Published by Schwartz and Wade Books 
Summary: Each page has just four words on it, starting with “Home Mama Brother Sister”. Owl leaves the nest for a nighttime flight (“Soar Glide Swoop Swoosh”). In the middle of the book, he lands on a branch over the water and sees his reflection: Owl Sees Owl. The rest of the book’s pages mirror the first half of the book; as the owl returns home, there’s a page with “Swoosh Swoop Glide Soar”, the reverse order of those same words on an earlier page. Finally, the owl lands back in his nest, and the last page reads, “Sister Brother Mama Home”. 40 pages, ages 3-8.
Pros: This reminded me of Marilyn Singer’s reverso poetry books, in which the second verse is the opposite of the first, changing the meaning. There are plenty of strong nouns and verbs, since each word has to do a lot of work to tell the story. The pictures perfectly capture Owl’s silent nighttime world.
Cons: It took me a few readings to realize the second half of the book was the reverse of the first half; without guidance, kids may miss this cool feature.
Summary: Octicorn’s dad is a unicorn and Mom is an octopus. He may be the only one in existence, which sometimes makes it hard to fit in. Too bad, because he’s great at ring toss, juggling, and water sports. He’s not a picky eater…plankton, fresh clover, and cupcakes will keep him happy. He loves s’mores, sports, recess. He really wants a jet-ski. Octicorn may look different from everyone else, but inside he’s the same, and would really like to be your friend. 48 pages; ages 4-8.
Summary: A day in the life of Hank, the pill bug, begins with him crawling out from beneath his rock home and setting forth through the grass, across the sidewalk, and to the home of his best friend, a girl named Amelia. Today Amelia is pretending to be Amelia Earhart, and she puts Hank on top of her leather helmet and takes him for a ride. After an afternoon playing together, the two friends gaze at each other lovingly (an illustration labeled “what friendship looks like”), then Hank reverses his morning journey to get back home. The last page pictures him happily asleep under his rock. 40 pages; ages 3-7.
Summary: On September 11, 2001, after the collapse of the World Trade Center, more than a million people were looking to get out of Manhattan. New York City was under attack, and bridges, tunnels, and subways were closed. The only way to escape was by water. When lines for the ferries became miles long, the Coast Guard put out a call for any boat to come help with the evacuation. “If it floated, and it could get there, it got there,” said an engineer who was part of the rescue effort. Wondering if there would be more attacks, the ships and their crews knew they were easy targets, but they courageously sailed on. Some put out sheets with their destinations in New Jersey painted on them. They tried to help the shocked, distraught people who boarded their boats, and then they took them safely across the water. In about nine hours, just under 500,000 people were helped, the largest sea evacuation in history. Back matter includes an author’s note telling of her 9/11 experience being rescued by a boat, a brief glossary, and a few additional resources and source notes. 32 pages; grades 3-7.
A Kids Book A Day 