whether the quirkily illustrated characters are part of crisp photo-collaged scenes or coated in Blurp's paint splatter. Ms. Picklepop finally loses her composure after a particularly humiliating faux pas (imagine a paint-filled whoopie cushion that sticks to one's derriere) and then attempts to salvage the situation with a lesson on being considerate...but it's not very considerate to yell at someone, is it? An apology and formal introductions (including Ms. Picklepop's tension-diffusing malapropism) set things back on track. This crowd-pleaser is sure to be enthusiastically if not politely received.

Reviewer: Kitty Flynn | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2023

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Heather Ross. Sallie Bee, a little girl with bee-shaped clips in her hair, is surprised to receive a present one day in the mail--a yellow scarf with black stripes accompanied by a note from her grandmother. She immediately wants to text Grandma Bee to thank her, but Mom is using the phone. Sallie Bee decides to put her thoughts on paper so she won't forget, including "I love my new scarf. It has two of my most favorite colors." By the time she's done, she has written a full thank-you note, so instead of texting, she and her mother put the note in the mail. Sallie Bee enjoys the process so much that she begins finding people to whom she can express appreciation, such as the crossing guard and a friend who lends her an umbrella, and she writes a note to someone each day. Ross's pencil, paint, and digital illustrations use bright colors with expressive lines against white pages with words incorporated into the pictures--all of which make the task of writing thank-you notes look like fun, not work. More importantly, this is not a book about manners; it is a very upbeat demonstration of the satisfaction to be found in noticing others' helpfulness and expressing gratitude for it.

Reviewer: Susan Dove Lempke | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2022

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Janet Stevens. Little Good Wolf is menace-free: well-mannered, tidy, and hygienic. This frustrates Papa and Mama Wolf, who send him on the Big Bad Bus to the Big Bad School, run by (in a clever play on words) Prince A. Bull and with teacher Wicked Stepmother. In a series of lessons ranging from Basic Badness to Bad Behavior, Little Good Wolf's inherently kind tendencies dominate. He convinces Giant to play baseball instead of whomping him with a club, and he subverts the Bad Manners lesson by teaching Troll how to eat politely. Expelled, the wolf wanders the forest but eventually finds his way home to grateful parents who have missed their son and changed their ways. (Papa Wolf's desperate attempts to impress his son by combing his teeth will elicit laughs.) Both Stevens and Crummel have fun putting a new spin on traditional characters in this fractured fairy tale. In full-bleed spreads, Stevens animates trolls, dragons, and more with much detail and humor, and three vertical spreads emphasize not only the imposing staff at the Big Bad School but also the abiding love Little Good Wolf's parents have for him. The last page subtly reminds readers that happiness comes from being "different," "interesting," and true to oneself. And it features a visual joke (involving a red apple seen earlier in the story) that wraps up this satisfying tale with a wicked wink.

Reviewer: Julie Danielson | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2022

(2) PS Illustrated by Rachel Isadora. This manners book for young children includes the basics, of course, with some more unusual but helpful suggestions, too. Each double-page spread shows a child in a situation that calls for a particular response; a flap on the right-hand page, when opened, provides it: "If I step on someone's foot, I say... [flap opens] 'I'm sorry,'" with the illustration showing a little ballerina apologizing to a large ostrich in ballet shoes. Isadora uses expressive pen-and-ink lines together with watercolors against white backgrounds, with lots of yellow and pink making each page cheery and energetic. The book is neatly square, with thick pages and with flaps that are carefully folded so the pictures line up perfectly. Humor shines throughout, as when a birthday package bounces across the page with what clearly are bunny limbs and ears sticking out. Parents and children alike should appreciate the spread devoted to a very common, if rarely addressed in polite company, situation: "I farted. So I say...'Pardon me.'" A final spread has flaps on both sides, with many of the characters greeting a child and dog arriving home in a striped hot-air balloon, saying, "It's great to see you again!" With lots of opportunities for children to notice things in ­pictures and to make predictions about what happens next, this is both entertaining and useful in helping them learn what’s expected.

