(3) 4-6 This volume collects oral histories of men and women who recount their childhood World War II experiences decades later to present-day children. Fear, loneliness, and anger are vividly remembered and shared with the young interviewers. Most of the accounts, organized into sequential segments, are those of British survivors (the book was first published in the UK). Numerous photographs enhance this historical treasure. Glos., ind.

Reviewer: Luther B. Clegg

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Mike Curato. A little black girl with flowing violet hair guides readers through her creative process, guided by a limitless imagination: "what if that pencil one day disappeared? / I'd fold up the paper till stories appeared." The popping pink-and-purple mixed-media illustrations--incorporating sculpture, origami, collage, photography, and more--gorgeously underscore the message that an artist is more than her tools.

Reviewer: Robyn Bahr

(3) 4-6 In this fast-paced new adventure series full of fantastical creatures from Hispanic mythology, Charlie has listened to his abuela's scary tales for years. But suddenly, around the time of a mysterious fire, they seem to come to life. Charlie--now growing horns and feathers--and his crush, Violet, set off on a global chase to find his missing parents. At times frightening but consistently entertaining. Glos.

Reviewer: Katie Darrin

(3) 4-6 Servant Felix tells of how, in 1816 Switzerland, his employer Lord Byron's night of revelrous storytelling with friends (including Percy and Mary Shelley) is interrupted by Lizzie, a blind and scarred girl seeking her sister. Horror unfolds as Lizzie recounts her experience with loss, lightning, and an unprincipled woman scientist. Literary-minded readers will recognize Lizzie's haunting story as the germ of Mary Shelley's Frankenstein.

Reviewer: Megan Lynn Isaac

(3) K-3 Dad's amusing thought bubbles reveal his dread of daughter Alice's abundant ideas for their snowbound day ahead. Once Alice decides they'll make a book, the engaging story-within-a-story features King Alice and her "royal brave knights" on adventures that resemble the biracial family's activities: mealtimes, princess tea, unicorn party, and more. Cordell's loose-lined mixed-media illustrations capture the imagination, mayhem, and love in this family.

Reviewer: Sheila M. Geraty

(3) 1-3 Translated by Julia Marshall. In this volume (translated from the Swedish), Little Bear asks his mother for three bedtime stories and she lovingly complies, reciting tales of a Night Guardian, a little girl, and a man--each traversing a dreamy, neon-pink-hued forest before sleep. The textured colored-pencil scenes and Scandinavian atmosphere evoke a timeless nighttime world, appealing in its strangeness. The small, square trim size is perfect for cozy one-on-one sharing.

Reviewer: Dorrie Karlin

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Rashin Kheiriyeh. Arlo accidentally drops a book onto the mayor's head. The mayor retorts, "Books are dangerous...they act like seeds, which grow into ideas, and ideas turn into questions." Books get destroyed and the town suffers until Arlo's stories sprout a burgeoning book tree that inspires others to become book gardeners. The allegorical tale's striking mixed-media illustrations feature lots of books in many different languages.

Reviewer: Sheila M. Geraty

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Kaylani Juanita. A fair-skinned boy and a brown-skinned girl play competitive make-believe ("DUN DUN DUH! / A dragon came!"; "Ta-Da! The girl turned the dragon into a kind dragon") until they satisfyingly join forces. The all-dialogue text differentiates voice using font color (red and purple). The mixed-media illustrations feature chubby, wide-eyed characters and ground the fantasy with homey details such as a blanket fort, stuffies, and a pet dog.

Reviewer: Amy Seto Forrester

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Alex Willmore. When Dee and friends set out to find their missing librarian, they discover a bear in Ms. Merryweather's place! The pencil and digital-media illustrations burst with humorous details, such as 101 Recipes for Honey on the liBEARian's desk. The final twist--the bear has snuck out of a Goldilocks book along with another surprise character--will keep readers entertained through the last page.

Reviewer: Rachel Marsh

(3) 4-6 Girl Mayka and her animal friends are living stone figures, but with their creator long dead, they're beginning to lose the magic that keeps them alive. In search of help, Mayka ventures down from their mountaintop home to the world of men. Durst has created a compelling fantasy world; this quiet novel's emphasis on storytelling, bravery, challenging assumptions, and friendship should have middle-grade appeal.

