(2) PS Illustrated by Satoshi Kitamura. Creature-of-No-Words is content being "furry. And never in a hurry." The large, ungainly fellow enjoys his life, and although he doesn't "know how to say HAPPY" or "YUMMY" or "SAD" (having no words), he expresses himself through body language. Creature-of-Words, on the other hand, loves to use words; when she sees Creature-of-No-Words looking sad, she reaches toward him with outstretched arms and teaches him the word "HUG!" Creature-of-No-Words has a big red nose, his orange body is filled in with squiggly lines, and he's accompanied by eleven white birds. Creature-of-Words is smaller and redder, with a group of critter companions, including a fox, a cat, a squirrel, and two birds. Part of the book's fun is noticing the ways all of the animals interact in the illustrations. The text is written in triplets with occasional rhymes and includes such whimsical thoughts as the wish that pebbles would "burst like bubbles." Kitamura's paintings use intense color to show the pair living in a varied and beguiling landscape as they find joy together, sometimes sharing words and sometimes cuddled up "just listening to sweet silence." This tender tale illustrates the ways in which creatures, and humans, are alike and different from one another, especially in communication styles.

Reviewer: Susan Dove Lempke | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2024

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Sophie Bass. Beginning in 1948, thousands of people traveled from the Caribbean to England aboard a ship named the Empire ­Windrush. For some, the visit was temporary during England's postwar reconstruction; for others, relocation was permanent. This book, dedicated to "one of the youngest passengers to have made that Windrush journey," centers on a child and his parents who leave their extended family and lush island home, bound for England. Concise rhyming text foregrounds prepositions: "Behind you / Windrush child / palm trees wave goodbye / above you / Windrush child / ­seabirds asking why." Once aboard the ship, the child thinks of all the things that symbolize home and family, such as "mango mornings," "storytime verandas," and reminders from Grandmother to write. After a long voyage, the child and his parents land in England, "stepping into history / bringing your Caribbean eye / to another horizon." Gouache and pen illustrations make an immediate impact with their use of vivid colors; plants, skies, and seascapes are often rendered in surprising shades (e.g., a coral sky, orange palm trees). Illustrations frequently contrast the two locations while making use of visual metaphors for migration and movement: birds, flying fish, falling stars, kites, snow. This gentle tale of migration affirms the possibility of starting anew while maintaining bonds with home and family abroad. An author's note contextualizes this episode in Caribbean history.

Reviewer: Julie Hakim Azzam | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2023

(3) 4-6 Illustrated by Neil Packer. This is a quirky history of the codex (with a brief glimpse at ebooks), narrated in an alternately whimsical and lyrical style by the personified Book. Packer's illustrations, many of which resemble woodcuts, punctuate the brief narratives, as do quotes about the joys of books, reading, and libraries, from Lao Tzu to Bill Gates. More a bibliophile's love letter than a reference work.

Reviewer: Norah Piehl