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Picture Books

The Quiet Book Deborah Underwood, illus. by Renata Liwska. Houghton Mifflin, $12.95 (32p) ISBN 978-0-547-21567-9

“There are many kinds of quiet,” Underwood (Pirate Mom) writes, and this treasure of a book—which is appropriately gentle in both its understated text and artwork—catalogues many sorts of quiet that readers will recognize instantly. Some are lovely (“First one awake quiet”; “Lollipop quiet”); some less so (“First look at your new hairstyle quiet”); and some are out-and-out problems (“Thinking of a good reason you were drawing on the wall quiet”). Throughout, Liwska's (Little Panda) subtly engaging illustrations, single-page vignettes in muted rusts, greens, and browns, imagine a community of young, delicately furred animals who ably reflect the emotions that each type of quiet elicits. A young moose's antlers peek provocatively from behind a swiveling office chair (“Hide-and-seek quiet”); a bear holds its paw over its eyes as a nurse prepares a hypodermic (“Pretending you're invisible quiet”); and an owl looks upwards with awe and clasps its wing to its chest (“First snowfall quiet”). Underwood's taxonomy of quiet will evoke soft smiles from listeners who are getting ready for “bedtime kiss” quiet (and possibly, even later, for “What flashlight?” quiet). Ages 3—5. (Apr.)

The Fox and the Hen Eric Battut. Boxer (Sterling, dist.), $16.95 (32p) ISBN 978-1-907152-02-3

French writer and illustrator Battut presents a sturdy barnyard fable about cooperation, featuring a fox who tricks a naïve hen out of her first egg. Fortunately, the other animals offer their support. And though Red Fox can't be cajoled into accepting any of their gifts in exchange for the egg (not even the “nice jar of marmalade that Pig has made”), justice is served when he's fooled by a gigantic whitewashed stone. Battut's work has the static, peaceful quality of classic tales from an earlier generation; the text appears against a white background, while on the opposing pages, flat, folk-style animals stand in profile against a reddening sky. The long sequence of attempts by the animals to get the egg back drags a little, but readers frustrated by the fox's particularly wicked refusals (he twists the knife by telling Henrietta that he'd rather have a poached egg, omelet, and so on, instead of whatever item is being offered) will enjoy watching him get his comeuppance. Ages 3—5. (Mar.)

I Love Bugs! Emma Dodd. Holiday House, $16.95 (32p) ISBN 978-0-8234-2280-7

A small boy with curly hair and a striped T-shirt sings an extended love song to insects, arachnids, arthropods, and more (“I love springy jumpy leapy bugs and slimy crawly creepy bugs”). The boy and the insects are shown closeup, outlined in expressive black ink, their surroundings rendered as flat, graphic greenery. Googly-eyed grasshoppers cavort through grass the boy parts with his hands to reveal slugs and caterpillars crawling across the soil. When his picnic is invaded by wasps who land on his jam sandwich, the boy says he likes them, too: “I love brightly-colored wing bugs and stripy swipey sting bugs.” Most are common species, and young insect fans will be able to name them. But Dodd (Dog's Colorful Day) is less interested in identification than in celebration. Well-meaning parents may offer this to a child who's ambivalent toward creepy-crawlies, and it would be a good choice; the friendly, slightly anxious looks on the faces of several bugs make it clear that they're nervous, too. But it's young enthusiasts who will like it most. Ages 3—5. (Mar.)

Shark vs. Train Chris Barton, illus. by Tom Lichtenheld. Little, Brown, $16.99 (40p) ISBN 978-0-316-00762-7

This is a genius concept—the kids' equivalent of a classic guy bull session, centering on two playmates' favorite toys. So, who's better—Shark or Train? That all depends. When trick-or-treating, Shark is the clear winner, thanks to his intimidating smile (“The clown is very hungry,” he says, as a bowl of candy is poured into his bag). But in a marshmallow-roasting contest, Train triumphs by virtue of his built-in, coal-stoked rotisserie. Just when readers will think the scenarios can't get more absurd (bowling, a burping contest), the book moves into even funnier territory: hypotheticals in which neither comes out on top (their imposing presences make them ripe targets for getting shushed in a library, and their lack of opposable thumbs means neither is very good at video games). Lichtenheld's (Duck! Rabbit!) watercolor cartoons have a fluidity and goofy intensity that recalls Mad magazine, while Barton (The Day-Glo Brothers) gives the characters snappy dialogue throughout. “That counts as a strike, right?” says Shark, having eaten an entire lane of bowling pins. “This is why you guys have a bad reputation,” retorts Train. Ages 3—6. (Apr.)

