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Picture Books

Passing By Yona Tepper, trans. by Deborah Guthman, illus. by Gil-Ly Alon Curiel. EDC/Kane Miller, $15.99 (40p) ISBN 978-1-935279-36-5

Tepper’s account of a preschooler’s day reflects the watching and waiting that can make up much of the daily life of a small child. Yael waits on her second-story balcony looking at the street below: “Who’s going for a walk? Who’s far away? Who’s coming closer?” Curiel’s cheerful spreads have clear black outlines filled in with soft, creamy shades of sand, pale blue, and yellow. Yael finds answers for some of the things she wonders about (generally whatever is responsible for a certain noise, be it a dog, cat, or car) but other questions are more open-ended. “It’s a man, riding his bike. He has a basket and a fishing pole, and he’s wearing boots. Where is he going? What will he do?” The answer isn’t spelled out, and the man rides away. Store signs are in Hebrew, but the objects in Yael’s world will be recognizable to young readers. Just when nothing is happening at all—“There’s no car. There’s no little dog. There’s no bird”—Daddy comes home. A very gentle outing for smallest children. Ages 2—5. (Mar.)

Dogs Emily Gravett Simon & Schuster, $15.99 (32p) ISBN 978-1-4169-8703-1

As simple as its title and clever from the start—the copyright page text is arranged in the shape of a bone—Gravett’s (Spells) ode to canines riffs on a single note: “I love dogs.” Following that opening, an unseen narrator elaborates on a wide spectrum of beloved dogs. On the list are dogs large and small, ones that bark and those that don’t, dogs that are slow or fast, and those that are hairy or bald. Exemplifying the different characteristics and behaviors are portraits of various breeds (identified on the endpapers) in emotionally evocative, gently humorous poses and situations. A “chic” pink poodle sporting a jeweled collar and hair bows peers with disdain at a “shabby” pooch with matted fur, who stands on an overturned garbage can. And two small dogs wear the nervous expressions of shy children as a pair of rowdy “dogs that play” tear into a stuffed dachshund. Gravett saves the most entertaining image for last, when the narrator’s identity is revealed in a kid-pleasing finale. Ages 2—6. (Feb.)

My Garden Kevin Henkes Greenwillow, $17.99 (40p) ISBN 978-0-06-171517-4

Spring colors of lilac, daffodil yellow, pale blue, and leafy green bloom in Caldecott Medalist Henkes’s fanciful account of the great outdoors. “My mother has a garden. I’m her helper,” explains a girl, who wears a petunia-pink dress and a golden straw hat. She dutifully waters and weeds, “but if I had a garden,” she says, things would be less predictable. Gazing up at sunflowers, she giggles to imagine them colored in dots and plaids. She picks a flower and, in her perfect garden, another pops right up. Seashells and jelly beans sprout, disliked vegetables are invisible, and pests are not a problem: “the rabbits would be chocolate and I would eat them.” At this, the girl nibbles a bunny, surrounded by cocoa rabbits wearing telltale ribbons. Henkes gives the young storyteller a matter-of-fact voice and a sly sense of humor, while dewy watercolors and ink picture her reveling in a magical world of plants, birds, and butterflies. Even as the story elevates the wonders of nature into the realm of the fanciful, it reminds readers to appreciate everyday flowers and soil. Ages 2—7. (Feb.)

Can You Dig It? Robert Weinstock Disney-Hyperion, $15.99 (32p) ISBN 978-1-4231-2208-1

The poems in this entertaining collection focus on paleontologists, dinosaurs, and stone age people with a whimsical emphasis on humor. Like Jack Prelutsky’s work, Weinstock’s (Food Hates You, Too) poems are filled with slapstick and outré subversiveness. “Coprolite” features a paleontologist who “was famed for finding fossil poo,/ Like giant T. rex number two.” In “Greetings,” Cro-Magnons communicate with their weapons (“ 'High five!’ was five bonks with a club./ 'Wassup?’ was two stone whomps”). Unlike similar books (such as Douglas Florian’s Dinothesaurus) that sprinkle dinosaur poems with facts, Weinstock’s verse and artwork are more fanciful than educational, and his cave dwellers are reminiscent of The Flintstones. The poems’ meter is not always skillfully executed (“Can someone fail arithmetic/ If math doesn’t exist?”), and the color palette is at times so dark that the text becomes difficult to read. Nonetheless, there is energy and comedy aplenty in Weinstock’s illustrations, as hefty Cro-Magnons dance in tutus, “balletic triceratops ride the trapeze,” and a child makes a snow angel as his father drags home a bison. Ages 3—7. (Mar.)

