(2) PS In her latest picture book, Frazee says she "hoped to capture and honor what we all have in common, no matter who we are or where we live." Each line of text begins with "In every..." and appears on its own spread with Frazee's signature pencil and gouache vignettes of people, young and old, epitomizing the sentiment expressed (à la her layouts for the similarly inspirational Everywhere Babies, rev. 5/01, and All the World, rev. 9/09). While the text is earnest, Frazee finds ways to insert light humor into her illustrations, such as a child using the potty for "In every hope, blessed is the doing." Wordless full-bleed spreads are interspersed between the vignette pages, showing wide landscape views with people finding peace and joy in nature; these offer viewers a chance to pause and reflect on that line's meaning. She also chooses a predominant color for each line's font and its accompanying art to aid young listeners in linking them together (e.g., yellow is the color associated with the line "In every smile, blessed is the light"). The affectionate domestic scenes feature a diverse mix of people and are a visual testament to Frazee's inclusive goal of showcasing the commonalities "in every life." According to her author's note, she's revised a baby-naming blessing that she attributes to the Jewish faith (the original source of which is unknown, "but it has been adapted and used widely in welcoming ceremonies of all kinds") by simplifying the poem and adding her own lines, including passages about smiles and sadness.

Reviewer: Cynthia K. Ritter | Horn Book Magazine Issue: January, 2023

(2) 4-6 Melleby and Sass bring together the middle school–aged protagonists they each created for the 2021 short-story anthology This Is Our Rainbow (co-edited by Melleby and Katherine Locke) in this novel set at a camp for LGBTQ+ youth. Melleby's Abigail (she/her/hers), all but ostracized by her friends since she admitted to a crush on one of their mothers, begs her parents to send her to the camp. Sass's Kai (e/em/eir) attends under protest: eir parents sign em up after a bullying incident. The two newbies form sometimes-bumpy relationships with each other and with the more seasoned campers in a safe but not necessarily awkwardness-free space. There's a heightened awareness (even more than in other settings) that anyone might be romantically interested in anyone else--or might not. There's also, realistically, a wide range of knowledge about and comfort with queer identities among the kids: one of them launches a campaign for a more inclusive camp name ("there's no letter in the QUILTBAG acronym for pansexual kids, plus a lot of others"), while Kai tries to remember what pansexual means. Intersectionality in the differences between campers adds another dimension, especially in the area of religion: Abigail attends Catholic school; Kai is "kind of" Jewish and tentatively learns more about Judaism from another camper. This engaging, gently affirming novel should be valuable to young readers exploring their own identities or curious about those of others.

Reviewer: Shoshana Flax | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2023

(2) PS From the moment readers open this book, they are treated to an album of beautiful, joyous children, all with one salient feature: "Everybody has a body." But not every body is the same. There's a youngster using a rollator who says, "I like to take a walk." There are two bespectacled kids, one of whom shares the information that "glasses make me see better." Other differences, such as one child who has "to get checkups for my heart," are not apparent from the photos but are nonetheless noted in accompanying text. This photo-essay shows children participating in a range of activities, including rock wall climbing, swimming, and reading. The message--"Even though we're the same in many ways, we're different in our own ways too. Let's be kind to everybody and every kind of body!"--has been expressed before, but rarely through such memorable images. Brief sketches of three of the children with disabilities as well as one adult advocate and a glossary of physical and learning differences complete the book.

Reviewer: Betty Carter | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2023

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Jerome Pumphrey. One day, baby Elbert floats happily up and out of his crib. His mother takes this surprising ability in stride, disregarding unsolicited advice (involving a butterfly net, glue, and other traps) and instead trusting her instinct: "If Elbert was born to float, I will let him." As he grows older, life gets more complicated, but Elbert meets each challenge with grace and ingenuity, and with his mom as his champion ("If Elbert was born to float, you should let him!"). At school he drifts to the ceiling of the classroom but figures out how to deliver assignments via paper airplane; his classmates creatively modify their playground games for his participation. However, as time passes, adults remain hostile, calling him a distraction and a disturbance. Elbert, misunderstood and lonely, starts to float higher away than ever before. But a midair care package provides sustenance, physically and emotionally, and Elbert presses onward and upward to a place where, rewardingly, he finds his people. Pumphrey's art, which was "created digitally and includes textures created with tea-stained paper," is at once lighthearted and whimsical, warm and evocative, with subdued hues, varied compositions, and gentle yet perpetual motion. A unique and uplifting celebration of individuality and unconditional love.

