Published by Feiwel and Friends

Summary:  Eli has been Astrid’s canine companion since she came home from the hospital.  The summer she is six, Astrid notices that Eli is getting old.  She decides to make a bucket list of things for them to do together.  Eli rides on Astrid’s bike, gets a bubble bath, and goes to a movie and to a restaurant for spaghetti and meatballs.  He enjoys it all, but finally he is too old and tired to do anything but stay home and remember their happy times together.  The last page: “Being with Astrid was the only thing left on Eli’s bucket list.  It was the only thing that had ever been on Eli’s bucket list.”  32 pages; ages 4-8.

Pros:  A sweet story, both the text and illustrations.  Eli’s thoughts as he is taken from one bucket list item to the next are amusing.  Aging and unconditional love are both addressed, but with a light touch.

Cons:  If you can read that last page without choking up, you are a stronger person than I am.

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Published by Clarion Books

Summary:  Pandora the fox lives by herself in a land of broken things, but she has a talent for fixing and repurposing them.  One day, an injured bird falls into her world, and she sets about making it better.  The two become friends, and the bird builds a nest near Pandora’s bed.  Soon the bird is well enough to fly, and one day, it flies away and doesn’t return.  Pandora thinks her heart will break; while she is lying in her bed, the reader can see a plant rising from the box that held the bird’s nest.  The plant grows to cover the world outside Pandora’s house.  One day it rouses her from her bed just in time to hear the sound of birdsong and to welcome her friend back to the land of living things.  32 pages; ages 4-8.

Pros:  The spare text and evocative watercolor illustrations tell a moving and mysterious story that can be appreciated as both a tale of friendship and a fable about taking care of the environment.

Cons:  The story may be confusing to younger readers.

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Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

Summary:  A little girl and her father explore what is round in the world.  Round things can hold the promise of new life, like seeds and eggs.  They can last an instant, like bubbles, or for billions of years, like stars.  Sometimes they start off sharp, like rocks, but wear down to roundness.  The girl enjoys being part of a round circle of friends, and the roundness of her father’s arms around her in a hug.  The last two pages explain in more depth why so many things in nature are round.  32 pages; ages 3-7.

Pros:  A very satisfying exploration of the natural world, with a loving relationship between father and daughter conveyed through the illustrations.  This could also serve as a jumping-off point for further explorations, looking for other shapes or patterns in nature and writing about them.

Cons:  I’ve seen this book on some Caldecott contender lists; for me, the illustrations weren’t quite of that caliber.

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