Willow’s Whispers Lane Button, illus. by Tania Howells Kids Can, $16.95 (32p) ISBN 978-1-55453-280-3

Willow speaks so softly that everyone either ignores her (the class mean girl), patronizes her (her teacher), or thinks she’s aloof (“She must like sitting alone,” says a schoolmate who can’t hear Willow accept his invitation to join him at the lunch table). But with a nudge from an understanding father (“Your big, strong voice got stuck way inside you.... But one day your voice will wiggle its way out”), Willow creates a “magic microphone” from a cardboard tube and gains the confidence to speak up. Seinfeld got a lot of memorable narrative mileage out of a character who was a “soft talker,” but such is not the case with this story from debuting author Button and Howells (Berkeley’s Barn Owl Dance). In their diligence to make sure every spread stays on message, the team lets the story sag into didacticism. Howells’s digital, minimalist line drawings feel more instructional than emotional, and the book comes off feeling like a pamphlet proffered by a well-meaning adult. Ages 3—7. (Feb.)

Nana’s Getting Married Heather Hartt-Sussman, illus. by Georgia Graham Tundra, $17.95 (32p) ISBN 978-0-88776-911-5

“I, for one, do not approve,” says the opinionated narrator of Hartt-Sussman’s debut about his grandmother’s new beau, Bob. First pictured snuggling with the boy and a book in comfy clothes and fuzzy slippers, Nana has undergone quite a transformation. Instead of staying at home to bake her grandson cookies and knit him sweaters, she now dons makeup, fancy dresses, and stilettos for frequent dates with Bob (“ 'Gross,’ I say”). Determined to scare away her suitor, the boy pretends he’s a ghost, whines, sulks, and tells Bob about Nana’s ailments. He makes a rather abrupt about-face during a heart-to-heart with Nana, when she announces that she and Bob are getting married—and that her fiancé is building him a tree house and wants him to visit. Graham’s (The Lime Green Secret) brassy chalk-pastel illustrations feature caricatures with comedic particulars: the bug-eyed narrator’s exaggerated body language, Nana’s outlandish outfits, and Bob’s outsize horizontal moustache (he also sports a ponytail and earring). Though some may find the delivery overblown, this message about open-mindedness and acceptance hits its mark. Ages 4—7. (Feb.)

Chalk Bill Thomson Marshall Cavendish, $15.99 (40p) ISBN 978-0-7614-5526-4

In this wordless drama, a clever twist on the theme of “be careful what you wish for,” sidewalk chalk provides three children with miraculous fun until one artist goes overboard. Thomson’s (Building with Dad) photo-real acrylic and colored pencil spreads close in on three kids in raincoats who discover a bag full of chalk hanging from the mouth of a playground dinosaur. As raindrops splash, one girl draws a sun on the pavement. When a sun promptly bursts forth and drives the clouds away, the second girl draws chalk butterflies, whereupon monarchs emerge from the pavement. But the boy’s hand-drawn dinosaur is a little too real, and the frightening creature pursues them across the playground. Although the kids’ expressions of glee, shock, and terror sometimes feel over the top, Thomson’s brilliant sun and shadow effects, cinematic shots, and novel angles (one from the POV of the marauding dino) create lots of visual excitement. The story is simple enough so that readers can provide their own narrative, though it might leave some more cautious about picking up strange objects. Ages 4—8. (Mar.)

