(3) K-3 Illustrated by Huynh Kim Liên & Phùng Nguyên Quang. Composed mostly of questions, this picture-book biography traces Jeremy Lin's uphill battle as the first American of Chinese or Taiwanese descent to play in the NBA. Moving from his youth to his breakout 2012 game with the New York Knicks, the book shows how faith, diligence, and tenacity helped Lin weather taunts, setbacks, privation, and an agonizing NBA draft wait. The digital illustrations employ spot art to depict Lin's off-court life, while full bleeds portray on-court action and the media craze ("linsanity") surrounding his meteoric rise from obscurity. Ho prompts children to reflect on their own experiences contending with naysayers, find role models who look like them, embrace who they are, and defy stereotypes. Back matter fleshes out Lin's life story and includes an author's note and bibliography.

Reviewer: Summer Edward

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Ashley Barron. A racoon is panic-stricken after taking a spill down a chimney. During a nighttime car ride, a family is startled when a moose sallies out onto the road. A chipmunk is brought to bay in a rainspout by its feline predator. In the fifteen short narrative poems in this picture book, racially diverse children and their caregivers unexpectedly come face to face with undomesticated critters, some imperiled, and choose to show them kindness and respect. A closing poem observes each animal’s whereabouts following their human encounters. Ruddock’s evocative rhyming verses and Barron’s textured cut-paper-collage illustrations convey both the vulnerability and power of wild creatures. Readers will warm to the wisdom of giving wildlife their space. An eloquent exemplum of animal ethics that avoids preachiness.

Reviewer: Summer Edward

(3) PS Illustrated by Shamar Knight-Justice. When Daddy, an emergency medical technician, departs for work each day, time seems to drag on “forever and ever and ever” as Olivia, a young Black girl, and her mother count the hours until his return. They “always” miss him, and fears for his safety prey on their minds, but a grounding daily routine -- fixing breakfast together, completing chores, styling Olivia’s hair, making a forever bracelet that will “protect [Daddy] always” -- boosts their morale. Hugs, laughter, daddy-daughter dances, and cozy family dinners mark the trio’s end-of-day reunions, feelingly portrayed in the pattern-rich digital-mixed-media illustrations. An author’s note reflecting on the heightened, everyday endangerment of Black lives adds context to Thurman’s heartening narrative about love’s perennial power in the face of life’s precious fragility.

Reviewer: Summer Edward

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Richy Sánchez Ayala. Maribel, a young girl with Costa Rican and Mexican heritage, narrates the story of her family’s experience with housing insecurity due to parental job loss. Although grateful to be sojourning at an aunt’s house where there are scads of sportive cousins and exuberant family dinners, crowded quarters have their inconveniences, and Maribel and her older sister inevitably pine for their old life. Visions of a new home, and their papi’s reminders that their displacement is temporary, help them look to the future with optimism. The decision to leave the frequent Spanish words unglossed is a smart choice for a story that avoids "othering" people experiencing homelessness. Upbeat digital illustrations temper the poignancy. A bittersweet tale about the triumph of family and faith in the face of uncertainty.

Reviewer: Summer Edward

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Isabel Muñoz. After noting Ynes Mexia’s (1870–1938) childhood traumas and marital and business woes, this picture-book biography shows how she rose from the ashes to earn a college degree in her fifties and become the tip of the spear in the hazardous, male-dominated profession of botanical exploration. A conceit that compares the intrepid Mexia to the elusive wax palm tree she famously found succeeds as much for its lyricism as for conveying Mexia’s resilience and singular gifts. The time period is unspecified, making it difficult to fully appreciate the historical barriers Mexia faced in accumulating her vast collection of rare plant specimens; also, no mention is made of the racism Mexia experienced as a Mexican American person. Muñoz’s digital illustrations in a palette of earth tones give the inspiring, emotionally resonant narrative an evergreen feel.

Reviewer: Summer Edward

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Gastón Hauviller. A young Latina girl and her grandmother connect over the homely pleasures of baking bread, sewing, and making trips to the outdoor market, although the old woman is showing signs of ailing. She gently prepares her granddaughter for her impending death by reassuring her of the indissolubility of their relationship -- the places they visit, activities they enjoy together, and the natural world that connects them to something beyond themselves will all remind the girl of her grandmother’s tender, fortifying love long after the day she breathes her last. The book addresses the subjects of aging and illness in an age-appropriate manner. Both Hauviller’s textured illustrations and Camacho-Church’s bilingual English/Spanish text are imbued with the warmth of treasured memories of their own grandmothers.

Reviewer: Summer Edward

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Alexandra Badiu. Chaffee gets the ball rolling with a quick sketch of soccer icon Abby Wambach's childhood as the last-born in a competitive, seven-sibling-strong family. After riding the highs and lows of youth soccer league and high school soccer, Abby is noticed by college scouts and trains relentlessly to land a spot on the U.S. National Soccer Team. The fast-moving account of her subsequent historic career presents her as a team leader and class act on and off the field. A refrain -- "But Abby was tougher" -- emphasizes the pluck and mettle that helped her surmount defeats, self-doubt, and a major injury. In the vector-like illustrations, a color motif of coruscating pinks reconciles femininity and athleticism. Back matter includes a run-through of Wambach's professional milestones and a glossary of soccer terminology.