Home Alex T. Smith. Tiger Tales, $15.95 (32p) ISBN 978-1-58925-088-8

Is it possible for a reindeer, bear, bunny, and badger to dismantle the house they've been sharing, go their separate ways, and find fulfillment? One (conveniently, the animals are named after numbers) wants to be a pirate, Two wants to yodel in the Alps, Three wants to collect insects underground, and Four wants to party. “If I'm going,” they all shout, “I'm taking the house with me!” Supplied with pieces of the house, each sets off, but trouble soon surfaces: One becomes a pirate, but ends up sailing alone on his old front door surrounded by sharks. “Worst of all, his house simply wasn't a home when it was just a door.” When inevitably the four give up and reunite, adding wheels to their house allows them to stay together while satisfying their wanderlust. Smith (Eliot Jones, Midnight Superhero) keeps the story zipping along, effectively using repeating phrases, story elements, and scenarios. The pages teem with digitized colors, textures, and photos, but the overall atmosphere is quiltlike and cozy. It's a persuasive argument for finding creative solutions to problems instead of walking away. Ages 3—7. (Mar.)

The Eraserheads Kate Banks, illus. by Boris Kulikov. FSG/Foster, $16.99 (40p) ISBN 978-0-374-39920-7

Banks and Kulikov's (Max's Words) latest collaboration stars three plucky pencil-top erasers—a green crocodile, blue owl, and pink pig—who work conscientiously to erase the mistakes of their owner, a dark-haired schoolboy. When they find themselves stranded on the surface of one of the boy's drawings, they realize that they can save themselves from various dangers by strategic erasing (the pig is too scared to erase some scary tiger fangs, so the owl does it; “my head is sore,” he remarks afterward). Kulikov combines loving attention to detail—it's possible to read the labels on the pencils and count the hairs on the paintbrushes—with beguiling portraits of the erasers in various attitudes of dismay and distress. In the story's dueling realities, the “real life” sections of the spreads feature three-dimensional figures, while the boy's drawings are done in gawky crayon. Once the erasers learn to control their surroundings, trepidation turns into triumph. It's a fruitful exploration of the important role of error: “Hooray for mistakes,” the owl says, as the crocodile agrees that without them, “There'd be nothing to learn.” Ages 4—8. (Apr.)

Farm Elisha Cooper. Scholastic/Orchard, $17.99 (48p) ISBN 978-0-545-07075-1

Cooper (Beach) creates a joyful tribute to family farms in this luminous and lyrical picture book. The text is stately, quiet, and poetic (“Morning chores would be better if they didn't happen every morning”), and the book slowly takes readers through a year of planting, good and bad weather, and ordinary details about farm life. At the same time, Cooper includes enough specific portraits and names to make the book seem like a felicitous cross between fiction and nonfiction. Like a puzzlemaker, Cooper begins with a sequence of cumulative phrases and sketchbook-style paintings: “Take a farmer, another farmer, a boy, a girl. Add a house, two barns, four silos.... Then cattle, chickens, countless cats, a dog. Put them all together and you get...” A page turn reveals “...a farm,” broad and serene, stretched across the palest of skies. Delicately shaded watercolors, outlined in black, are a mix of spot art, clustered images, and spectacular spreads that portray the farm and its inhabitants from diverse points of view. The graceful text and serenely stunning illustrations create a portrait both reverent and realistic. Ages 4—8. (Apr.)

Hip Hop Dog Chris Raschka, illus. by Vladimir Radunsky. Harper, $16.99 (32p) ISBN 978-0-06-123963-2

Raschka (John Coltrane's Giant Steps) supplies the verbal beats and Radunsky (What Does Peace Feel Like?) sets the gritty scene in this story of a down-and-out dog made good. Like many hip-hop heroes, Hip Hop Dog reports a hardscrabble youth: “I come free, but no one needs me./ ... When I'm hungry, no one feeds me.” Wearing white judo pants and a black ball cap with the brim turned back, the scruffy gray-brown mutt paces among apartment buildings. He strikes a wide, threatening stance as showy dogs circle nervously: “When I spot a Weimaraner,/ Cocker spaniel, and a Shih Tzu,/ Taller, higher, smarter, blonder,/ Makes me bite and I could spit, too.” Yet he thrives on street life, and his improvised barks, growls, and break-dances earn respect. Like visual shouts and whispers, the emphatic sans serif typeface grows, punches, shrinks, and spirals on the pages. Raschka's edgy wordplay shows the dog's aimless anger shifting to a more optimistic focus as he finds his voice, and Radunsky's crude paint scribbles convey the proud dog's defiance. Readers seeking upbeat, noncorny children's hip-hop should sample these rhymes. Ages 4—8. (Mar.)

