(2) K-3 Susan the duck orders a pair of roller skates that turn out to be two sizes too big and bemoans her bad luck. That's when a wolf shows up at the door: "You have won this fabulous pot! Perfect for making soup!" Susan feels lucky, but then a light bulb blows. Soon enough, the doorbell rings again, and there's the wolf with a surprise pile of onions. Susan keeps having small misfortunes and receiving more soup-based prizes, oblivious to the wolf's toothy smile and vaguely creepy jacket and bow tie. The illustrations are in Pizzoli's trademark thick line and limited palette -- here a pleasing mix of salmon, mint, brown, and gold. Strong composition guides readers through the story, while funny details in the background (like a box of "Cheezee Quackers" on the counter and a bug who serves as a behind-the-scenes helper throughout) will pop on inevitable repeat readings. Susan's petty annoyances prove fortuitous when the wolf ultimately tries to shove her into the soup pot but slips on one of her lost marbles, setting off a Rube Goldberg–like series of mishaps that ends with the wolf rolling away on one of the roller skates with his head stuck in a pickle jar and being chased by hornets. This amusing, clever take on familiar tropes will be a favorite in storytimes and homes.

Reviewer: Adrienne L. Pettinelli | Horn Book Magazine Issue: January, 2024

(2) K-3 In this story told in the cadence of a folktale, a little ibex is minding his Ps and Qs when the biggest ibex comes along and challenges him to a duel for the "top spot." The little ibex is confused at first, but after a knock-out head butt from the biggest ibex, he takes off running "down the mountainside, over the river, across a vast desert, into a dense forest." There's more than a dash of Klassen (The Skull, rev. 7/23, and others) in the strong shapes, earth tones, gritty textures, and shifty eyes of Weber's art, a combination of pencil and digital paintings. When he finally stops running, the little ibex spots a goat at the top of a mountain and, believing it to be wise, asks for advice. After a couple of questions from the bewildered goat (just a kid, readers learn), the ibex decides to put his evasive skills to work. The wry text sits on spreads with plenty of white space, slowing the pace and giving readers the opportunity to consider the wisdom of the little ibex's choices when he runs back and uses his nimble speed and his wiles to trick the other ibexes into falling off cliffs and getting stuck in crevasses. It isn't until the little ibex eliminates all his competitors and gets the top spot that he pauses to consider whether this is something he even wants. This book should prompt thoughtful discussions about what's important in life.

Reviewer: Adrienne L. Pettinelli | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2024

(1) K-3 I Like to Read series. "Bear has fast legs. Turtle has a fast mind. Who will win the race?" An elder, Tota, tells a trickster story in a beginning reader that succeeds both as a learning tool for new readers and as a layered tale to appreciate over repeat readings. When we meet Turtle, he's standing in a power pose surveying the racecourse on a frozen lake, while on the opposite page, Bear executes an impressive warm-up routine. The digitally created art, in a cartoon style with an edge of realism, is appealing and supports the minimal text, which uses repetition and sight words without overwhelming new readers. Bear bounds over the ice while tricky Turtle swims below, popping up to periodically exclaim, "Here I am!" Bear's evolving facial expressions will be familiar to anyone who's run a tough race, and astute observers will notice that the markings on Turtle's shell are different each time he surfaces. All is revealed in the end, and wily but good-natured Turtle shares his prize. Author David, a member of the Haudenosaunee Kanienkehaka (Mohawk) people, includes words from the Kanienkeha language for added interest and context. There is a notable lack of beginning reader books from an Indigenous perspective, and this book is most welcome.

Reviewer: Adrienne L. Pettinelli | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2023

(2) PS Illustrated by Emilie Gill. Because Hen is determined to do things herself ("I'm not a baby chick anymore!"), she declines invitations from Cow, Horse, and Pig to help her carry a bag of flour to her home, where she plans to bake some bread. Fox sits waiting in the forest's ferns and butters her up when they meet ("You are undoubtedly fabulous at everything you do"), so Hen invites him to join her. But never fear: Gill's detailed illustrations indicate that smart Hen is on to him. The side-eye and scowl she directs at Fox show she won't be fooled. After Fox dramatically lunges at her and her pot of soup, Shaw returns readers to Hen's three friends, who suspect trouble. They race to Hen's intending to save the day but discover that she has everything under control. Hen serves as a sympathetic stand-in for this satisfying story's audience. Gill's fine-lined illustrations rest on a palette of muted earth tones with a vivid copper that brings a visual pop to the pages. There's much playful humor ("Hen appeased me with the peas!" says Fox in the end) in this entertaining take on the classic "Little Red Hen" story.