Reviewer: Summer Edward

(3) PS Using succinct declarative statements, and the sentence opener “My daddy loves” as a refrain throughout the text, Figueroa identifies thirteen routine activities that the fathers in this book delight in doing with their kids. The visual imagery moves from rise-and-shine to bedtime and depicts an assortment of Black dads bonding with their children in various settings, including a food garden, supermarket, the woods, and more. Impressionistic touches in the digital illustrations (broken color; contrasts between warm and cool hues; soft, undefined edges) convey a sense of the transience of cherished moments and the spontaneity of the father-child interactions. This celebration of paternal devotion isn’t one-note; exuberance and joy trade with glimpses of quiet and upset, but comfort predominates. The revelation that “what my daddy loves most of all...is me” rounds off the book triumphantly.

Reviewer: Summer Edward

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Ishaa Lobo. With a refrain of “thank you for,” this wholehearted shout-out to our canine companions (the narrator addresses them directly) enumerates their physical attributes to celebrate what makes them so simpatico with humans. Although some companion pooches (including one with a disability) are acknowledged in the warm-and-fuzzy digital illustrations, service dogs also receive literal and figurative pats on the back. A grief therapy dog, a courtroom support dog, and a future assistance dog are among the sung heroes featured in the artwork. Human characters are racially and ability diverse. The closing double-page spread offering an aerial view of a dog shelter’s fundraising event explicates the concept of gratitude in action. Back matter educates readers about therapy dogs.

Reviewer: Summer Edward

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Christian Robinson. Front endpapers depicting a stark mountain of rubbish, and a title-page image of a Black boy peeking out from behind a jam-packed trash can, set the stage for this unflinching parable about confronting the world's ugliness. When the boy clears away sidewalk trash with the help of a light-skinned man in a wheelchair, he uncovers a wildflower that inspires the creation of a public garden box that rallies their diverse community. Gorman urges readers to resist any suggestion that they should wink at societal problems and assume powerlessness. "Someday, somewhere [you'll] find a friend" with whom to do "something small" to tackle big issues is the book's hopeful promise. Robinson's pared-down paint and collage illustrations offer a wealth of white space, giving readers room to process the serious subject matter.

Reviewer: Summer Edward

(3) PS Our World series. Illustrated by Netsanet Tesfay. In this slice-of-life board book, a young dark-skinned girl and her father rise to the promise of a new day in Ethiopia, break bread (literally — they eat chechebsa, an Ethiopian torn flatbread), then spend a pleasant day at Entoto Natural Park, where horse-riding and hide-and-seek are on the agenda. The doting pair returns home to enjoy dinner with Mom and the girl’s older brother, and when it’s slumbertime, Dad looks happy as a clam reading his daughter a bedtime story. Habtemariam’s characters and Tesfay’s depiction (colorful childlike illustrations offer interesting details) of the city of Addis Ababa exude bonhomie. Ethiopian social practices (like eating with one’s hands from a communal plate and the Habesha coffee ceremony) are casually woven into the story. A pictorial glossary of Amharic words concludes this winsome offering.

Reviewer: Summer Edward

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Maya Fidawi. Samira, a young Iranian girl, is accompanying her grandmother, Mama Shamsi, to the outdoor market for the first time. As they walk through the streets of Tehran, Samira playfully proposes various ways that she can hide under Mama Shamsi’s chador so that she won’t get lost at the big, crowded, noisy market. Each time she does so, the long, black, cape-like garment takes on the shape of a different animal, to her grandmother’s mock dismay. The joshing gives way to an empowering conclusion, as Mama Shamsi affirms Samira’s ability to confidently explore and navigate the world around her. The book reflects the authors’ own childhood experience of the often-disparaged chador as a source of safety and comfort. Digital illustrations chock-full of interesting, culturally authentic details wrap this story up nicely.

Reviewer: Summer Edward

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Luciano Lozano. This picture-book biography of Spain’s first scientific Nobel Prize winner, Santiago Ramón y Cajal (1852–1934), moves from his imagination-filled childhood in the mountain village of Petilla to his groundbreaking discovery of the structure of the nervous system at the age of thirty-six. Readers will be delighted by the snapshots of a self-willed, precocious, inventive young boy who bucked his teachers’ attempts to clip his artist’s wings, and initially resisted following in his doctor-father’s footsteps, only to fall in love with the field of neuroanatomy on his own terms. Lozano’s stylized digital illustrations are interspersed with fascinating facsimiles of Ramón y Cajal’s photography, paintings, and medical drawings. Back matter delves into the anatomy of a neuron and expounds on Ramón y Cajal’s life and works. A compelling testament to the value of unconventional thinking.