Reviewer: Elissa Gershowitz | Horn Book Magazine Issue: January, 2023

(1) K-3 Illustrated by Leo Espinosa. "You are you, and I am I. We are people... This makes us different from most of the things on Earth." Head crowned with a mass of brown curly hair, this book's narrator speaks directly to readers, guiding them through several silly yet thought-provoking comparisons. Do humans have anything in common with tin cans? No. "We are not shaped like tin cans. We cannot hold tomato sauce like tin cans." Humans have some minor similarities to swimming pools (water) and excavators (digging, but not as efficiently), but a person is "way more like a mushroom" and has even more in common with a hyena. Barrows's (the Ivy + Bean chapter books) straightforward text seems at first to be an exercise in comparing living and nonliving things, but it's ultimately a lesson in empathy toward our fellow humans. "I am more like you than I am like most of the things on Earth." Espinosa's (The World Belonged to Us, rev. 7/22) bold, blocky, and vibrant illustrations enhance the text's humor and heart with the punch of a pop-art palette. A compelling thought-experiment with a powerful, effective, and timely message.

Reviewer: Grace McKinney | Horn Book Magazine Issue: January, 2023

(2) PS Even the youngest among us knows the pain of being misunderstood. Quinn has spent the morning in their workshop making Something Great. Then it's echoes of Krauss's The Carrot Seed as Quinn proudly shows this creation--a milk carton with a red string--to their older sister, mother, and the cat, none of whom gets it. "It was just...itself," Quinn laments. "Something Great!" Bradley's mixed-media illustrations are full of soft brushstrokes in gentle shades of blue and green, creating a safe and calm atmosphere for Quinn to exist in. Queerness is baked into the story: the text doesn't comment on the fact that Quinn uses they/them pronouns and sports a blue-grid button-down shirt with pink sneakers. The character is instead upset because no one seems to understand their artistic expression--an apt and subtle metaphor for other types of self-expression. A new neighbor sees right away just how great Something Great really is, and together the characters engage in imaginative play without having to explain or specifically define anything. Endpapers showcase a hodgepodge of art supplies and some of Quinn's other creations, perhaps inspiring viewers to make Something Great of their own.

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

(2) 1-3 Frank and the Puppy series. Illustrated by Jon Lau. "This was not fair. But it was the way of the world. Just when you think you've got it good, someone brings home a puppy." Narrator Frank, the highly contented and stuck-in-his-ways cat who narrates this brief early chapter book, lives the "good life" with his two loving male humans. Then their family of three expands: a cute, Corgi-like puppy appears and, to Frank's great annoyance, makes herself right at home--even going so far as to ruin naptime. After landing in "jail" (his crate) due to an angry claw-swipe, the indignant feline attempts to use his words. He types out and mails a note to the humans, but before they even read it, they release him with the admonition: "You must be nice to the puppy." In response, Frank composes another note--of farewell--and sneaks out the door in search of a place where he'll be appreciated. The book features seven short chapters with easy-to-read sentences that convey highly relatable, often over-the-top feelings. The accessible text is well supported by Lau's personality-filled illustrations, a mix of full pages and spot art. With the narrative being completely from Frank's wounded perspective, the illustrations display the actions and reactions of every character: the protagonist's emotional highs and lows, the puppy's extreme enthusiasm, the humans' unconditional love (not to mention their chic home décor).