Captain Small Pig Martin Waddell, illus. by Susan Varley. Peachtree, $15.95 (32p) ISBN 978-1-56145-519-5

Three distinct personalities emerge in Waddell's (The Super Hungry Dinosaur) story of a day spent on the lake. Small Pig is thrilled about going for a row in a boat. Turkey is less enthusiastic (“Turkeys don't go in boats”), but he acquiesces, following the lead of Old Goat, who says, “Neither do goats,” as he climbs aboard. Throughout the day, this pattern repeats, with Old Goat's patience balancing Turkey's grouchiness. When Small Pig wants to fish for whales, Turkey snaps that there are no whales in the lake, while Old Goat concedes, “There might be a very small whale.” Though the relationship between the characters is left open-ended, Turkey and Old Goat play parental roles, and readers may recognize their own guardians' temperaments in the older characters. Though Turkey tumbles into the water as they dock the boat, Small Pig has a perfect day. Despite the gentle domestic squabbling, the animals' love for Small Pig is abundantly evident in Varley's (The Monster Bed) light-infused pen-and-ink art, which emphasizes the tenderness of their interactions and the tranquility of the setting. Ages 4—8. (Mar.)

Bedtime Without Arthur Jessica Meserve. Andersen Press USA (Lerner, dist.), $16.95 (32p) ISBN 978-0-7613-5497-0

Bella can't imagine sleeping without her stuffed bear, Arthur. A black belt in karate, Arthur “guards the bed and keeps away monsters that come sneaking from the shadows,” so Bella can safely dream “of her favorite things, like rainbows and rainforests.” Then Arthur goes missing—and in uncovering the culprit, Bella also discovers something new about herself. Meserve (Can Anybody Hear Me?) is an overly literal writer; it's as if she underestimates her effectiveness as a visual storyteller. Which she shouldn't, because—as befits a book about nightmares, sweet dreams, and strong attachments—her pictures are florid, dramatic, and often skewed in perspective. When Arthur disappears, Bella's cast-iron bed takes on an almost prisonlike quality, as “fire-breathing dragons, slugs and grizzly bears” threaten (even the small stuffed elephant in the corner of her bedroom has a menacing glint in its eye). Meserve's artwork propels the story forward, skillfully mixing drama and comedy, and makes a persuasive case for being an empathetic and decidedly grown-up older sibling. Ages 4—9. (Mar.)

The Heart and the Bottle Oliver Jeffers. Philomel, $17.99 (32p) ISBN 978-0-399-25452-9

When a small girl loses her father, her only parent (Jeffers represents the loss with the father's empty chair in a moonlit room), she decides “the best thing” is to put her heart in a bottle and hang it around her neck. All the bubbly curiosity that had made her sparkle disappears, “but at least her heart was safe.” Not until the girl, now considerably older, meets “someone smaller and still curious about the world” is her heart restored to her. Jeffers's (The Great Paper Caper) artwork is the sweetness in this bittersweet story. Conversations between the girl and her father appear as balloons with images in them instead of words; his answers to her enthusiastic “questions” about the world are expressed in scientific prints and diagrams. In the final spread, as she sits reading in her father's chair, a thought balloon exploding with childlike and cerebral images alike makes it clear that she is once again at peace. While the subject of loss always has the potential to unsettle young readers, most should find this quietly powerful treatment of grief moving. Ages 4—up. (Mar.)

