Published by Harry N. Abrams

Summary:  When Emilia wakes up to find a walnut on her nightstand, she asks Grandpa if he has a story for her.  He tells her how he immigrated to the United States as a boy, bringing with him a nut from a walnut tree.  When he got to America, he planted it, moving the pot it was in when his family moved, and eventually planting in the yard of the house he and his wife bought.  Now there are two trees, a smaller one planted by Emilia’s mother as a girl.  Grandpa helps Emilia plant the walnut she found.  It flourishes under her care, but at the same time Grandpa grows weaker, until finally, Emilia has to say good-bye to him.  When she notices her sapling looking “as droopy as she felt,” she decides to transplant it next to the other two trees in the yard.  She knows that one day, she will give a walnut to her own child to begin a new tree.  40 pages; grades K-4.

Pros:  A beautiful story that explores grief and loss but also looks at how life continues with each new generation.

Cons:  The new tree looked like it was planted too close to the bigger trees.

Published by Neal Porter Books

Summary:  Two girls start off by listing all the things they don’t care about each other: each one claims not to care what the other thinks of her hair or clothes or drawings.  But then the meaning shifts: they don’t care about those things because they like each other so much.  Finally, they name the things they DO care about: that both girls like to share (most of the time), to pretend things, to go on picnics together, and most of all, to be good friends.  Includes notes from both illustrators about how they worked together to create illustrations for this book.  40 pages; ages 3-6.

Pros:  Three award winners have teamed up to create this sweet book about friendship with unique illustrations created by the two different artists. Each girl has her own distinctive look and is shown with an identifying color: teal blue for the Molly Idle girl and yellow for the Juana Martinez-Neal one.  

Cons:  Personally, I prefer illustrations with a little more color.

Published by Neal Porter Books

Summary:  Frances is a city girl, but “the city never seems quite right for Frances.”  The crowds and small spaces make it hard for her to run and shout the way she likes to, and it seems like someone is always telling her to stop what she is doing.  When she goes for a visit to her cousins in the country, she loves the field and barns that allow her to play the way she wants to.  But her sisters and her mother are missing her back in the city, so the visit must come to an end.  Returning to the city, Frances appreciates the music and bustle of the streets there and is happy to be welcomed home by her family.  32 pages; ages 4-8.

Pros:  Frances leads an exploration of the eternal “city vs. country” question which is enhanced by Sean Qualls’s distinctive collage-style illustrations.  Frances is an energetic and likable protagonist who seems to flourish (most of the time) in any environment.

Cons:  Does not definitively make the case for either the country or the city.

Both published by Neal Porter Books

Summary: In Every Dog in the Neighborhood, a boy wishes for a dog. When his grandmother tells him there are enough dogs in the neighborhood, he decides to find out the exact number. Watching his grandmother write to city hall about an issue of her own, then get to work when she receives an unsatisfactory reply, the boy decides to do a dog census himself. As he knocks on doors and collects his doggy data, Grandma is seen working in an abandoned lot nearby. The boy learns there are 20 dogs in the neighborhood, but dog #20 needs a new home. He gets his dog, and all the dogs in the neighborhood get to enjoy the dog park that Grandma has created. 40 pages; ages 4-8.

It should come as no surprise that both the sun and the farmer are late in The Sun Is Late and So Is the Farmer. This worries the mule, the milk cow, and the miniature horse, who are concerned that they may not get breakfast. They consult wise Barn Owl, who sends them on a journey out of their familiar barnyard to the very edge of the world (or the farm, depending on your perspective). “Bring Rooster,” the owl tells them. “Rooster will know what to do.” So off they go, following the route and occasionally ruminating on such questions as what do sheep dream about? When they reach their destination, Rooster lets out a tremendous “Cock-a-doodle-doo” practically under the farmer’s window. The last page shows her, coffee in hand, leading the three animals back to the barnyard. 32 pages; ages 4-8.

Pros and cons: I sometimes find Philip Stead a bit esoteric for my admittedly lowbrow tendencies, and I quickly skimmed Every Dog in the Neighborhood months ago and dismissed it. Fortunately, the publisher sent me a free copy which has been in my library, and when I saw The Sun Is Late, I decided to give it another try. I really loved it this time and appreciate Matthew Cordell’s quirky drawings of the dogs and their owners (with a few jokes that will probably go over kids’ heads but will be appreciated by their adults). The Sun Is Late borders on that esoteric line, but it’s a sweet story, almost like a folktale, and kids will surely enjoy the animals and get a chuckle from their big quest.