Reviewer: Susan Dove Lempke | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2021

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Qin Leng. This follow-up to A Family Is a Family Is a Family brings us to school. "Being the new kid is hard," states a dark-haired child approaching a school building. In response to a question we infer has been asked by a second child, the newcomer asserts, "I can think of better things to ask than if I'm a boy or a girl." One by one, others chime in with what they wish others would ask them. A petite boy wishes people would ask him about the big words he can spell instead of about his small size. A child with a prosthetic leg exclaims, "Ask me what I can do, not what I can't!"--and an illustration shows that child standing ­triumphantly atop a rocky hill, arms stretched high in victory. Each full-bleed spread splits the speaker's perspective in two: on the verso, we see the child joining a growing playground group while the recto gives a peek into their life in class or outside the school gates. With a Quentin Blake–esque liveliness to her lines, Leng's watercolor and ink illustrations capture the intimate details of young children's lives and dreams. At last, the dark-haired "new kid" shares a question that every child wants to be asked: "Hey kid, do you want to play?" With a unanimous spirit of inclusion within its pages, the story urges readers to rethink the way they first encounter others--by starting with an invitation.

Reviewer: Grace McKinney | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2021

(2) K-3 Wallowing in his pit of mud, Bobo the boar receives a surprising piece of mail: an invitation from the palace to meet the queen for dinner! A night of tossing and turning precedes the big day, and Bobo's mind spins with questions: "How would he know which fork to use? Could he pick up his glass with his hooves?" Bobo wakes up late for his limousine ride (with humans) to visit the royal. His next mistake--arriving "underdressed," or, rather, not dressed at all. A series of accidental mishaps ensues, leaving the palace in near-ruins. Well-timed page-turns move readers from one wild disaster to the next, before an amusing reveal of the queen's identity leads to understanding. Our protagonist lets loose, no longer constrained from boar-ish behavior, and the accompanying illustration's decorative frame cannot even contain the messy festivities. Bahrampour's detailed and cartoonish watercolors pair with simple, understated text to set the tone for a silly tale about being yourself. Readers will snort with laughter alongside Bobo's romp through the palace.

Reviewer: Grace McKinney | Horn Book Magazine Issue: January, 2021

(2) K-3 This book for emerging readers offers a subversive lesson in manners and a silly but perilous adventure. Panels and word bubbles provide comedic timing while parsing the text into digestible parts, which thoughtfully assists children new to both independent reading and the comics form. Bold outlines and exaggerated features in the illustrations accentuate the playful absurdity of the narrative in this four-chapter comedy of errors.

Reviewer: Grace McKinney | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2019

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Lorraine Rocha. When her grandmother gifts her with not a computer but a lemon tree, the disappointed birthday girl decides to make lemonade. This how-to (recipe included) features the girl's bossy-spunky narration (when juicing lemons: "Come on--squeeze, squeeze, squeeze-a-roo!") and summer-kissed art that portrays the whole community pitching in to support the lemonade stand. The girl's profits go toward something surprising for the whole block.

Reviewer: Nell Beram

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Ekaterina Trukhan. An omniscient narrator begins by singing the praises of penguins and their faultless manners. Cut-paper-like art shows each declaration ("Penguins always wait their turn") being contradicted by penguin Polly ("I LOVE BUSES! ME FIRST!"). When her mischief inspires copycats, Polly finally reconsiders her behavior ("We've upset baby Peter!"). As far as plugs for politeness go, this one is pleasantly painless.

Reviewer: Nell Beram

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Leeza Hernandez. Sayre steers kids toward understanding and getting the most out of the powerful tool of question-asking. Beginning with the basic "why ask questions?" ("They help you get information"), the brief main text introduces different types of questions, how and when to ask them, and what a question is not. With their energetic cartoon vibe, Hernandez's illustrations, featuring a diverse classroom of inquisitive kids, will draw readers in to this valuable communication lesson. The bottom line for posing questions to anyone: think before you ask.

Reviewer: Kitty Flynn | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2019

(4) PS This book features friendly animal pals demonstrating kindness and manners. The message is strong and age appropriate, but some of the specifics may require adult explanation ("be an ally") or assistance ("take a selfie with friends"). The confusing narrative structure puts the text into three formats: declarative lessons ("Praise someone's work!"), explanatory verses, and dialogue. Cartoonish pen-and-ink and watercolor illustrations show the lessons in action.