Doug-Dennis and the Flyaway Fib Darren Farrell. Dial, $16.95 (40p) ISBN 978-0-8037-3437-1

Sharp-edged irony and wacky cartoon visuals provide newcomer Farrell's moral tale with some serious wattage. Doug-Dennis, a rather vacant-looking sheep with stick legs and red basketball sneakers, can't bring himself to confess that he's eaten his friend Ben-Bobby's popcorn. After he tells a fib (“Hmm, maybe it was monsters. Yeah, that's it, monsters!!”), he quickly gets “carried away”—quite literally—by the very speech balloons that contain his fibs. To the amazement of onlookers below, he floats across the continents on his own hot air before arriving in a sort of fibbers' purgatory in outer space. Surrounded by hardcore fibbers (“This limited time offer is the deal of the century!!!” announces a man with five o'clock shadow and a briefcase), Doug-Dennis is so lonely and unsettled that he finds it in himself to confess, which allows him to descend to earth and make up with Ben-Bobby. Despite the antifib message, the fibs are where all the entertainment is (“I invented the inter-web,” declares a spider), and the ethically unsteady Doug-Dennis has plenty of Homer Simpson—like appeal. Ages 5—8. (Mar.)

Feivel's Flying Horses Heidi Smith Hyde, illus. by Johanna van der Sterre. Kar-Ben, $17.95 (32p) ISBN 978-0-7613-3957-1; $7.95 paper ISBN 978-0-7613-3959-5

The team responsible for Mendel's Accordion (2007) again shines a light on a small but significant corner of the late 19th-century Jewish immigrant experience. Feivel, like many immigrants, has come to America alone, with dreams of making enough money to send for his family to follow. In the Old Country, Feivel carved magnificent arks for synagogues; on the Lower East Side, his talent is put to more prosaic use, creating furniture and the occasional ladies' comb. But on a trip to Coney Island, Feivel discovers a new calling as a carver of carousel horses (a historical note offers information about Feivel's real-life counterparts). One could argue that Hyde and van der Sterre put too much gloss on the immigrant experience: readers get little sense of Feivel's inner life, and the ink and watercolor pictures make the Lower East Side and Coney Island look like they've been subjected to a Jewish mother's relentless scrubbing. But once the story shifts to the carousel workshop, and the elaborate, lyrical horses take center stage, the redemptive powers of faith, family, and creativity coalesce into a touching tale. Ages 5—9. (Mar.)

Poetrees Douglas Florian. S&S/Beach Lane, $16.99 (48p) ISBN 978-1-4169-8672-0

In this unusual collection, Florian focuses on several types of and parts of a tree, with poems about seeds, roots, bark, leaves, and tree rings (“Tree rings show/ how trees grow./ Wide rings: fast growth./ Narrow rings: slow”). Solid in their meter and rhymes, the poems are idiosyncratic rather than comprehensive, creating a hybrid of information, wordplay, and artistic invention. Appropriately enough, Florian's sophisticated collages are created on primed paper bags allowing him to combine interesting textures, chalk, colored pencils, stamps, and oil pastels. In addition to familiar oaks and birches, Florian (Dinothesaurus) explores more unusual trees, including the dragon tree, monkey puzzle tree, and baobab. The book is designed to be held and read vertically, allowing Florian to showcase the height of trees like the giant sequoia (“Never destroy a/ Giant sequoia”) or banyan from treetop to root bottom. However, some may find this makes for awkward lap reading. Teachers in particular will find Florian's “Glossatree” at the end useful. Filled with facts about the trees described in the poems, it also includes a brief bibliography and author's note describing Florian's lifelong fascination with trees. Ages 6—up. (Mar.)

Black Elk's Vision: A Lakota Story S.D. Nelson. Abrams, $19.95 (48p) ISBN 978-0-8109-8399-1

Nelson (Coyote Christmas) returns with his highly stylized paintings and trademark primary-colored horses in this tale about Black Elk, a Sioux medicine man at the turn of the 19th century. The author, a member of the Standing Rock Sioux tribe, imagines Black Elk's first-person account of Native American life as the Wha-shi-choos (white people) bring trains and forts to the Great Plains and slaughter buffalo by the thousands (“They made lines on our land with their wagon roads and their iron rails”). Anchoring the story are spreads detailing Black Elk's vision when he was nine. In it, “the Powers of the World” teach that each person “must choose to walk with the water of life or the weapon of destruction.” The illustrations' naïve, flat style mutes some of the more graphic events (speared and bloodied fighters and horses are seen at the Battle of the Little Bighorn). Archival photos round out this poignant history lesson, and author notes contextualize the meaning of Black Elk's vision within Native philosophy. A time line of European exploration and western settlement and select Indian War conflicts is included. Ages 8—12. (Mar.)

