Reviews
The Rock in My Throat
“Tenderly told in first person, Yang’s lyrical autobiographical picture book depicts her childhood struggle with selective mutism. Her descriptions of how selective mutism presents at school are vivid and authentic. . . Lin’s earth tones and muted colors reflect… View →
A Better Best Friend
“Through a distinctive first-person narrative voice that sometimes verges on stream of consciousness, this book explores the question of what makes a best friend and whether it’s possible to have more than one. . . The characters’ simply drawn faces are evocative, their View →
To the Ice
“Whether imagined or not, the survival tale is entirely engrossing and memorable in Ida’s detailed, matter-of-fact, smoothly translated telling. The illustrations are equally successful at showing the children as small figures against vast icy backgrounds and close-up and… View →
Things That Shimmer
“A tale of friendship dynamics that doesn’t reach for easy resolutions or immediate forgiveness.”—The Horn Book Magazine View →
Small Shoes, Great Strides: How Three Brave Girls Opened Doors to School Equality
“Bostic’s evocative illustrations add tenderness to a narrative of real terror. . . An important addition to civil rights movement literature with which readers can connect on a human level.” —starred, The Horn Book Magazine View →
Letters in Charcoal
“[A] quietly empowering ode to literacy.”—The Horn Book Magazine View →
I Ship: A Container Ship's Colossal Journey
“Readers follow every step of the (fictional) container ship Carolina, which is carrying freight from a port in Asia to delivery in France. Carolina acts as narrator, initially providing details about the process of docking and loading, while informative cutaway… View →
The Bodyguard Unit: Edith Garrud, Women's Suffrage, and Jujitsu
“The cartooning, beautifully rendered in muted, old-timey hues, presents information about jujitsu, the inner workings and tensions of the WSPU, and everyday indignities faced by the subjects . . . While enduring themes such as resisting oppression and… View →
The Power of Snow
“The beautifully textured illustrations create visual interest, while the snowflakes, a combination of smudge-style dots and the delicately articulated, folded papercut versions familiar from grade-school arts and crafts, offer a counting opportunity for budding… View →
Hidden Creature Features
“Page layouts are designed to first hint at the featured adaptation. When the page is turned, an intriguing body part is revealed, accompanied by an accessible explanation of how that part is used by the animal to eat, maneuver, defend, or attack.”—The Horn Book Magazine View →
The Bear and the Wildcat
“This quiet, gently told story about death and friendship is well matched with soothing illustrations. . . . This Japanese import . . . will be a welcome addition to books about grieving.”—The Horn Book Magazine View →
A Long Way from Home
“[A] thought-provoking sci-fi novel . . . The tension of the boys’ quest will keep readers invested . . . [b]ut Abby’s situation is equally engrossing.”—The Horn Book Magazine View →
Stars of the Night: The Courageous Children of the Czech Kindertransport
“Quiet but immediate. . . . The in-the-moment text combines with emotional acrylic, colored-pencil, and collage illustrations in Alko’s signature style to create a dreamlike atmosphere.”—starred, The Horn Book Magazine View →
Mwikali and the Forbidden Mask
“In this mythology-minded adventure tale, Nguru provides readers with a solid introduction to Kenyan lore . . . and culture. . . . The emotional structure of the story . . . will resonate with many readers.”—The Horn Book Magazine View →
Hanukkah Nights
“A bright little gift for budding young artists.”—Horn Book Magazine View →
Maybe You Might
“A beautiful column that will sit as comfortably alongside classroom curricula as it will on story shelves.”—The Horn Book Magazine View →
This Last Adventure
“Dalton sensitively delineates the complexities of loss, hope, and love in this unusually rich and philosophical middle-grade novel.”—The Horn Book Magazine View →
Call Me Miss Hamilton: One Woman's Case for Equality and Respect
“[L]arge, striking scratchboard and collage illustrations, which often incorporate archival photographs, complement the clear narrative.”—The Horn Book Magazine View →
The Deep Blue Between
“[O]ffers a compelling view of West African history as a backdrop for a story of sibling bonding and coming of age. . . . Themes such as enslavement, religion, diversity, feminism, British colonization, and treatment of the mentally ill are candidly addressed and seamlessly woven… View →
From the Tops of the Trees
“In sensitive and empowering words, Yang speaks about historical truths and shares her own childhood story with readers.”—The Horn Book Magazine View →
Where I Belong
“The reader is drawn into Millie’s heartbreaking inner monologue as the story pointedly cultivates informed empathy for the diversity of immigrant experiences, while emphasizing the importance of humility for those who stand as allies.”—The Horn Book Magazine View →
Hattie and Olaf
“This is the perfect offering for readers who have graduated from the Dani books by Lagercrantz and Eriksson . . . or who resonate with Hilary McKay’s brand of bracing hilarity.”—The Horn Book Magazine View →