Reviewer: Janet Daniels

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Charles Santoso. A star-nosed mole, a giraffe-necked weevil, a babirusa, and a yeti crab find their writers' group crashed by a bunny who everyone fears will write stories about "friendship and sharing and hugging" (blech). But is it possible that the bunny is being typecast? This rib-tickling caution against stereotypes is told almost entirely in dialogue balloons bellowed by the critters, all adorable-looking despite their petulance.

Reviewer: Nell Beram

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Dasha Tolstikova. Violet tells a "Little Red Riding Hood"–inspired story with herself and toddler brother as main characters. She dramatically narrates "a journey fraught with danger and peril" as they make their way to a sick neighbor's apartment to deliver soup and cookies. The mixed-media illustrations play along, bringing Violet's vivid storytelling to life in the ordinary apartment-building setting.

Reviewer: Cyrisse Jaffee

(3) PS In their latest adventure, Bear and Mole go camping, but Mole worries they'll get lost in the dark. Bear reassures Mole with a story about the First Bears making the moon and stars, including--in a dramatic vertical spread--the stationary First Star that guides creatures at night. Spacious art transitioning into a nighttime blue palette complements the simple text full of soothing repetition.

Reviewer: Martha Sibert

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Júlia Sardà. Krull embraces the absurdity of Carroll's writing in her whimsical biographical sketch of the author and the creation of his most famous work, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. She emphasizes the imaginative entertainment he devised for children, creatively incorporating some of his invented words (such as frabjous and mimsy) and including them in an appended glossary. Sardà's fantastical, idiosyncratic illustrations channel Carroll's genius for nonsense.

Reviewer: Cynthia K. Ritter

(3) 4-6 Longburrow series. Illustrated by David Wyatt. The enigmatic bard from Podkin One-Ear continues his tale of unlikely rabbit hero Podkin, his siblings, and their elders as they search for a magic hammer that could turn the tide against the monstrous, invading Gorm. A lyrical narrative voice, rich world-building, frightening villains, and engaging heroes combine in this worthy sequel that will leave readers eager for more. Intermittent full-spread illustrations add atmosphere.

Reviewer: Russell Perry

(3) 4-6 Illustrated by Jo Weaver. This slim, profusely illustrated book (first published in the UK) introduces a small group of Middle Eastern refugees adrift at sea in a small broken-down boat. Rami, a young man clutching a violin case, plays his instrument and shares a legend about its creation. Weaver's haunting art in a monochromatic palette of greenish-black perfectly complements the sad yet sometimes hopeful tale.

Reviewer: Kristy Pasquariello

(3) 4-6 Illustrated by Sophie Blackall. A mother tells her son the "real story" of the bear that inspired Winnie-the-Pooh: the boy's great-great-grandfather, Captain Harry Colebourn (author Mattick's great-grandfather), bought Winnie in a train station and made her a mascot for his Canadian Army battalion during WWI. A deft blend of historical research and gentle, heartwarming fiction enhanced by Blackall's art. "Colebourn Family Archive" appended.

Reviewer: Kristy Pasquariello

(2) K-3 A lonely boy spots an invitation leaning against his pet turtle's terrarium. He bikes across a wooded landscape, meets a giant turtle, and attends a boisterous animal jamboree. As the sun rises, the boy sneaks back and regales his boarding-school roommates with his nocturnal exploits. The spare text is almost unnecessary: atmospheric illustrations tell us much about the power of story to bring people together.

Reviewer: Julie Danielson | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2018

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Raul Colón. In this cheerful, inspiring volume, poems celebrate writing, reading, poetry, storytelling, and creativity. In watercolor and Prismacolor pencils, Colón's illustrations depict diverse groups of people and animals enjoying words, books, and imagination. Bits of Spanish throughout the verses add to the multicultural appeal. Author's notes at the beginning and end further encourage young readers to experience "wordjoy" in their own writings.

Reviewer: Renée Wheeler

(4) K-3 Young girl Nina visits a secret jungle that has engulfed a forgotten city, where she reads to the animals. The jungle creatures have wide-ranging tastes in stories, but they collectively prefer--in a meta touch--"this one...Nina calls it 'Animal City.'" Negrescolor's narrative won't grip young readers the way Nina's stories grip the animals, but the digital art powered by tropical colors will.

Reviewer: Nell Beram