The Taming of Lola: A Shrew Story Ellen Weiss, illus. by Jerry Smath Abrams, $15.95 (32p) ISBN 978-0-8109-4066-6

While the title suggests a retelling of The Taming of the Shrew, the story is one of mutual reconciliation rather than taming per se. Weiss’s story within a story (“Is it about when you were little, Granny?” asks a young shrew in the opening scene. “None of your business. Now quit interrupting”) stars Lola and Lester, two selfish shrew cousins forced into togetherness when Lester comes for a long stay. Smath’s (Sammy Salami) watercolor spreads use a largely pastel palette, but that’s the only soft note in the visual cacophony that erupts when the willful young ones clash: waving arms, bared teeth, kicking legs, and hand-lettered screams and shouts (“NO!”). Screwball dialogue and banter (“You are bigger than the biggest foo-face that ever lived!”), asides from the narrator, and details about the shrew diet (they eat fleanut butter) combine to keep action and laughs coming. The pacing is even, the goody-goody peacemaking is leavened by the wisecracks, and there’s even a surprise ending. Kids should revel in the rivalry. Ages 4—8. (Mar.)

Cloud Tea Monkeys Mal Peet and Elspeth Graham, illus. by Juan Wijngaard Candlewick, $15.99 (56p) ISBN 978-0-7636-4453-6

A story inspired by Chinese legends comes to luminous life in the hands of Carnegie Medal—winner Peet (Tamar); his wife, Graham; and Greenaway Medalist Wijngaard (Sir Gawain and the Loathly Lady). The authors’ richly descriptive tone sets the stage: “The sun had not yet found a way through the mountains, but it was coming; a light the color of lemons was soaking into the sky and painting out the stars.” Each day, as Tashi’s mother works in the tea fields, Tashi slips away to share her lunch with the wild monkeys. When Tashi’s mother falls ill, the girl desperately tries, and fails, to pick tea to earn money for a doctor. Disappearing into the cloudy Himalayan peaks, the monkeys return with a rare, coveted “cloud tea” that prompts a life-changing reward from the visiting Royal Tea Taster. Formal, expressive ink and gouache illustrations capture every nuance; Wijngaard also gently mocks the adults in power; in a funny, four-panel illustration, the Taster comically swishes and spits like a self-important wine connoisseur. Unique and atmospheric, this tale freshly presents the karmic rewards of kindness. Ages 4—up. (Feb.)

My Brother Charlie Holly Robinson Peete and Ryan Elizabeth Peete, illus. by Shane W. Evans Scholastic Press, $16.99 (40p) ISBN 978-0-545-09466-5

This mother-daughter author team base their thoughtful and moving story on their experiences living with Ryan’s autistic brother, RJ. Callie, a candid narrator whose twin brother is autistic, explains that “Charlie’s brain works in a special way.” She mentions the boy’s strong will (“When Charlie wants something, nothing stops him. Even when it’s dangerous”) and tendency to withdraw into his own world, acknowledging that “there are days when it’s hard to be Charlie’s sister.” Yet she also documents Charlie’s talents and the good times they share. Her often-silent brother has taught Callie important lessons, among them “love doesn’t always come from what you say. It can also come from what you do.” Throughout, Callie demonstrates maturity and loyalty: “We love Charlie strong. We watch over him with the might of angels. We have to.” Equally expressive, Evans’s (When Gorilla Goes Walking) mixed-media art features closeup images of the siblings and their parents and conveys the wide range of emotions all experience. The authors’ postscripts offer background and advice for families dealing with someone with autism. Ages 6—10. (Mar.)

Fiction

The Very Little Princess Marion Dane Bauer, illus. by Elizabeth Sayles Random, $12.99 (128p) ISBN 978-0-375-85691-4

In this blend of family drama and fantasy, Bauer plays with the classic notion of a doll coming to life, but in truth, the story is about a girl and her mother. One day Zoey’s single mother takes her to visit a grandmother she never knew existed. Bewildered by the obvious friction between the two women, Zoey explores the house and discovers a tiny china doll, who is brought to life by Zoey’s tear. Zoey has always believed toys could come alive, but is peculiarly rewarded for her faith as the domineering doll convinces Zoey that she is a princess and Zoey her servant. As the relationship between girl and doll develops, Zoey’s mother’s character unfolds in unsettling pieces. Told in alternating points of view between the doll and Zoey, with frequent addresses to the reader—“Just about now, you’re probably wondering what kind of story this is, anyway”—Bauer’s novel raises worrisome, unresolved questions about Zoey’s fate. The characters’ flaws give the story realism and depth, but those expecting a sunny, traditional tale will likely find it more disturbing than magical. Final art not seen by PW. Ages 6—9. (Feb.)