Reviewer: Elissa Gershowitz | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2022

(2) K-3 Life becomes challenging for Liling after her family moves from the rural mountains to a crowded city in China. Without new hùko˘u (residency) papers, she can't go to school, so she spends her days at her parents' workplaces and accompanies them on errands to the market. One day at the park, she's teased for her old red coat and dirty shoes. When Liling meets Qiqi, a girl just like her, they become friends and find comfort and strength in each other. At the end of the story, they walk together, hand in hand, into the park. Evans's pencil and watercolor illustrations use a muted color palette of blues and grays. The cool tone conveys Liling's feelings of disengagement in the city; the girls' bright-hued coats--red for Liling and yellow for Qiqi--are uplifting pops of color. Evans also makes use of varied perspectives to enhance the narrative and mood of the story. In a double-page spread where Liling first sees Qiqi from her balcony, viewers look down at the scene from above, observing the special connection between the characters. Both sad and hopeful, this tale shows the value of finding strength in true friendship. It is important to note that the story reflects only part of the reality of life in modern China, and readers should see the author's note to get a better idea of the big picture. A helpful glossary precedes the text.

Reviewer: | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2022

(2) PS Illustrated by Molly Idle & Juana Martinez-Neal. It's all about the body language in this enjoyable collaboration. Idle (Flora and the Flamingo, rev. 7/13; Witch Hazel, rev. 9/22) and Martinez-Neal (Alma and How She Got Her Name, rev. 5/18; Fry Bread, rev. 11/19) apply their signature styles to two children: a light-skinned child with a blond kewpie cut and a child with darker skin and a thatch of straight black hair. They stand on either side of a thick tree trunk that bisects the double-page spread, backs to each other and arms crossed. Children and tree are both rendered in soft graphite on creamy stock; the only colors are a teal oval that hovers over Idle's kid and a similar yellow one over Martinez-Neal's. What puts them at odds is a mystery, but Fogliano's (My Best Friend, rev. 3/20) lilting first line will have young readers speculating: "i really don't care what you think of my hair / or my eyes or my toes or my nose." As the text trots along, the children first look at each other, then engage in parallel play. They share their separate snacks, smiling, as their respective ovals begin to overlap. Meanwhile, the text never breaks from its rhythm as it modulates from what the characters don't care about to what they do, including sharing, playing fair, and each other's feelings: "i really do care about all of that stuff / i really do care a lot." Here the children embrace on a tire swing, together on the page with friendship now assured. Thoroughly charming notes from each illustrator close this winning outing.

Reviewer: Vicky Smith | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2022

(2) 4-6 At the start of this emotional novel in verse full of vivid imagery, ten-year-old Ai Shi Zhang and her parents leave Taiwan for the suburbs of Los Angeles. Money is tight after a business deal goes wrong and the family restaurant is repeatedly vandalized, and the Zhang family considers giving up and moving back. Ai Shi is forced to grow up quickly, code-switching and translating for her parents, all while suffering bullying at school and grappling with her new reality and shifts in identity. Kuo conveys the life of a new immigrant, including constant commentary from others on their differing appearances, clothing, and foods. In the end, Ai Shi learns to approach others, even her bullies, with a sense of generosity and empathy, so as to "get off this never-ending merry-go-round of hurt and hate." With the help of a few friends, and through sheer tenacity and creativity, the Zhangs begin to realize that they are, in fact, building a place they can call home.

Reviewer: Gabi K. Huesca | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 2022

(2) YA Eighth graders Jake, Cassie, Lily, Nick, and Mac all face very different, complicated struggles, but each has found comfort and confidence in a musical instrument and now in one another in a special class at their Upstate New York middle school. "Any dumb thing that might have happened before this doesn't matter anymore, because it's a good day whenever it's Jazz Lab day." The third-person-omniscient narrative alternates among the perspectives of these five characters plus one more: a detached, defiant, and chronically misunderstood student known as Quagmire. As their stories knit together and unforeseen circumstances threaten the future of Jazz Lab, these students find themselves at risk of losing what they depend on to propel them through their daily challenges. Each distinctly developed character has an engaging story and voice. As they plot to save Jazz Lab (and ultimately many other small electives and activities), the novel's pacing heightens and intensifies. Their struggle to make their position heard by the cast of outrageously obtuse adults both at home and at school--with a few effective exceptions--creates the perfect amount of tension to draw readers in to a funny, sad, and heartwarming story that celebrates the importance of independence, belonging, and the arts.