Fiction

The Case of the Lost Boy Dori Hillestad Butler, illus. by Jeremy Tugeau. Albert Whitman, $14.99 (128p) ISBN 978-0-8075-0910-4

This chipper novel launches Butler's (The Truth About Truman School) Buddy Files series, narrated by a chatty golden retriever. After his owner Kayla and her father disappear, Buddy lands in the dreaded “P-O-U-N-D. We don't say it, we spell it.” His plan to escape and find them gets derailed when he's adopted by a boy named Connor (“What? No, you can't take me... I already have a family,” Buddy protests). Buddy's internal monologue can be both perceptive and amusing. He observes that Connor, who moved away from his father and friends after his parents' divorce, “smells sad,” and when the nine-year-old boy goes missing, the canine laments, “I feel like I am losing humans left and right.” Aided by sleuthing skills that Kayla taught him, a keen sense of smell, and a tip from an observant cat, Buddy locates Connor. It's a straightforward mystery, but readers should be drawn in by Buddy's exuberant voice and readily recognize the high stakes and emotions at play. The Case of the Mixed-up Mutts and The Case of the Missing Family pub simultaneously. Ages 6—8. (Mar.)

Extraordinary Ernie and Marvelous Maud Frances Watts, illus. by Judy Watson. Eerdmans, $5.99 paper (72p) ISBN 978-0-8028-5363-9

In this slim yet snappy series debut, a group of over-the-hill superheroes announce a competition to find a young new member—preferably a top student or athlete. But decidedly average Ernie, age 10, is the only contestant to show up. Brought aboard, he discovers his sidekick is a talking sheep named Maud. When he complains that her name “doesn't exactly sound super,” she snaps, “Well, if you don't mind my saying so, 'Ernie' isn't exactly the type of name to stop evil in its tracks either.” Though he admits he was hoping for a cooler sidekick, bit by bit Maud wins over Ernie. The action is tame—Ernie saves Maud from a fierce dog and the two thwart three bullies—but the slapstick premise and banter between superhero and sidekick save the day. The brevity, spry pace, and humorous line art make Watts's (Kisses for Daddy) story a good choice for kids who are more used to meeting superheroes on the screen than on the page. Ages 7—10. (Mar.)

Abby Carnelia's One and Only Magical Power David Pogue. Roaring Brook, $15.99 (288p) ISBN 978-1-59643-384-7

New York Times columnist Pogue debuts with the charming story of 11-year-old Abby, who discovers that she is a part of “a rare, very special breed of children who can bend the laws of nature—in tiny, pointless ways.” Her ability? Making a hardboiled egg spin when she tugs on her earlobes. Eager to make sense of this “power,” she attends a summer camp for magicians, and is soon sent on to a “Super Camp” for kids with similar supernatural abilities. It quickly becomes apparent that the camp is a front for a darker operation, and Abby and other gifted campers (one can fog up a window by counting by twos in Spanish in a weird voice; another can levitate, slightly, by imagining buffalos walking backwards in diapers) find purpose in their seemingly pointless powers. One gets the sense that Pogue family in-jokes may be a source for some of the dialogue, and the author even inserts himself into the story. But this in no way diminishes the kid-pleasing nature of Pogue's brand of humor or the message that all gifts, no matter how absurd they seem, have value. Ages 8—12. (May)

The Birthday Ball Lois Lowry, illus. by Jules Feiffer. Houghton Mifflin, $16 (192p) ISBN 978-0-547-23869-2

Lowry uses her knack for cleverly turning familiar stories on their heads (last seen in The Willoughbys) in this tale about a princess who's utterly bored with privileged palace life. With her 16th birthday and her mandatory choice of a husband fast approaching (at least she gets a choice, unlike most fairy tale princesses in her situation), Princess Patricia Priscilla hatches a plan to pose as a student at the village schoolhouse for a taste of freedom before her big day, when she will be expected to choose a suitor. Readers will quickly see why the top contenders—Prince Percival of Pustula, Duke Desmond of Dyspepsia, and the conjoined Counts of Coagulatia are still “eligible” bachelors—and will have no trouble guessing her best match. Throughout, Feiffer's wiry ink illustrations paint the characters in offhand caricatures, adding to the merriment. Employing elements from the “Prince and the Pauper” as well as ample doses of humor and slapstick, Lowry sets the stage for a rowdy denouement. The emphasis never strays from the predictable or silly, but fans won't mind. Ages 8—12. (Apr.)

