(3) K-3 Illustrated by Olivia Holden. "Once there was a girl who had a little seed of an idea." Against a spare text, gentle, naive-style pastel illustrations show people slowly gathering in the child's gray neighborhood. A lot is cleared. Seeds are planted. Neighbors work together, talk, and share snacks. Ultimately, the dull buildings fade behind the colors of a community garden party in this satisfying tale of hope and cooperation.

Reviewer: Gail Hedges

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Greg Paprocki. George visits twelve different dwellings, including a lighthouse and a castle. In each, rhyming text invites readers to find a list of objects. It's cutely illustrated, and the familiar game of seek-and-find will appeal to a wide range of children; the thick pages and simple picture puzzles are appropriate for the very young. This unremarkable package isn't likely to receive repeated readings.

Reviewer: Maeve Visser Knoth

(3) PS Illustrated by Hannah Whitty. Mama Mouse and her child venture out to gather items from their neighbors--the bees, cows, miller--until they have all the fixings to prepare a huckleberry pie. All the while, the little mouse learns a gentle lesson in patience. Soft pastel-colored animals and landscapes surround mother and young one as they make the pie from scratch and eat it up together.

Reviewer: Sophie Williamson

(3) PS Illustrated by Veronica Vasylenko. A hungry panda searching for "snacks to chomp," i.e., delicious bamboo shoots, unwittingly leads a bouncy game of follow-the-leader through hills, fields, flowers, and forests. Breezy illustrations saturated with greens and yellows--and pandas--accompany an energetic text with varied rhyme schemes and meters that will keep young listeners and readers on their toes.

Reviewer: Bethany Templeton Klem