The Total Tragedy of a Girl Named Hamlet Erin Dionne Dial, $16.99 (304p) ISBN 978-0-8037-3298-8

Hamlet, named for her Shakespeare-obsessed parents’ favorite play, is starting the school year with the goal of fitting in. Not so easy when her parents walk around in Elizabethan garb and her seven-year-old genius sister, Desdemona, will be beginning eighth grade alongside her. Hamlet’s two nemeses immediately befriend her sister and her crush doesn’t notice her (though her male best friend is supposedly crushing on her). The final straw is the Shakespeare festival at school. When selected in class to read from A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Hamlet proves to be a brilliant reader of the Bard, a skill she quickly tries to hide. Unsurprisingly, she must decide if it’s better to shine as herself, both at school and at home, or to blend in the background. Hamlet’s parents and circumstances feel over the top, but her emotions will resonate with anyone who has been embarrassed by family or confused by boys. Dionne’s (Models Don’t Eat Chocolate Cookies) pacing is a bit slow (the story is structured in three acts), but her voice is relatable and engaging. Ages 8—12. (Jan.)

The Year of Goodbyes: A True Story of Friendship, Family, and Farewells Debbie Levy Disney-Hyperion, $16.99 (144p) ISBN 978-1-4231-2901-1

Artfully weaving together her mother’s poesiealbum (autograph/poetry album), diary, and her own verse, Levy crafts a poignant portrait of her Jewish mother’s life in 1938 Nazi Germany that crackles with adolescent vitality. Chapters open with photo reproductions and translations of friends’ comments from 12-year-old Jutta Salzburg’s album. Mostly platitudes, they sharply contrast with Jutta’s frank view of increasing anti-Semitism. “Always honor your elders,” writes one friend, to which Levy (in Jutta’s voice) writes, “Always, Cilly? Always?/ I should honor the Wahls,/ my parents’ friends,/ even after Herr Wahl/ stopped playing cards with Father?/ .... Hitler is my elder.” Levy creates a three-dimensional snapshot of this year of upheaval, from sweet family life to the sorrow of losing friends and the terror of seeing her father threaten to jump out of an official’s window if his family doesn’t obtain visas. They do and immigrate to the U.S., but many of Jutta’s friends and family do not survive, as Levy’s sober afterword relates. While abstaining from horrific details, this book clearly presents key historical events, and more importantly, their direct impact on a perceptive girl. Ages 10—up. (Mar.)

My Life with the Lincolns Gayle Brandeis Holt, $16.99 (256p) ISBN 978-0-8050-9013-0

In her first novel for children, adult author Brandeis entwines two historical periods through the voice of narrator Mina, who is convinced that her family members are the Lincolns reincarnated (“my three main tasks were: 1. Get through age 12 without dropping dead [like Lincoln’s son, Willie]. 2. Stop Mom from going crazy. 3. Stop Dad from getting shot in the skull”). Mina’s overexuberant father invites Mina along as he joins the civil rights movement in 1960s Chicago, and they are soon participating in marches and prayer vigils, while becoming increasingly involved with a black woman and her son. Brandeis doesn’t sidestep the brazen and discomforting inequality that existed, nor the often violent reactions to integration. She weaves in tidbits of Lincoln’s life, while subtly showing readers how history repeats itself (even as Mina works to avoid just that). Familial tension, heightened by disagreements over their involvement in “the movement,” leads to an emotional climax at—where else?—the Lincoln Memorial. This strong showing should leave readers with a trove of Lincoln trivia and gratitude for the contributions of civil rights pioneers. Ages 10—up. (Mar.)

