Published by Harry N. Abrams

Summary:  A girl gives a tour of the seven-story building, explaining what the door of each apartment looks like and what that says about the people who live there.  The first door has lots of locks on it; it’s home to a family of thieves with a love of ancient Egyptian artifacts. The muddy footprints around the second door indicate that an old man and his pet tiger reside within.  Whether these inhabitants are real or imagined is never clear, but each is portrayed in great detail on a two-page spread. The final apartment, #7, is the girl’s home, and seems to be pretty run-of-the-mill until the last page reveals a surprising secret about her and her family.  40 pages; ages 4-8.

Pros:  Kids will want plenty of time to pore over the fantastic illustrations of each apartment.  It would be fun to tie in some sort of art project where kids could design a door and then show the room that’s hidden behind it.

Cons:  I didn’t quite get the last page–is the girl a superhero like her parents, or are they planning on making her one some day?

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Published by Schwartz and Wade

Summary:  Mr. Pockles doesn’t have any friends, but he sure has a lot of hats.  “For Mr. Pockles, going without a hat was as unthinkable as going around without any pants on.”  When Hat Day at the PandaPolitan Club rolls around, Mr. Pockles is depressed not to be able to go because he’s not a panda.  Donning his Jaunty Hat With a Friendly Feather, he heads for the Treat House to try to cheer himself up. Unfortunately, panda extraordinaire Lady Coco Fitz-Tulip shows up, wearing a spectacular fruit-laden hat and bragging about her upcoming day at the Club  When a couple of baby bunnies get into the fruit, Mr. Pockles comes to the rescue, bringing not only Lady Coco, but the whole Treat House gang back to his house for some hats. The panda declares them all friends and invites them to join her for the hat soiree at her PandaPolitan. 40 pages; ages 4-8.

Pros:  It’s a fun story, from that first sentence (quoted above) to Lady Coco’s final cheer of “Hats off to Mr. Pockles!”  The illustrations are sensational, with brilliant colors and a staggering variety of hats.

Cons:  Even with her change of heart, Lady Coco seems pretty obnoxious, and the PandaPolitan club, cruelly exclusive (“And pandas, as everyone knows, are very Black-and-White.  Either you are a panda, or you are not.”).

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Published by Scholastic Press

Summary:  A fastidious eraser likes to keep the page clean, but a fun-loving pencil can’t stop making squiggles and other messes to keep the eraser on his toes.  When the pencil creates a whole pencil army, the eraser flees into a dark forest…which has also been drawn by the pencil. Angry and frustrated, the eraser doesn’t know what to do until he notices that he can make his own drawings by erasing some of the darkness.  He eventually makes a whole solar system and a spaceship for him to fly out. He lands back on a nice, clean piece of paper, but suddenly it all seems a little boring to him. Fortunately, the pencil isn’t far behind, and together they create the word “Perfect” then, pose together beneath it.  48 pages; ages 4-8.

Pros:  The pencil and eraser really come to life in the illustrations, and kids will enjoy their antics; the final page shows how enemies can become friends.

Cons:  I couldn’t quite figure out if this was supposed to be a book about friendship, creativity, or problem-solving.

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Published by Schwartz and Wade

Summary:  After James Otis’s father dies, life gets hard for him and his mother.  They are barely making it, but when Reverend Dennis announces that the church will be delivering Valentine’s love boxes to the needy, Mama says they have to contribute.  In particular, a girl named Sarah and her mother need help after losing their home in a fire. As the days go by, James Otis takes stock of his meager possessions as he tries to imagine what Sarah might like.  He thinks about giving her the one book he owns, but then has a better idea…he creates a special book just for Sarah called From My Heart to Your Heart.  At the church on Valentine’s Day, he gives her the book in person, and she is thrilled.  James Otis feels good that he has given something from his heart, and is rewarded with his own love box waiting on the doorstep when he and Mama return home.  40 pages; grades K-3.

Pros:  A final story by the late Patricia McKissack would make a touching read-aloud for Valentine’s Day, with maybe a follow-up activity about giving from the heart.  The collage illustrations by newcomer April Harrison add interest to the story with plenty of colors and textures.

Cons:  I couldn’t tell from the pictures if this was a contemporary story or historical fiction.

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