The Celestial Globe Marie Rutkoski. Farrar, Straus, & Giroux, $16.99 (304p) ISBN 978-0-374-31027-1

This stellar sequel to The Cabinet of Wonders surpasses its predecessor by navigating the intelligent fantasy adventure outside 16th-century Bohemia and deepening the scope of its magic. After an attack, feisty 13-year-old Petra's mind connection to British spy John Dee enables him to rescue her to London through a “Loophole” that allows instant time-space travel. Another Loophole casts two supporting players into central roles when her childhood friend and magician Tomik passes to Portugal only to be captured by Roma pirates, including Petra's friend Neel. These pirates possess one of two magical globes and are searching for the second; combined, they offer “the power to guide anyone through hundreds of Loopholes.” Their quest leads back to Petra and pits them against Bohemia's evil Prince Rodolfo and a complex web of British traitors. Using a winning combination of history and magic, Rutkoski builds on what worked in the first novel and heightens the stakes, as Petra matures under Dee's enigmatic tutelage. Strong characters and fast-paced plotting let this compelling installment stand independently, but the ending will leave readers eager for the next. Ages 10—up. (Apr.)

A Conspiracy of Kings Megan Whalen Turner. Greenwillow, $16.99 (336p) ISBN 978-0-06-187093-4

The fourth installment in Turner's saga is another absorbing political drama, this time focusing on Sophos, reluctant heir to the Sounis throne. Readers will remember him as Useless the Younger in The Thief, when he was more interested in poetry than power. As the king's only heir, however, he had no choice but to prepare for the monarchy until, in the opening pages of this volume, he is kidnapped and sold into slavery. He narrates the story of his abduction to an undisclosed “you,” whose identity close readers of the series may guess. Given the complexity of Turner's plot, readers should reread the first three books before beginning this one, which derives its power from the intricate construction of Turner's imagined world, a realm in which her founding mythology is as impressive as her descriptions of the land itself. Sophos's choice—live anonymously in servitude or accept a role he doesn't want—drives the story as his allies approach a showdown with the enemy Medes. Strong evidence emerges that the story doesn't end here, and fans will savor this while they wait for more. Ages 10—up. (Apr.)

Out of My Mind Sharon M. Draper. S&S/Atheneum, $16.99 (304p) ISBN 978-1-4169-7170-2

Melody Brooks, in a wheelchair and unable to speak, narrates this story about finding her voice. The first half of the book catalogues Melody's struggles—from her frustration with learning the same preschool lessons year after year to her inability to express a craving for a Big Mac. Draper, whose daughter has cerebral palsy, writes with authority, and the rage behind Melody's narrative is perfectly illustrated in scenes demonstrating the startling ignorance of many professionals (a doctor diagnoses Melody as “profoundly retarded”), teachers, and classmates. The lack of tension in the plot is resolved halfway through when Melody, at age 10, receives a talking computer, allowing her to “speak.” Only those with hearts of stone won't blubber when Melody tells her parents “I love you” for the first time. Melody's off-the-charts smarts are revealed when she tests onto her school's quiz bowl team, and the story shifts to something closer to The View from Saturday than Stuck in Neutral. A horrific event at the end nearly plunges the story into melodrama and steers the spotlight away from Melody's determination, which otherwise drives the story. Ages 10—up. (Mar.)

Princess for Hire Lindsey Leavitt. Disney-Hyperion, $16.99 (256p) ISBN 978-1-4231-2192-3

When 14-year-old Desi answers a classified ad that reads “Princess for Hire,” she can't believe her luck: Desi finds out she has MP (Magic Potential). This means she has what it takes to become a princess surrogate, which requires the ability to physically transform into the image of any princess across the globe. Desi doesn't have to think twice (she lives in Sproutville, Idaho, and her current job involves wearing a groundhog costume). She signs on with Meredith, a no-nonsense “[p]rincess agent extraordinaire,” who gives Desi a crash course in standing in for vacationing royals. Filled with slapstick humor that some might find grating, and populated by an over-the-top cast of characters, Desi's story consists of one mishap after another, as she tries to navigate the love lives and friendships of the royals. First in a planned series, Leavitt's debut novel has an entertaining premise that would be right at home as a TV movie for tweens. Though the stakes never feel high and Desi's ultimate triumph is a foregone conclusion, Desi shows that she's a heroine with heart. Ages 11—up. (Mar.)