That’s Life, Samara Brooks Daniel Ehrenhaft Delacorte, $15.99 (224p) ISBN 978-0-385-73434-9

This funny, inventive book stars 13-year-old Samara Brooks, who was adopted at birth and sometimes questions her identity: “If I wasn’t Mom and Dad’s biological daughter, then I wasn’t really... the Samara Brooks I’d thought I was.” Encouraged by her parents to make an effort to fit in, Samara starts a gambling ring in the middle-school cafeteria. Determined to prove she’s not a bad person when she’s discovered, Samara proposes an experiment to prove that her DNA is not so different than that of good girl Lily. But when photo negatives of Samara’s DNA are stolen, the authorities think Samara is the thief, and she, Lily, and science geek Nathan set out to find the person responsible. Ehrenhaft (Dirty Laundry) delves into major themes of science, religion, and destiny, but his tone is light and never preachy. Lily and Nathan occasionally take over the story’s narration, which rounds out their characters, though Samara’s voice remains most prominent. She ends up fitting in—though not how she or her parents anticipated—and readers will likely be heartened by her growth, discoveries, and newfound friendships. Ages 10—up. (Feb.)

Happyface Stephen Emond Little, Brown, $16.99 (320p) ISBN 978-0-316-04100-3

Comic artist Emond (Emo Boy) pens an endearing and self-deprecatingly witty debut novel à la illustrated diary that manifests the insecurities, longings, and trials of a recognizable brand of teenage male. The narrator—an introverted, artistically talented sophomore—is trying an “everything goes” personality at his new school (he gets the nickname Happyface). The facade works. He makes a group of eclectic friends, including a possible love interest, but Happyface has skeletons in his closet: his parents’ collapsed relationship, how his former crush broke his heart, and the reason he switched schools—a gruesome secret readers don’t learn about until Happyface is emotionally able to write about it. Throughout, Happyface shares his grievances and hopes, but also feelings too scary to write about (illustrations come easier). By the time his sketchbook’s full, readers will have a palpable sense of how much he’s grown and how painful—but worthwhile—the process was. The illustrations range from comics to more fleshed-out drawings. Just like Happyface’s writing, they can be whimsical, thoughtful, boyishly sarcastic, off-the-cuff, or achingly beautiful. The best exhibit hints of all of the above. Ages 12—up. (Mar.)

The Life of Glass Jillian Cantor HarperTeen, $16.99 (352p) ISBN 978-0-06-168651-1

Cantor (The September Sisters) introduces inquisitive 14-year-old Melissa and her somewhat shallow older sister, Ashley, who live in Arizona. A year and a half after their father dies of lung cancer, their mother starts dating again, and Melissa becomes desperate to preserve the memory of her father. She begins reading his journal, which contains family members’ love stories—notes for a book he was writing—and starts creating love stories for her relatives while investigating a woman from her father’s past. Melissa’s emotions are authentically chaotic as she fears losing her best friend, Ryan, to a charming yet insincere new student; feels abandoned by her mother and sister; and has to decipher her true feelings for Ryan when a popular stud takes an interest in her. Melissa’s first-person narrative and pithy remarks (“I always thought that there was one person you were supposed to love.... It had never occurred to me... that my mother was going to look for that love all over again”) are realistic and relatable as she comes to terms with the inevitability—and also the possibilities—of the future. Ages 12—up. (Feb.)

A Match Made in High School Kristin Walker Penguin/Razorbill, $9.99 paper (288p) ISBN 978-1-59514-257-3

As a new requirement for graduation, the senior class of East Columbus High School must complete a yearlong “marriage education” course, in which randomly assigned couples undergo a mock wedding and are forced to spend time in shared activities outside school. Outspoken Fiona, a social outcast, is paired up with Todd, a “no-necked Neanderthal” and boyfriend to Fiona’s longtime nemesis, Amanda. Adding insult to injury, cheerleader Amanda’s new faux-husband is Fiona’s crush of nine years, Gabe. While the basic premise lacks some plausibility, the hard-won friendship between Fiona and Todd, which moves from mutual disgust to mutual respect, is the heart of the story (during their escalating prank war, Fiona pranks Todd by taping a pudding-and meat-filled diaper on him at a dance, only to see he’s impressed). As in the copy of Pride and Prejudice that Fiona reads, there are unexpected twists of romance throughout, and readers may be pleasantly surprised by how things turn out. Debut author Walker breathes fresh life into a familiar theme, with an entertaining journey for a sassy heroine with heart. Ages 12—up. (Feb.)