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

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Alejandra Barajas. "Charly rummaged through the mishmash in the old costumes box for something that showed they were both a girl and a boy." (An appended note identifies Charly as bigender.) The Red Riding Hood costume they find feels too feminine; the Dracula one, too masculine--neither expresses wholly who they are. Then Charly has an idea: to create "one [costume] from two." And on Halloween night, out trick-or-treating with friends, they feel "one hundred percent Charly." Cartoony illustrations capture Charly's determination to find the right costume, and the way wearing it ultimately makes them feel "joyfully jazzed" and "harmoniously hopeful."

Reviewer: Martha V. Parravano | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2022

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Magdalena Mora. "There is a whole world in my name. I carry it with me. It's heavy carrying your whole world around with you all the time." After the young narrator leaves home for life in a new country far away, her once-beautiful name morphs into something ugly when her teacher tries to pronounce it at school roll call. Her name--soft, comforting, and reminiscent of her beloved grandmother--becomes "strange," "sharp," or, worse, "like something breaking." Adding to her feeling of foreignness: no one else's school lunch contains a large tomato to be eaten whole. Eventually, the narrator and another girl bond over their shared love of the color yellow and become friends. Soon she has a circle of friends who have learned to pronounce her name so that it "sounds like home." Double-page spreads in ink, pastel, and crayon highlight the initial contrasts between the narrator's old home and her new one. Illustrations focus on food and family, the book's visual metaphors for difference, while the color yellow becomes a visual through-line for the theme of connectedness. A comforting book for a child who may feel isolated due to an uncommon name, or for one feeling uprooted and adrift in a new place. An author's note provides personal context.

Reviewer: Julie Hakim Azzam | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 2022

(2) 4-6 In this middle-grade sci-fi tale set in the near future, twelve-year-old Cora meets Adrien (and his wealthy family) at a grown-up party. Both children are neuro-diverse: Adrien has ADHD, Cora is autistic, and they bond over a shared love of adventure and the feeling that neurodiverse people shouldn't have to change what makes them unique to be accepted. Adrien's father runs Pomegranate, a company that creates holograms to give its customers a chance to hobnob with celebrities and revisit loved ones--a concept that appeals to Cora, who would love to be able to interact with her recently deceased mother. But after a devastating accident, Cora discovers that Pomegranate has flattened Adrien's neurodiverse traits to make him seem more neurotypical. Horrified by the "digital eugenics," she makes it her mission to expose the corporation's deception and cruelty, while coming to terms with her own perceptions of death and grief. Adrien and Cora are smart and funny characters who make relatable the work of navigating life in an often-unsympathetic world. McNicoll's suspenseful story has a lot to say about what makes a person worthy of respect.

Reviewer: Sarah Berman | 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

(1) K-3 Part fish-out-of-water story, part ode to street art, this vibrant offering will grab readers' attention. Narrator Sam is unhappy about a family move that has traded their "fast, busy city life for a small, quiet one far away." Sam, apparently the only Black child in their new classroom, feels out of place and misses the sights and sounds of the city. Then one day Sam spies a graffitied building and is captivated: "It reminded me of home--loud and energetic." Taylor's bold comics-style illustrations provide readers with ample visuals to explore, aligning them with Sam as they take in the graffiti's images and lettering. Upon returning to see the art, however, Sam is crestfallen to discover it's been painted over. Happily, an older cousin shares other places where they can see street art: "tags in the alley, stickers on street signs, stencils on the corner, throw-ups on moving vans, murals in parking lots." They end up at an abandoned factory the town has ­permitted people to paint as they wish, with the eventual goal of transforming it into a community center. Another child invites Sam to join in, her welcome finally making Sam feel at home. Heartfelt back matter reveals the roots of Taylor's own fascination with street art.