Reviewer: Julie Danielson | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2023

(2) YA Twelve-year-old Sparrow's life revolves around keeping their mother happy; a difficult task given her struggles with mental health and addiction. Sparrow believes that by being the perfect child they can keep Mom's "shadows" at bay and deflect any attention from well-meaning outsiders. This includes hiding their shifting gender identity and sexuality. When Mom is unexpectedly put in rehab, Sparrow is sent to live with family members they've never met in the childhood home Mom has only ever discussed disparagingly. Sparrow is surprised to find not only that Aunt Mags is a source of comfort and support but also she's trans herself and the renamed "Rainbow House" is now a community of loving families and gender-diverse individuals. Sparrow is caught in a tug-of-war between trying to be the daughter Mom wants them to be and the person they truly are. Sparrow's own magical shadow, a trickster-like creature, provides guidance and pushes them toward realizing their identity. This fantastical touch, as well as the friendships Sparrow forges with new classmates Sully and Wynn, add some lightness to the protagonist's difficult circumstances. Van Otterloo's authentic and inspiring transgender adult characters serve as mentors to Sparrow on their journey of self-discovery, but perhaps more importantly as essential representations of trans adulthood for young readers.

Reviewer: Hill Saxton | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 2023

(2) 4-6 Stories and truths cross paths in Agyemang's debut graphic novel. After twelve-year-old Nana ("It's '­NAH-na,' not 'NAN'") makes up one too many tales, landing her in the principal's office again, her parents send her to Ghana to spend the summer with her extended family, including her grandmother, who is also a storyteller. While adjusting to life in her mother's childhood village, Nana stumbles upon an evil company that's stealing the village forest's magic and killing it in the process. She then finds herself negotiating with Ananse, trickster spider and bearer of the world's stories. Agyemang herself spins this tale by drawing upon stories of the past. Classic folktales come to life through energetic folk art–style illustrations capturing the vibrant setting and colorful Ghanaian attire. Most striking is Ananse's versatile human-spider form, which shifts around adroitly through the panels. Exploring themes of fitting in, honoring tradition, enacting social justice, and finding one's truth, the book takes readers on a voyage of self-discovery while demonstrating the magical power of stories and their ability to reach across cultures and generations.

Reviewer: Jerry Dear | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 2022

(2) K-3 Translated by Azita Rassi. Illustrated by Marjan Vafaeian. Persian merchant Mah Jahan collects birds and keeps them "in cages...so that they couldn't...leave her." When her favorite, a parrot, asks her to visit its former colony in India, she does and is shocked when one of the wild birds drops dead. Back home, Mah Jahan tells her parrot what happened--and it drops dead. But it's a ruse: the parrot's friends sent "a story...to teach me how to escape." A thought-provoking, visually striking retelling originally published in Tehran.

Reviewer: Julie Hakim Azzam | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2019

(2) PS As they enjoy afternoon tea, including sweet manju cakes (steamed buns filled with red bean paste), four woodland-creature friends decide to scare a bear passing by. All their tactics fail--until the bear "admits" his deepest fear: manju cake. The animals lob the cakes into the bear's cave and are surprised by the bear's pleased reaction. The mixed-media illustrations reward close inspection with clever details. Based on "Manju Kowai" or "Scared of Buns," a story from the Japanese oral storytelling tradition of rakugo.

Reviewer: | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2019

(3) 4-6 Illustrated by Uma Krisnaswamy. In this volume of original trickster tales set within a frame story and inspired by Indian folklore, Prince Veera and his friend Suku, a farmer's son, enjoy holding court when the king is not available. Time after time, the pair acts logically and kindly--and metes out appropriate justice, often with a humorous comeuppance for the villain. Traditional black-and-white illustrations are sprinkled throughout.

Reviewer: Melinda Greenblatt

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Shirin Adl. Twenty-one pithy tales starring the pan-Muslim trickster figure Mulla Nasruddin challenge readers' perceptions. In one story, a man asks Nasruddin, standing on the opposite bank of a river, how he can cross to the other side. Nasruddin replies, "What a birdbrain...You are on the other side!" With his towering turban, expressive face, and fluffy cotton gravity-defying beard, Nasruddin will elicit giggles even as readers contemplate the puzzles he poses. Mixed-media illustrations incorporate paper, tissue, felt, yarn, sticks, beads, and more. Glos.