Birthmarked Caragh M. O'Brien. Roaring Brook, $16.99 (368p) ISBN 978-1-59643-569-8

In her first YA novel, O'Brien creates a dystopian future in which to explore complex issues of morality and survival. In a world rocked by climate change, the Enclave is a much-needed bastion of civilization, and many of those who live outside its walls serve it in one fashion or another. As a midwife apprenticed to her mother, 16-year-old Gaia Stone is expected, like any other midwife, to bring the first three babies she delivers each month to the Enclave to satisfy its demands for new citizens. When her parents are taken for questioning by the Enclave, Gaia takes over for her mother, even though she's not entirely comfortable following orders unquestioningly anymore. Her quest to track down and save her parents leads her into the Enclave itself, where she befriends the handsome Captain Grey, a man with his own secrets, and discovers the unsettling truths behind the Enclave's need for children. Though predictable in places and unconvincing in others, this science fiction adventure is a brisk and sometimes provocative read, thanks to solid pacing, a resourceful heroine, and a few surprise twists. Ages 12—up. (Apr.)

Fever Crumb Philip Reeve. Scholastic Press, $17.99 (336p) ISBN 978-0-545-20719-5

In this exciting steampunk adventure, Carnegie Medal—winner Reeve takes readers to a far future that looks back at our era with a darkly humorous sensibility (how's “Blog off,” for an expletive?), while laying tantalizing groundwork for his Hungry City Chronicles quartet. Fever Crumb, a 14-year-old orphan, is the only girl ever accepted into the Order of Engineers and has been raised in seclusion by obsessively logical scientists in an enormous head, part of an unfinished statue of London's deposed ruler, the hated mutant “Scriven,” Auric Godshawk. But Fever's thoroughly rational nature is thrown into flux when she's sent into the bustling, violent city on her first job, working for an eccentric archeologist who may have discovered Godshawk's secret cache of scientific inventions. As invaders near the city's outer perimeter, the streets of London erupt in mob violence, and Fever finds herself proclaimed a mutant and pursued by an implacable enemy. Beautifully written, grippingly paced, and filled with eccentric characters and bizarre inventions (such as foldable assassins made of paper), this is a novel guaranteed to please Reeve's fans—and very likely broaden their ranks. Ages 12—up. (Apr.)

The Returners Gemma Malley. Bloomsbury, $16.99 (256p) ISBN 978-1-59990-443-6

The sins of the past threaten to repeat themselves in the future, as Malley (The Declaration) offers a thought-provoking exploration of mankind's capacity for good and evil. In 2016 London, a fierce nationalistic sentiment encourages discrimination and violence against foreigners and immigrants. Meanwhile, teenager Will Hodges struggles with bouts of rage, his father's mercurial mood swings, his mother's suicide years earlier, unreliable memories, horrifying nightmares, and the sensation that he is being stalked. Soon it's explained that, like his stalkers, he is a Returner, destined to witness and remember historical atrocities while being reincarnated (“We experience the worst that humanity is capable of,” another Returner explains to Will, “we absorb the pain, contain the horrors”). When Will further learns that his role in past brutalities may not have been passive or unwilling, he rebels against his fate. It's an intensely philosophical study of free will versus predestination and the relationship between past, present, and future, though it suffers somewhat from Will's halting, present-tense narration. The concept is fascinating, and there are enough harrowing moments to hold readers' attention. Ages 12—up. (Mar.)

Shakespeare Makes the Playoffs Ron Koertge. Candlewick, $15.99 (176p) ISBN 978-0-7636-4435-2

Dedicated to “the readers of Shakespeare Bats Cleanup who wanted to know what happened next,” this follow-up finds Kevin Boland recovered from the mono that sidelined him in the previous book, ready to resume play at first base and continue his relationship with pretty, earnest Mira, now his girlfriend. Complications ensue when Mira fails to show an interest in baseball or poetry and, at an open mike night, Kevin meets Amy, a bookstore owner's daughter who needs help with her haiku. The strength of both books is the seamless way Koertge shows how Kevin processes guilt, excitement, and uncertainty: with his pen. For Kevin, whose mother has died recently, writing is thinking. “Sadness is a big dark bus/ with a schedule of its own,” he writes in a poignant poem about the grief he shares with his father, a well-drawn, easy-to-like character. Kevin's ready acknowledgment of his feelings and facility with words are what make him appealing to Amy—and to readers. Their poetic pas de deux, a budding romance built by swapping villanelles, pantoums, and sestinas, is both funny and charming. Ages 12—up. (Mar.)