Reviewer: Miriam Steinberg-Egeth

(3) PS Illustrated by Feronia Parker Thomas. What might otherwise be a ho-hum reminder that good manners make life more pleasant becomes amusing with Thomas's humorous illustrations showing a menagerie of animals exhibiting common breaches of etiquette. A ball-hog fox, a barging elephant, a grabby panda, and a cat showering neighbors with a sneeze, among others, all reform their ways in this rhyming manners lesson.

Reviewer: Bridget McCaffrey

(3) YA Nonviolent bandit Black Bart (a.k.a. Charles Boles) used manners and moxie to rob stagecoaches--never firing a shot and always saying please. This biography also weaves in information about the California Gold Rush; the Wells Fargo Stagecoach Co.; and detective Jim Hume, who caught Bart. Illustrated with well-selected black-and-white drawings and archival photos, the book captures a fascinating slice of American history. Bib., ind.

Reviewer: Jack Forman

(3) K-3 African American girl Aria's "big" and "bouncy" hair is irresistible. From random strangers to mermaids and space aliens, everyone wants to touch Aria's hair. The problem: they do it without her permission. Miller provides a lighthearted way to start discussions about body autonomy and consent, and her vibrant, expressive illustrations clearly visualize why readers should always ask before they touch.

Reviewer: Monique Harris

(2) PS Illustrated by Molly Idle. Wheeler's lilting rhymed verse enumerates the reasons not to bite people and suggests alternatives: "It's good to bite a biscuit. / It's good to bite a plum. / It's BAD to bite your brother. / He's not a piece of gum." The humorous text's underlying message about anger management is useful. Simple rounded shapes in saturated hues keep Idle's dynamic colored-pencil illustrations clean, lighthearted, and easy to follow.

Reviewer: Elissa Gershowitz | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2018

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Sara Not. A bossy girl explains the rules of her tea party to her guests but keeps being interrupted by rude "TOOT!"s. No one will confess to farting, and she is on the verge of canceling the party when she discovers that the teakettle is the tooter. The story is entertaining enough, but the illustrations, in an early-Disney cartoon style, are simultaneously bland and busy.

Reviewer: Martha V. Parravano

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Pete Oswald. Exaggerated facial expressions (those evil eyebrows!) and clever page turns and perspectives reveal how a lone sunflower seed became a "baaaaaaaaaaad seed" with terrible manners. Detailed digital illustrations convey the other seeds' varied reactions to the baddie. Eventually he realizes he's "ready to be happy" again, and he begins to change his ways. Deadpan wit makes this a great read-aloud.

Reviewer: Rebecca Kirshenbaum

(4) 4-6 Illustrated by Fred Harper. As in George Washington's Rules to Live By, Kostyal pitches fifty iconic and inspirational adages from Franklin's writings to today's youth. Categories include tranquility, industry, order, humility, and more. Each quotation is followed by Kostyal's explanation and brief historical information. Harper's caricature illustrations add a touch of humor to the otherwise preachy vibe. Websites. Bib., ind.

Reviewer: Luther B. Clegg

(2) PS This endearing mouse family's fifth book highlights a new hiccup in Sophie's development: she cannot bring herself to say expected social niceties in public. Sophie has good intentions, but social transactions are unbearably awkward. Ink, watercolor, and gouache art in soft pastel hues supplies plenty of humor but also deftly captures Sophie's internal struggles. As usual, smart and stealthy Granny implements a successful solution.

Reviewer: Julie Roach | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2017

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Elise Parsley. Here, the magic word isn't please, it's Alakazoomba, as Paxton C. Heymeyer summons the cookie that his babysitter won't let him have. Parsley's cartoony digital art (littered with Paxton's increasingly outlandish embellishments to his home) suits Barnett's characteristically humorous, child-centered text to a T. A subversive take on the topic of manners that still manages to deliver a message about human decency.

Reviewer: Jonathan Hunt | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2016