Goldstrike Matt Whyman S&S/Atheneum, $16.99 (272p) ISBN 978-1-4169-9510-4

In Whyman’s solid follow-up to Icecore, British hacker Carl Hobbes and American thief Beth Nelson are on the run from both the CIA and al-Qaeda, hiding off the grid in London. Hobbes hacks his way into a job at Sphinx Cargo, a security company with an advanced supercomputer named Cleopatra. His plan is to reprogram Cleopatra to regard Carl and Beth as cargo that needs to be protected, too. Even as Carl initiates his plan, the CIA and al-Qaeda track them to London, and an inevitable showdown looms. Whyman keeps the action moving at a brisk pace, but glosses over the relationship between Carl and Beth, leaving the tension between them feeling unnatural, even as it moves the plot forward. Although Cleopatra’s computing capabilities often border on science fiction, the action sequences are believable and often realistically brutal, and the climactic battle is intense and entertaining. Readers looking for a fast-moving thriller should be willing to overlook the flaws, and new readers will find enough exposition to jump right into the action. Ages 12—up. (Feb.)

Before I Fall Lauren Oliver HarperTeen, $17.99 (480p) ISBN 978-0-06-172680-4

Beautiful, popular Samantha and her three best friends are the ruthless queen bees of their high school. But Samantha is living a nightmare: throughout the book, she relives the day of her death seven times, with some dramatic alterations and revelations depending on her choices—ditching school to spend time with her younger sister or, on a day when life’s rules have all but lost their meaning, seducing a teacher. She faces the often tragic consequences of even the smallest acts, awakens to the casual cruelties all around her, and tries to get things right and maybe even redeem herself. If this sounds too much like a Groundhog Day—style plot, make no mistake: evocative of Jenny Downham’s Before I Die, Oliver’s debut novel is raw, emotional, and, at times, beautiful (“It amazes me how easy it is for things to change,” Samantha thinks. “how easy it is to start off down the same road you always take and wind up somewhere new”). Samantha’s best friends are funny, likable, and maddening, but readers will love Samantha best as she hurtles toward an end as brave as it is heartbreaking. Ages 14—up. (Mar.)

Prayer Finds

In portraying the life of Jesus, two new picture books blend the traditional with the contemporary.

The Life of Jesus: An Illustrated Rosary Mary Billingsley Eerdmans, $19.99 (56p) ISBN 978-0-8028-5362-2

Artist and children’s book newcomer Billingsley provides an introduction to the rosary in an accessible volume. Outlining the basic procedure for praying the rosary, an opening illustration depicts a set of beads labeled to indicate which prayer each represents; the full text of each prayer appears on the facing page. Billingsley offers brief, plainspoken meditations for each of the 20 mysteries (Joyful, Sorrowful, Glorious, and the recently added Luminous); her Scripture-inspired words appear between the names of the prayers, forming a sort of vertical, visual chain of text on each page. Billingsley’s folk art—style illustrations are two-dimensional renderings of multimedia, still-life structures she has created from found objects (nutcrackers, wooden artists’ figures, and rag dolls make appearances). The artwork alternately recalls altars, shrines, or marionette stages, and focuses on such events as the Nativity, the Marriage at Cana, and the Crucifixion. Billingsley’s text and art create a surprising and enlightening modern juxtaposition to this very traditional practice. All ages. (Feb.)