Reviewer: Megan Dowd Lambert | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2022

(2) 4-6 Illustrated by David Wilson. In this engaging graphic memoir, protagonist Misty is a fierce competitor who loves football: it combines strategy, teamwork, and tackling ("In other sports, I get in trouble for barely touching people!"). So when she finds out the summer before seventh grade that there's a town youth football league, she signs up. She persuades her best (and only) friend, Bree, to sign up with her; but as Misty throws herself into conditioning and acquiring skills despite the scorn of her male teammates, it soon becomes clear that Bree is more interested in clothes, hanging out at the pool, and a new friendship with a cool, popular girl. Misty's coach's statement that "football is all about getting knocked down and getting back up again" serves as the central metaphor for the book as middle school brings the pain of Bree's betrayal, the humiliation of trying unsuccessfully to fit in, and an imposed-from-without dissatisfaction with her appearance, among other challenges. Cleanly laid-out panels make for accessible reading, and the book does an excellent job of folding the football story line (including plenty of play-by-play game-time action) into that of Misty's life struggles. Readers will cheer as Misty eventually makes new, true friends; wins the acceptance of (most of) her football teammates; begins to take on a more responsible role in her family; and comes to an empowering conclusion: "I knew one thing for sure: I was done trying to be someone else." Appended with an author's note and a disclaimer about the dangers of playing tackle football.

Reviewer: Martha V. Parravano | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2022

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Corinna Luyken. A rhythmic text speaks to an unnamed child in the second person, describing what "we see" and how that trait or characteristic may inform a young person's future identity (for better or worse) and how they might see themself. In the first vignette, readers meet a child identified with "blue" at a gender-reveal party. With the page-turn, we learn they are "blue dressed in blue," but their paintbrush at times "hovers above the pink." As the character matures, though, "the color you will come to love most / is brown"--presumably the brown of their own skin. De la Peña's text does not specify whether it's directed at one figure or many, but Luyken illustrates each vignette with a different child, all part of a multiracial cast: a dance-loving tot grows up to find rhythm in computer code; a young athlete ("You are basketball-baseball-fútbol-any-kind-of-ball") becomes a bilingual poet; a class clown becomes a compassionate teacher. Luyken's backgrounds feature brushy squares, a visual motif that plays on the title. The "we" that observes and speaks to each character becomes broadly expansive at the end, enfolding narrator, characters, and readers: "We are beautiful." Gentle and affirming.

Reviewer: Vicky Smith | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2022

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Jerry Pinkney. Two renowned picture-book creators trace the journey of a wooden rocking chair in this affecting immigration story based in part on Wells's family lore. Wells begins with Sam, her great-great-grandfather. Born in Bavaria, Sam has a gift for carpentry. Discouraged in this pursuit by his rabbi father, he leaves home for New York City, finding work as a bookkeeper for a German family. When that family's son is born, Sam builds a wooden rocking chair with the word willkommen inscribed on the back. To honor the birth of his own son born a few years later, Sam adds the phrase for welcome in Hebrew, later also adding it in English. Next, the chair is a wedding gift for an Irish seamstress, so the word fáílte, Irish for welcome, is added in brass letters. Then, it providentially lands in the possession of others (two Dominican nuns, a Haitian doctor, and a young Somali girl) who have fled their homelands and found America to be a safe refuge. Each new owner has the word for welcome added in their language, connecting the families' experiences and creating a powerful narrative thread. The late Pinkney's jewel-hued watercolor, pencil, and pastel illustrations capture this atmosphere of acceptance and warmth, bringing readers even closer into the story. The immigrants' feelings are evident through their body language as they gather with loved ones around the chair, itself beautifully replicated in the art. An author's note further explains Wells's inspiration and provides more historical context; an illustrator's note describes Pinkney's artistic process and influences.

Reviewer: Emmie Stuart | Horn Book Magazine Issue: January, 2022

(2) YA Senior Liz Lighty has successfully stayed out of the spotlight and off of Campbell County High School's new social networking app, Campbell Confidential. Being poor and Black in affluent Campbell has made her feel like an outsider. But when she is denied a seat in Pennington College's orchestra and a music scholarship at the institution, she decides to run for prom queen for the scholarship money that comes with winning. With the help of her best friend, she plans to become prom queen material. What Liz doesn't expect is to fall in love with another contender for the crown and to reconnect with her former best guy friend. Teen readers will relate to Liz's journey of self-discovery and acceptance. Despite themes of poverty, racism, and homophobia, the book remains lighthearted. Liz's snarky first-person narration adds to the humor, and references to popular culture help create an authentic teen voice. Screenshots from a cellphone introduce each week of competition and underscore the power of social media in the lives of teens today.

Reviewer: Nicholl Denice Montgomery | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2020