Reviewer: Summer Edward

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Anait Semirdzhyan. Kanzi (the Arabic-speaking Egyptian girl whose potholed transition to life in America was portrayed in The Arabic Quilt) feels marginalized when her school's library is denuded of books that reflect the experiences and perspectives of underrepresented groups. Adult characters scaffold a discussion with the kids about the current book banning movement (some readers might find the school librarian's explanation for the bans simplistic). Kanzi proposes a school-wide protest-slash-bake-sale that sees her using her voice for change, raises money to buy books to donate to Little Free Libraries, gains local attention, and occasions a book ban reversal. Digital illustrations incorporating Arabic text add to the instructiveness of a story put into context by an author’s note.

Reviewer: Summer Edward

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Neha Rawat. Aarav, a young South Asian boy, is zippy and bursting with energy while his thatha (grandfather) is calm, patient, and prone to taking his time. Despite being polar opposites, the two enjoy a close bond cemented by Aarav’s love of the stories and masala chai that his grandfather expertly concocts. When Thatha is immobilized by a minor injury, Aarav longs to comfort him with masala tea, but his attempts to brew it are repeatedly hampered by his hastiness. Only when Aarav finally heeds Thatha’s expostulations, does he come to appreciate that slowing down just might be the recipe for caring for those we hold dear. The text pairs well with Rawat’s straightforward, heartwarming digital illustrations. An author's note connects the story to cherished traditions in LaRocca’s family, and a recipe for masala chai is appended.

Reviewer: Summer Edward

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Devon Holzwarth. Warm mixed-media illustrations depict the journey of a single book as it passes from person to person over time, connecting -- imperceptibly or overtly, but always powerfully -- readers diverse in age, race, and ability to each other. Although as a physical object, the book suffers wear and tear as it travels through the world, the book is itself a world whose mysterious, often unexpected magic endures long beyond the final page. Particularly satisfying is the illustrations’ acknowledgment of all the places where a book can be read, from a treehouse, to a darkened bedroom at night, to the shore of a lake, to a classroom, and more. The concise text notes the many ways reading can empower, support, and serve us. A heartfelt celebration of the practical, social, intellectual, and emotional uses of books.

Reviewer: Summer Edward

(3) K-3 Fernández Nitsche follows the life of iconic Argentinian folk singer and social activist Mercedes Sosa (1935–2009), from her humble working-class upbringing to her enduring posthumous legacy as a “voice of the voiceless.” Readers learn about Sosa’s off-the-cuff first public performance at the age of fifteen; her evolution from timorous greenhorn to world-renowned, powerhouse songstress; and her musical innovation. On spreads portraying age-appropriate scenes of protest and dictatorship, Sosa’s human rights advocacy is recognized, courageous work that led to her imprisonment, exile, and eventual status as a national and Latin American hero. Readers may be left wanting to know what enabled Sosa’s triumphant repatriation. Back matter includes a biographical timeline, a glossary of Spanish words used in the text, and a playlist of the author’s favorite Sosa songs. A fitting tribute to a cultural lodestar.

Reviewer: Summer Edward

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Ellie Arscott. Cree, a young Nehiyaw girl, never fails to marvel at the neat stuff her vivacious aunt collects from garage sales. But this time, Auntie has brought a surprise from the reservation where she lives -- a surprise that growls and sniffs. Unable to guess what it is, Cree is delighted when Auntie reveals a “rez puppy.” Nehiyaw people consider dogs their relatives, Auntie explains, and describes the integral role they have historically played in Nehiyaw communities -- providing protection, furnishing warmth, and transporting goods. Cree learns the importance of caring for bowwows with heart and hands, then chooses a Nehiyaw name for the new family pet. Arscott’s sunny hand-drawn illustrations incorporate comic-book elements, such as speech bubbles and emanata. O’Watch’s conversational text includes Nehiyaw words with English translations alongside.

Reviewer: Summer Edward

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Lauren Castillo. Realized through pithy prose, this ode to the power of stories follows two children and their dad during a day at the library, and highlights the vistas that open up through the “world of reading.” Schu pinpoints the capacity of reading to cultivate the (young) human person as a field of possibility. Underscoring the text’s message that stories can endlessly grow our minds, hearts, and connections with other people, Castillo’s ink, watercolor, and pastel illustrations provide ever-expanding views of the inside of a library filled with diverse children, presided over by a dedicated librarian (who resembles the author himself).

Reviewer: Summer Edward

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Tara Anand. Singh tells the real-life story of how, at age twenty-one and despite coming from an underprivileged background, Rasila Vadher became the first woman forest guard in Gir Forest National Park & Wildlife Sanctuary, established in Gujarat, India, to protect Asiatic lions. Narrated in first-person prose that captures Vadher’s lion-hearted spirit and the risky but rewarding nature of her work, the book describes how pivotal (and painful) events in her childhood thrust her into the role of family breadwinner, stoked her passion for protecting the large, powerful cats, and prepared her to challenge gender bias. Back matter lists intriguing facts about Asiatic lions and acquaints readers with the Lion Queens -- an all-woman forest patrol whose members Vadher trained. Minimalist digital illustrations in tropical monsoon colors create a sense of openness that echoes Vadher’s mindset. Pair with Reynolds’s The Lion Queens of India (rev. 1/21).

Reviewer: Summer Edward