Jesus: His Life in Verses from the King James Bible Gennady Spirin Marshall Cavendish, $21 (32p) ISBN 978-0-7614-5630-8

In an unusual project, a tempera painting by Spirin has been digitally dissected to create individual images for this picture book that portrays 13 events from the life of Jesus. A note about the painting describes Spirin’s (The Twelve Days of Christmas) artistic process (he drew from the symbolism of Renaissance painters) and accompanies a reproduction of the 40”×49” original. Details from the larger work illustrate key moments—including the Annunciation, Jesus’ baptism, and the raising of Lazarus, among others—beside passages from the King James Bible (Jesus’ words are printed in red). The result is an elegant, large-format volume that offers a reverent and arresting visual interpretation of biblical events (several scenes are defined by ornate columns and arches that form a fortresslike structure that makes up the brunt of the original). Classical touches abound: Jesus, Mary, John the Baptist, and others wear golden halos, and angels (even the devil) have brilliant, multicolored wings. However, the formal language of the King James translation (“This beginning of miracles did Jesus in Cana of Galilee, and manifested forth his glory; and his disciples believed in him”) may prove challenging for younger audiences. Ages 8—12. (Feb.)

Board Book Bounty

Here’s an eclectic roundup of board books to brighten up the winter days.

Go Dwell Studio. Blue Apple (Chronicle, dist.), $8.99 (14p) ISBN 978-1-60905-000-9

Part of a recently launched line of books created by a home furnishings design company, this sleek board book explores modes of transportation, using crisp, high-contrast graphics. Taking a cue from street signs (there’s even a page with traffic symbols), images of vehicles like a scooter and truck are pared down to their basic, geometric components. The images are raised for a satisfying tactile effect, while the modish color combinations, like mint green and orange, add to a fresh, kinetic feel. Also available: Eat. Up to age 2. (Mar.)

My New Baby Rachel Fuller Child’s Play, $4.99 (12p) ISBN 978-1-84643-276-7

A toddler observes and asks questions about the new baby in this story, part of a series designed to help new siblings adjust. “Why does the baby always have milk?” the toddler wonders as her mother breastfeeds. The child’s constant smiles, even when things get a little rough (“Why is Baby crying? Can we make it stop?”), and the cozy family home are in keeping with the book’s positive focus. Also available: Waiting for Baby, You and Me, and Look at Me! Up to age 3. (Feb.)

You’re My Little Bunny Claire Freedman, illus. by Gavin Scott. Scholastic/Cartwheel, $8.99 (20p) ISBN 978-0-545-20721-8

An exuberant bunny is excited to spend its day jumping around the fields, counting sheep, and exploring with its mother in this comforting rhyming book with a puffy cover. “I’m digging us a burrow now,/ a place to hide and share,” the rabbit explains. “Oh dear! I’ve made a muddy mess!/ The earth’s flown everywhere!” Scott’s fuzzy pastoral scenes include many tender moments between mother and child, as well as playful revelry with other animals. The low-key sweetness makes it well-suited to bedtime. Up to age 3. (Jan.)

Where’s My Sweetie Pie? Ed Emberley Little, Brown/LB Kids, $7.99 (14p) ISBN 978-0-316-01891-3

There are plenty of cute surprises in this lift-the-flap book that takes readers on a search to answer the titular question. Beside the query, “In this chair?” flipping a chair-shaped flap reveals a teddy bear and the refrain, “But where’s my sweetie pie?” An owl, frog, butterfly, and mouse await behind later flaps, culminating in a mirrored surface under a heart-shaped locket on the final spread: “There you are! Hello, sweetie pie!” The gentle buildup and “starring you” finish will likely prompt rereading. Up to age 3. (Jan.)

Planting Seeds Nancy Elizabeth Wallace Marshall Cavendish, $7.99 (24p) ISBN 978-0-7614-5643-8

This well-executed counting book features a family of bunnies with simple, brown-paper faces and bright clothing, created using origami and other papers. “One brown bunny digs the soil,” but soon additional bunnies come to help with the gardening on subsequent spreads. Rain or sun, the bunnies work together, until “Nine brown bunnies make a treat.” Joined by a final little one, all 10 enjoy the meal they’ve created together. A warm and genuine gem. Ages 1—3. (Mar.)

