Published by Knopf Books for Young Readers

Summary:  After a 35-year hiatus, Imogene from Imogene’s Antlers is back.  This time, she wakes up each morning with something new: a giraffe’s neck, an elephant’s trunk, butterfly wings.  She’s a good sport about it, though, and puts each new appendage to good use.  With a long neck, she finds a lost football on top of a high desk and helps a kitten down from a tree.  Her elephant’s trunk helps to water the garden, and of course, it’s fun to soar through the air as a butterfly.  The stuffy adults aren’t sure what to do with her, and await her arrival each morning with trepidation.  When Imogene surprises them all one morning by appearing as herself, her mother breathes a huge sigh of relief…until antlers pop out on her own head!  40 pages; ages 3-7.

Pros:  As in the original, there is lots of goofy fun to be had with both the story and the illustrations.  

Cons:  It’s unlikely Levar Burton will be prevailed upon to do a Reading Rainbow episode of this Imogene book.

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Published by Clarion Books

Summary:  Heather sneaks out of her house and climbs on top of Wonder Rock, hoping to contact the aliens she’s read about.  She turns her flashlight on and off repeatedly until she’s surprised by colorful lights and a spaceship.  An alien invites her aboard, and she has a great time until she sees her parents on one of the computer screens, searching for her in the woods.  Off she goes to reunite with them.  The years pass, and Heather keeps returning to Wonder Rock, trying to reconnect with her alien friend.  Finally, an old woman now, she returns to Wonder Rock with her flashlight.  Lo and behold, the spaceship returns, and she is reunited with her alien friend.  They go off to explore space, but Heather realizes she misses her family.  She draws a picture to communicate, and her friend immediately understands.  The whole family gets to see her return, as Heather realizes “that the magic and wonder that she had been trying to find…had been on Earth all along.”  40 pages; grades K-3.

Pros:  Kids will love these gorgeous and imaginative illustrations that may get some Caldecott consideration, and who doesn’t enjoy a good
“close encounters” tale?

Cons:  I almost wished this were a wordless book, as the text seemed a bit clunky compared to the illustrations.

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Published by Nancy Paulsen Books

Summary:  A young boy tells about his father’s work as a bricklayer.  “Mi papi es fuerte–my papi is strong,” he says, as he describes the way his father uses bricks and mortar to build.  As Papi works with bricks, the boy works with books at school.  Both of them dream about having “nuestra casa para siempre”–an always house.  One Saturday, Papi says he has a surprise, and the two of them go off in his truck.  They arrive at a new house made of his dad’s bricks.  The story ends with him going to bed, dreaming of life in their new house.  32 pages; ages 4-8.

Pros:  A heartwarming family tale with colorful collage illustrations.  The Spanish words and sound effect words (WHIRRRRRRR, WHOOSH) bring the story to life.

Cons:  It seemed like the house was built in a week, or at least a very short period of time.

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