Published by Harry N. Abrams

Summary:  Jack the goat keeps to himself, passing his days at Open Bud Ranch watching the other animals from a safe distance.  When Charlie the horse arrives, he ends up tripping right over Jack, which doesn’t make the goat too happy.  But he learns that Charlie is blind in one eye.  Charlie’s a friendly sort, but he has trouble getting around.  After watching him for a while, Jack gets up the courage to lead him to his favorite field to graze.  Jack never goes in the barn with Charlie and the other animals, having apparently suffered some kind of trauma in a barn before arriving at Open Bud.  Eventually, Charlie loses his vision completely and becomes more dependent on Jack.  Charlie tries to convince Jack that they should play with the other animals, but Jack refuses.  Then one day, Jack and Charlie get themselves into a dangerous situation, and it’s up to Jack to find a way out.  Can he overcome his fears to ask the other animals for help?   Includes an author’s note about the real-life inspiration for this story.  40 pages; ages 4-8. 

Pros:  From the team that brought you  Ida, Always comes another based-on-a-true-story tale of animal friendship with super cute illustrations.  Pretty irresistible.

Cons:  I would have liked to have learned more about the true story…maybe with some photos?

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Published by Greenwillow Books

Summary:  Rounding out the year (with Winter Is Here,  When Spring Comes, and In the Middle of Fall), husband and wife team Henkes and Dronzek have created an ode to the sights, sounds, and feel of summer.  Hot, slow, lazy, filled with the music of fans, sprinklers, and air conditioners, surrounded by greens, blues, fireflies, and beaches, summer is a time to savor.  And just like the other books, this one leads naturally to the next season: “But when the days become shorter and the nights come earlier, the song changes.  Summer gets bored and wants to try something new, something different.  The song is turning turning turning…it’s turning into Fall.”  40 pages; ages 4-8.

Pros:  Kevin Henkes is sort of like the Tom Hanks of children’s books: you can pretty much count on a quality product with each creation.  His four seasons quartet that includes this book provides an excellent introduction to each season, filled with sights and sounds that readers will relate to.  The lush illustrations offer a diverse cast of characters enjoying the season.

Cons:  With the exception of the illustration showing air conditioning, there’s not any portrayal of summers that city kids might experience.

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Published by Margaret Ferguson Books (Released August 11, 2020)

Summary:  Pearl is proud of her three bird feeders: one looks like a house, one looks like a tube, and one looks like a teacup, because it actually is a teacup.  She fills the house one with suet, the tube one with seeds, and the teacup with peanuts.  Birds are soon flocking to the first two, but the peanuts attract a squirrel.  Annoyed, Pearl builds increasingly complicated obstacle courses to try to deter the squirrel, but to no avail.  Finally, Pearl sees the squirrel in a nest with kits, and realizes it’s a mother.  At that point, she gives up and admits that the squirrel is amazingly clever, and will teach her babies how to do all the things she does.  Pearl gets to work creating and filling more bird feeders for her backyard…and some squirrel feeders as well.  Includes a page of facts about squirrels.  32 pages; ages 4-8.

Pros:  Many will relate to the problem of squirrels attacking the bird feeders, and Pearl is a persistent and ingenious girl who uses her engineering skills to try to solve this problem.  She’s also a good sport, knowing when she’s been bested and celebrating her opponent.  Kids will enjoy reading about her efforts and maybe be inspired to try some backyard projects themselves.

Cons:  From the squirrelly facts:  National Squirrel Appreciation Day is January 21, which seems like the completely wrong time of year.  Or maybe we appreciate squirrels more when they’re a bit less omnipresent.

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Published by Sourcebooks Jabberwocky

Summary:  A young boy dreams of doing a cannonball off the diving board, but his attempts find him clinging fearfully to the diving board or entering the water with barely a splash.  He gets lots of advice from friends and family (“More weight.  More height.  More hair.  Bigger shorts”), but nothing seems to work.  Finally, everyone gives up on him except for his Nan, who knows he can do the perfect cannonball if he listens to his own heart and mind.  Encouraged, the boy finds his own way to do his clothing, hair, and makeup before climbing onto the diving board once again.  Not surprisingly, this time he meets with success and a gigantic splash.  Includes a glossary with four diving terms and two Maori words.  40 pages; ages 3-7.

Pros:  A fun summertime read with a message about being yourself and listening to your own inner voice.  The illustrations are bright and colorful.  Nan is a superstar.

Cons:  Other than the glossary and a tiny note on the verso page that this was originally published in New Zealand, there was no reference to the Maori culture.  I had to read reviews to learn that the characters in the story are Maori.  Since this is a culture likely to be unfamiliar to American readers, it would have been nice to have an introductory note, somewhere.

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Published by Lee & Low Books

Summary:  It’s not fair.  The narrator has to share a room with his younger brother Lucas, even though his older sister Emma gets her own room.  He tries the time-tested method of drawing a line down the middle  of the room, but Lucas isn’t too good about following the rules on that.  One day the younger boy knocks down a tower, spills the crayon box, breaks a favorite dragon, and tosses puzzle pieces into the air.  His older brother has had it, and goes in search of his own space.  He finds a place in the backyard, and Emma helps him set up a space.  For a while, all is well, but one day he sees Lucas watching him sadly through the window.  Turns out Lucas is lonely having the room all to himself.  His brother helps him set up his own space in the backyard, and they enjoy hanging out separately sometimes and playing together other times.  32 pages; ages 4-8.

Pros:  Anyone who has had a sibling or shared a room will understand the love/hate relationship perfectly portrayed in this simple story.  

Cons:  The separate-spaces-in-the-backyard solution seems pretty weather dependent.

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