Published by Atheneum Books for Young Readers 
Summary: Many years ago, in Morocco, people were sustained by the cool water of their fountains and the refreshing tales of their storytellers. As life got easier, though, the storytellers began to die out; at the same time, the fountains started to dry up. When a young boy goes in search of water, he finds a storyteller perched on the edge of a dried-up fountain. After listening to the storyteller’s captivating tale, the boy finds his cup is full of water. Each part of the story ends with a cliffhanger, and the boy returns each day until the fountain is full again. When a djinn from the Sahara desert threatens to destroy the drought-stricken city, the boy becomes the storyteller, keeping the djinn at bay until the people of the town unite to fill all the fountains and save their city. An author’s note tells of Morocco’s storytellers, whose traditions have been being replaced by TV and the Internet, and a recent move to preserve their art. 40 pages; grades 1-5.
Pros: A beautiful tale that explores the power of stories in humans’ lives. The unique blue-and-gold themed illustrations may put this book on the Caldecott contenders’ list.
Cons: A little difficult to classify the genre; while it has the feel of a folktale, it is not a traditional story. The publisher calls it “an original folktale”. .
Summary: Penny is excited about the upcoming “Sleepover under the Stars” sponsored by the local recreation department. As she gets ready, though, she notices the “No pets allowed” line on the flyer, and is sad that she can’t take her dog, Jelly. She tries different ways to make a Jelly to take with her, using paper, yarn, fleece, and a host of other materials. Nothing is as satisfactory as the real thing. Finally, Penny and Jelly put their heads together and come up with the perfect solution. Penny gets on the phone and calls her friends, and they have their own sleepover under the stars in Penny’s backyard, complete with pets. 32 pages; ages 4-7.
Summary: Blobfish takes a book called The Deep Sea Book and turns it into The Blobfish Book. The original is about the deepest part of the ocean, with photographs of some of the animals that live there. Blobfish’s version has a pink cartoon of himself drawn onto the photographs, attempting to make it all about him. Finally, the book gets to the page about blobfish, but the sentence “The blobfish was once voted the world’s ugliest animal” stops the narrator in his tracks. Fortunately, the other sea creatures are paying attention, and they join forces to create a final page that celebrates Blobfish and cheers him up again. Includes more facts about the deep sea and its creatures, plus a list of additional resources. 40 pages; ages 4-8.
