Published by Kids Can Press

Summary:  The hawk, sad and tired of war, puts on a mask and gloves to become a dove, and the world begins to change: tanks turn into tractors, planes become butterflies, warships are replaced with sailboats, and bullets morph into flowers.  Alternating pages are smaller, giving a glimpse of what’s on the next page. The whole world is happy and grateful to the dove, but the dove still worries that a hawk may be lying in wait.  “Hawk or dove? Foe or friend? How ever will this story end?”  Includes two pages at the end that tell how the late Israeli artist Paul Kor was moved to create this book by his experiences in World War II as a child and in the Six Day War later on.  32 pages; ages 4-8.

Pros:  This unusual book could serve as a springboard to discussing war and peace, as well as an inspiration for creating paper crafts.

Cons:  Some of the rhymes are a bit too Hallmark greeting card: “The entire land is filled with light/A rainbow of colors sunny and bright.”

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Published by Neal Porter Books

Summary:  Houses can change, but home goes with you from one to another.  “Home is a table with something good and the people gathered there.  A book before you fall asleep, and a kiss afterward.” With these meditations on home, we see a family–mother, father, boy, and girl–getting ready to move, then making a day-long drive to their new house.  There’s the sadness of saying goodbye, and the excitement of exploring the new place. The family picnics together on the floor of their new house, then the little girl looks out the window to see her parents sitting with arms around each other as she gets ready for bed in her new home.  40 pages; ages 4-8.

Pros:  A perfect read for those who are moving, and for anyone who wants to think about what home is.  This would make a good writing prompt to explore the idea of home.

Cons:  Not everyone’s home is quite so picture-perfect.

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Published by Candlewick

Summary:  Sadie has three older brothers, and consequently wears a lot of hand-me-downs.  The only new clothes she gets are underwear and shoes, so she is very careful about picking out her shoes.  She loves her new sparkly silver shoes, and wears them everywhere, even, unfortunately, on a family picnic. Although her mom warns her that they’ll get dirty, Sadie doesn’t care, and wears them to play in the creek with her brothers.  One shoe comes off and is washed away, leaving Sadie heartbroken. She still insists on wearing the remaining shoe (paired with another one) wherever she goes. When a new girl comes to school, she notices Sadie’s silver shoe, and says she has one just like it that she found on the beach.  Yup, it’s Sadie’s missing footwear! The girls become friends, and take turns wearing the shoes…or sometimes each wearing one. 32 pages; ages 4-8.

Pros:  Sadie is a winning protagonist, and the friendship story is heartwarming.  This would make a great read-aloud.

Cons:  Mom’s reaction to Sadie losing her beloved shoe–”Maybe you should have worn old shoes today”–is predictable.  Yes, Mom, we’ve all been there, but bite your tongue and show some compassion.

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Published by Schwartz & Wade

Summary:  Sweety is a young naked mole rat described by her grandmother as “a square peg”.  Sporting thick glasses and orthodontic headgear, she has a passion for collecting and identifying mushrooms and presenting her school reports using interpretive dance.  She can see she doesn’t fit in, but doesn’t know how to change. Fortunately, there’s Aunt Ruth, also a square peg, who assures Sweety that it’s okay to be herself.  They page through some photo albums together, where Sweety sees her mom and aunt as children and as mohawk-sporting teens, giving a few clues as to where Sweety may get her outside-the-box personality.  In the end, she decides to go her own way, and is rewarded by meeting another mole rat who seems to share some of her interests. 32 pages; ages 3-8.

Pros:  The “be yourself” message is delivered in a humorous fashion; all the naked mole rates may look a little unusual to the human readers, pointing out the ridiculousness of what makes one more “popular” than another.  The illustrations provide a light touch that saves the story from getting too bogged down in its message.

Cons:  The expression “square peg” is never explained.

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Published by Peachtree Publishing Company

Summary:  Lil Alan is excited to be leaving before dawn for a family reunion down south.  The whole clan is gathering at his father’s mother’s house. Aunts, uncles, and cousins join in a weekend celebration of their family.  There’s lots of playing with cousins and eating delicious food, but there are also serious talks about their history–how their ancestors came from Africa in chains, but they fought for freedom until “a farmer and a teacher” bought the land where Granny now lives and grows cotton.  Lil Alan worries all weekend about having a contribution to the traditional Sunday evening ceremony, but when the time comes he has thought of something to say that perfectly captures his family’s history. 32 pages: ages 4-8.

Pros:  This would be an excellent mentor text for teaching narrative writing.  The muted watercolor illustrations deserve some Caldecott consideration.

Cons:  I wasn’t quite clear about who bought the land…was it Granny and her husband, or someone in the generation before her?

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