(2) K-3 Marcero continues the picture-book adventures of Llewellyn (In a Jar; Out of a Jar, rev. 3/22), a young white rabbit who collects the ineffable -- here his hopes and dreams -- in an attempt to better understand and control his life. He finds two like-minded friends at the playground, and the trio starts collecting things together. The gentle gradation of hues and delicate textures in Marcero's cartoon illustrations serve as approachable scaffolding on which to hang big ideas. Her depictions of hopes in jars (visiting a "faraway friend," getting a part in a play, flying in a rocket) create a visual path through the first half of the book, and she wields light and shadow to add drama. When the sky darkens and a storm destroys their jars, Llewellyn and his friends despair: "What was the point of dreaming if everything could be lost?" One last jar contains a bright yellow butterfly, though, which restores their hope, and they start collecting dreams again -- some they keep, some they realize, and some they let go "to make room for the unexpected." A story with philosophical subject matter and a nuanced and subdued approach to it.

Reviewer: Adrienne L. Pettinelli | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2025

(2) PS This follow-up to In a Jar uses straightforward language and visual metaphor to make complicated concepts accessible to young children. Llewellyn the bunny finds his feelings troublesome, so he starts stuffing them in jars and hiding them in a basement closet. Marcero (The Boy Whose Head Was Filled with Stars, rev. 1/21) explores a broad vocabulary of emotions: not just fear and sadness, but excitement, disappointment, and embarrassment. At one point Llewellyn even bottles away joy because that can be a bit much to handle sometimes. In the mixed-media illustrations, each emotion is rendered as a distinct shape, with its own color and expressive eyes that watch Llewellyn, helping to define every feeling while also suggesting that emotions may be both felt and observed. Marcero puts her protagonist in fraught situations that will be familiar to children (being left out of a group, other children laughing at them), and she incorporates comics elements throughout--including panels, word bubbles, bright colors, and cartoonish figures--to make her material less threatening and more comprehensible. As Llewellyn stuffs away more emotions, his world drains of color, only exploding back into a full range of vivid hues when he is ready "to look each feeling in the eye, give it a hug, and let it go." The author is teaching a valuable lesson here, and her empathetic, engaging approach respects young children and meets them where they are.

Reviewer: Adrienne L. Pettinelli | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2022

(3) K-3 For show-and-tell, Rose wants to discover something that hasn't been found before, but she doesn't know where to look for it. So she draws maps and follows them into the sky, sea, mountains, and beyond. Does Rose find what she's looking for, or has she created it herself? Marcero's intricate mixed-media illustrations, particularly of Rose's many maps, bring this imaginative journey to life.

Reviewer: Mariko Turk

(3) K-3 After her dog Crayon's death, Rosie finds everything "cold" and "colorless." Searching for a missing kitten draws Rosie out of her gray world; she allows herself to remember Crayon--in glorious color--and open her heart to new friends. With honesty, warmth, and a little humor, this gentle story celebrates a child's love for a pet while honoring the difficult (possibly first) experience of grieving.

Reviewer: Katie Bircher

(3) K-3 What makes young bear Ursa different from her peers? Her imagination, which leads her to believe that she can learn to fly. Although various methods fail her, she ultimately finds a way to soar. The story is further elevated by multifaceted art that features diagrams, background cityscapes, and Ursa's little brother's rotation of T-shirts with encouraging sayings ("Fly," "Believe," etc.).

Reviewer: Nell Beram