Raindrops: A Shower of Colors Chieu Anh Urban, illus. by Viviana Garofoli. Sterling, $8.95 (12p) ISBN 978-1-4027-6900-9

This cheery book uses animals to show how blending colors creates new ones. Raindrop-shaped die-cut windows hold colored acetate inserts, so the cutout on a robin’s red wing matches a yak’s yellow die-cut, creating an orange window for a goofy orange octopus. In between the color-focused pages, the animals flee a gathering rainstorm: “Go! Go! Go!” Not all cutouts (for a pink pig, black bear, and others) are transparent, leading to some dead ends, in terms of color mixing, but overall it’s a winning visual effect. Ages 3—5. (Apr.)

Wings: A Book to Touch and Feel Salina Yoon S&S/Little Simon, $8.99 (14p) ISBN 978-1-4169-8958-5

A ladybug’s wings open and close via a button on the cover of this simple, tactile board book, which uses a call-and-response pattern (“What kind of wings do ducklings have? Fuzzy orange wings!”). The duckling has a soft fabric wing, while hummingbirds have pillowy, “glistening green wings!” and a butterfly has “shimmery pink wings!” that feel sandy. The animals all return on the final page, for an enthusiastic finale: “Look at all of our beautiful wings!” Ages 3—5. (Jan.)

How Do Dinosaurs Love Their Cats? Jane Yolen, illus. by Mark Teague Scholastic/Blue Sky, $6.99 (12p) ISBN 978-0-545-15354-6

In this board book spinoff of their long-running series, Yolen and Teague’s lovable dinosaurs bully and ignore their pets: “How does a dinosaur play with her cat?/ Does she throw pillows at it and act like a brat?” After other instances of bad behavior are pictured in humorous detail, the latter half of the book is dedicated to proper pet care. Kids who need a reminder about being gentle should get the message without feeling called out. Also available: How Do Dinosaurs Love Their Dogs? Ages 3—5. (Jan.)

Split Take

Two YA novels with the same title are being published in March, so don’t get ’em twisted.

Split Swati Avasthi Knopf, $16.99 (240p) ISBN 978-0-375-86340-0

This powerful, never maudlin debut paints a visceral portrait of a 16-year-old on the run from an abusive father. After being kicked out of his family’s house in Chicago, Jace flees to his estranged older brother Christian’s apartment in Albuquerque, N.Mex., but starting over isn’t easy. An array of expected emotions surface, from Jace’s hatred toward his father, to hope that his mother will leave her abusive marriage, and resentment over Christian’s having abandoned the family years earlier. But it’s the less anticipated side of Jace—gradually revealed over the course of the novel—that makes this story so gripping and heartbreaking. He still loves his father despite the terrifying abuse his family has suffered and is ashamed of his own violent tendencies; readers learn Jace attacked his girlfriend when he was still in Chicago, and both brothers fear that Jace could follow in his father’s footsteps. When Jace finally turns his back on his past to forge a new future, readers will fully understand the difficulty of the decision. As Avasthi demonstrates, leaving a bad situation and forgiving those responsible is easier said than done. Ages 14—up. (Mar.)

Split Stefan Petrucha Walker, $16.99 (272p) ISBN 978-0-8027-9372-0

Petrucha (The Rule of Won) offers a reality-bending take on the idea of split personalities. After the death of Wade’s mother in the prologue, the story jumps ahead three years and unfolds in alternating chapters, both narrated by Wade but in two very different realities. In one, the high school senior is a Type-A aspiring scientist, anxious to prove a theory that modifications to the town’s particle collider are a potentially deadly threat; in the other, the particle collider has been closed down and Wade is a selfish, guitar-playing dropout, who gets involved with some dangerous mobsters. Which universe and which Wade are real (if the answer is even one or the other) gets murkier as reality shifts, culminating in a meeting of the two Wades, but there are enough textual and visual cues (different fonts for each Wade, among other elements) that will allow readers to follow. Though both story lines and the dialogue lean toward the melodramatic, Petrucha’s story should leave readers considering the power of fate versus choice and the internal urges and desires that regularly jostle for control. Ages 14—up. (Mar.)

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