(1) 4-6 In this fictional graphic novel based on Miyares's father's childhood, Carlos is growing up in the Cuban countryside in 1956. He loves spending time with his friends and family, especially his abuelo, and searching for shark teeth at the beach. When Carlos's papi wins the lottery, they all move to a new house in a nearby city. But as Fidel Castro launches his revolution to overthrow then-president Fulgencio Batista, the family's way of life and personal freedoms are threatened. Papi leaves for over a year to set up life in the United States, eventually returning to help the rest of his family flee. Lush ink and watercolor illustrations bring emotional depth to the story with rich details, frequent shifts in perspective, and a sunset-hued color palette. At the start of each chapter, a line drawing with a straightforward caption depicts a historical moment in the Cuban Revolution timeline. The book's start in the late 1950s offers a fuller picture of pre-revolution life on the island and an honest look at the complicated relationships within and among Cuban families in this period. Pair with Castellanos's Isla to Island (rev. 3/22) and Rodriguez's Worm: A Cuban American Odyssey for graphic-novel and graphic-memoir, respectively, renditions of other Cuban immigration experiences from the mid-to-late twentieth century.

Reviewer: Monica de los Reyes | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2025

(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 Ink and watercolor illustrations wordlessly tell of two neighboring children, a boy and a girl, who develop a friendship while building a treehouse together. A mostly black-and-white palette slowly integrates summery colors as the story's details unfold and camaraderie blooms through shared endeavor. Young readers can find their own interpretations of this fine story of childhood companionship.

Reviewer: Rita Soltan

(3) K-3 To construct a towering throne, an imperious grasshopper king commands his bug subjects: "Bring me a rock! The bigger the better." He summarily rejects a small bug's pebble, but when the royal rock pile threatens to topple, the clever little bug's pebble comes in handy. Insect's-eye-view watercolors in subdued tones enhance the story's humor and bring home its message that size isn't everything.

Reviewer: Rebecca Reed Whidden

(1) K-3 A boy and his caregiver fold a paper boat, then he pretends to sail it outside. After a downpour, the boat floats for real--into a sewer grate. Once comforted at home, the boy soon ventures out again with a paper airplane, this time embracing the moment his creation is set free. With a limited palette, each wordless scene is full of reflection, shadow, and texture.

Reviewer: Elisa Gall | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2015

(3) K-3 Having found a perch on a tiny island in a swamp, a small bird gets annoyed when other animals stop there, too. After a fourth animal shows up, the grouchy bird begins shouting and orders everyone to leave--only to meet an unfortunate fate in the wickedly humorous, Jon Klassen–esque ending. With their vibrant colors and hand-lettered text, the imaginative pages grab the reader's attention.

Reviewer: Martha Sibert