Reviewer: Julie Hakim Azzam | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2019

(3) 4-6 Illustrated by Mindy Dwyer. When Granddaughter rushes and spills blueberries, Grandmother explains how trickster raven Chulyen's nose became bent because he hurried. After Chulyen loses his beak, an old woman uses it as a tool; Chulyen steals his nose back, but without noticing it's now worn and crooked. Sprightly comic-style art and the inclusion of Dena'ina words make this an engaging retelling from southern Alaska. Reading list. Glos.

Reviewer: Bridget McCaffrey

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Tom Knight. In this playful Halloween-themed retelling of the folktale "Stone Soup," three hungry witches have only a bone to eat. They beg local monsters for eerie ingredients such as earthworms, eyeballs, and cobwebs, promising there's no trick, just a tasty treat. Greens, blues, and oranges dominate the cartoonish, digitally colored charcoal and pencil illustrations. A soup recipe (substituting edible ingredients for witchy ones) is appended.

Reviewer: Amy Bennett-Zendzian

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Byron Eggenschwiler. This slim volume collects two previously, separately published tales by consummate First Nations storyteller King, with new black-and-white illustrations. Both stories are set "a long time ago," before humans and animals stopped talking to each other, and feature Coyote less as devious trickster and more as hapless dupe. King's sense of humor is on full display, and he enlivens the tales with gleeful, effortless anachronisms.

Reviewer: Martha V. Parravano | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2018

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Nicole Allin. Anansi travels to different villages for delicious-smelling food. He won't help with preparations, leaving "one end of a web string" in each place and asking to be pulled back when the meal is ready. He's surprised when they tug simultaneously. The spirited telling works, but it's not well served by amateurish cartoony illustrations. An author's note and two (modern) recipes are appended but no sources.

Reviewer: Melinda Greenblatt

(2) 4-6 Illustrated by Kevin Cornell. Pranksters Miles and Niles (The Terrible Two) seem to have met their match when Principal Barkin's father, former Principal Barkin, takes the school back under his control. Ultimately, the Terrible Two must enlist help, and they know exactly whom to ask. This humorous sequel is full of absorbing strategy and even a little suspense. Exaggerated cartoons punctuate the plot and add to the comedy.

Reviewer: Julie Roach | Horn Book Magazine Issue: January, 2016

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Phyllis Saroff. Collared lemming Tuktuk discovers the perfect winter bedding: a fur-lined kamik (Inuit boot). As Tuktuk drags it to his burrow, a polar bear, an Arctic fox, and a caribou all want the boot for themselves. The dull and familiar trickster tale is elevated by eye-catching realistic illustrations conveying the tundra's natural beauty. Back matter includes information on Arctic seasons and wildlife and a matching activity. Glos.

Reviewer: Russell Perry

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Laura Jacques. In this "Emperor's New Clothes" adaptation with tornado facts forced in, weasel Travis the Tornado Tamer offers to protect an all-animal town by creating a magical cover that only the smart and special can see. After a tornado hits, the trickster moves on (as "an Earthquake Ender"). Slick illustrations include animals humorously wearing old-timey costumes. Tornado information and activities appended. Glos.

Reviewer: Luther B. Clegg

(4) 1-3 Calico: Pony Girls series. Illustrated by Paula Franco. Four girls experience growing pains of friendship at Storm Cliff Stables camp. Dani, who's from Costa Rica, constantly feels one-upped by her overachiever cousin, Gabriela; Carly hates following rules; Kianna, still seven, faces challenges as the youngest. New readers will have fun horsing around with the girls in these high-interest if facile stories. Average-quality illustrations emphasize the cast's racial diversity. Review covers the following Calico: Pony Girls titles: Carly, Daniela, Gabriela, and Kianna.

Reviewer: Rebecca Kirshenbaum

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Rowan Sommerset. Feeling bored, Little Baa Baa pranks Quirky Turkey, convincing him that a pile of (presumably) sheep droppings are actually "smarty tablets" and basking in deadpan satisfaction when the gullible--yet now, indeed, wiser--bird gobbles them up. The two pencil-drawn animals in a brown-gray wash converse in speech bubbles, their expressive faces supporting a goofy cumulative text. The timeless poop humor has wide appeal.

Reviewer: Rebecca Reed Whidden

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Rowan Sommerset. Quirky Turkey wants "sweet revenge" after being duped into eating poop in Baa Baa Smart Sheep. But after an extended speech-bubble conversation with Little Baa Baa about the "lemonade" Quirky Turkey's holding, the unlucky bird gets tricked into drinking the pee. The quintessential gross-out humor will resonate with second graders; minimalist illustrations capture the antagonistic vibe in the characters' expressions.

Reviewer: Miriam Steinberg-Egeth