The House That Floated by Guojing (Random House Studio, 40 pages, ages 4-8). A couple lives in a small house perched on the edge of a cliff. Wordless pages show them enjoying their home and the sea below, rescuing a dolphin from a net, then commemorating the moment with a wood carving of the dolphin. They welcome a new baby into their loving home, and the child grows up to love the ocean and dolphins as well. When a storm threatens their home, the resourceful family builds a raft, takes the house off its foundation, and carries it to another cliff across the water. Others in the community help them reassemble it next to a lighthouse, and the final pages show them running toward their new home.

Kids generally love wordless books, and they tend to find a lot of details my old eyes miss, so I look forward to sharing this beautiful and heartwarming story. I liked the message about resilience in the face of change, particularly climate change. I was hoping this would be a Caldecott contender, but it looks as though Guojing lives in Canada.

The Riding Lesson by Jennifer K. Mann (Candlewick, 56 pages, ages 4-8). Frances is excited to be going over to her friend Mae’s house for her first riding lesson. Although she’s sure she’s going to love riding–after all, she plays with toy horses all the time–that confidence vanishes when she’s confronted with a real horse named Snowball. Mae takes her through the steps of grooming and tacking up, but when it comes time to ride, Frances loses her nerve. Fortunately, Mae is a patient teacher, and after letting Frances ride double with her, Frances is ready to go it alone. Success! When they get back to the barn, the girls untack Snowball and give her a bath, then Frances gets a lesson in mucking out the horse stalls. All too soon, her mom is there to pick her up, and Frances can hardly wait until her next lesson.

I was delighted to see this book by the creator of The Camping Trip, one of my favorite end-of-the-year read-alouds. Like that book, this one captures both the excitement and fears that come with trying something new. Both narrators have an experienced peer to guide them through and to discover the joys of camping and horseback riding. The story and illustrations serve as a good introduction that will help any budding equestrian before a first lesson.

Piccolo by Dan Yaccarino (Christy Ottaviano Books, 40 pages, ages 4-8). Piccolo the shrew gives readers a taste of Italian culture while offering a few lessons in being a good friend. After making a list of where he wants to go in the cità bella (beautiful city), he sets out for the gelateria for some hazelnut gelato. Before he can take a first bite, he hears a cry for help, and dashes off to find his friend Mr. Rosso struggling to carry a painting into the museum. Fortunately, the museum is also on Piccolo’s list of destinations. The rest of the day goes that way, with Piccolo’s helpfulness leading him to enjoy the various places on the list. Alas, his day is so busy that by the time he’s ready to finish his hazelnut gelato, the gelateria has closed. Fortunately, his friend Miss Dolce needs some “help” finishing off her extra, and Piccolo’s day is complete. The end papers show the Italian phrases used in the story with English translations.

Aww, Piccolo and his friends are super cute and teach us all a good lesson about kindness and friendship! The Italian culture and language lessons are an added bonus. This would make a good introduction to young kids going to Italy for the first time.