The Dead-Tossed Waves Carrie Ryan. Delacorte, $17.99 (416p) ISBN 978-0-385-73684-8

Ryan returns with a companion to her critically acclaimed debut, The Forest of Hands and Teeth, which functions as something of a retelling of that story, albeit with a different protagonist. Gabry lives in the seaside town of Vista, the same place that Mary landed at the end of the previous book. Like Mary's former village, Vista is carefully protected from the Mudo (the Unconsecrated), zombielike humans constantly seeking people to infect. After a reckless nighttime adventure with her friends turns tragic, Gabry avoids punishment, but can't escape the changes to and revelations about her life that quickly mount. Like its predecessor, this book features a breach of the town, an escape into the Forest, a love triangle, the ever-present and inexhaustible Mudo, and an extraordinarily bleak mood. But it also offers an expansion of postapocalyptic detail (including the Recruiters, a militant, policelike organization that hunts and brutalizes as much as it tries to protect) and a few inspired surprises. Despite the books' similarities, readers are sure to be hooked, as this novel also retains Ryan's gripping storytelling style and engaging prose. Ages 14—up. (Mar.)

Keep Sweet Michele Dominguez Greene. Simon Pulse, $16.99 (224p) ISBN 978-1-4169-8681-2

For most of the women inside Pine-ridge, an isolated compound of Fundamentalist Latter Day Saints in Utah, keeping sweet (“obedience with a willing and happy heart”) is their ultimate duty before God. Underage marriages, strict rules of conduct (unwavering devotion to the prophet, a birth every year after marriage, seclusion from the outside world), and a polygamist lifestyle are not only enforced, but embraced. But when 14-year-old Alva Jane is caught kissing a boy she hopes to wed, a vicious beating and a grave punishment—to become the sixth wife of the prophet's brother, a sadistic man 40 years her senior—exposes the community's capacity for brutality. Like Carol Lynch Williams's The Chosen One (2009), which explored similar territory, Greene's (Chasing the Jaguar) account of Alva Jane's progression from naïve disciple to skeptic is gripping, horrifying, and convincing. However, the story's climax (Alva Jane's second escape attempt) feels rushed and underdeveloped, leaving several plot points—a sudden police raid on Pineridge, Alva Jane's pregnancy, and the possibility of a new life for her in the outside world—frustratingly unexplored. Ages 14—up. (Mar.)

Just Popping In

A trio of new pop-up books for spring.

Oh, the Places You'll Go! Pop-Up! Dr. Seuss, pop-ups by David A. Carter. Random/Corey, $28.99 (22p) ISBN 978-0-375-85227-5

For its 20th anniversary, this ubiquitous classic gets the pop-up treatment, retaining Seuss's buoyant text and original illustrations. Wide flaps containing pop-up vignettes fold down toward readers, alternating with dramatic and impressive full-spread landscapes. Carter's pop-ups capably amplify the message about finding balance when life overwhelms: an erratic, multistory pop-up house teeters above, as the small protagonist can be seen riding an elephant (“with banner flip-flapping”) down below and scoring a basket at the very top. This edition of this graduation-time favorite is likely to pop up in dorm rooms come fall. Up to age 3. (Mar.)

Flanimals Pop-Up Ricky Gervais, illus. by Rob Steen, paper engineering by Richard Ferguson. Candlewick, $19.99 (14p) ISBN 978-0-7636-4781-0

With trademark wit, British television star Gervais provides spicy commentary about the “useless and pointless” Flanimals, who appear for the first time as 3-D pop-ups. A toothy Mernimbler's arms open wide, the ill-behaved Grundit bounds after a vegetal Puddloflaj, and a spread about Flanimal evolution delivers a hilariously profane take on Michelangelo's The Creation of Adam, while mini-booklets detail additional Flanimal characteristics. Kids can get in on the mischief, too, helping a Hemel Sprot “get chewed to death and swallowed by [a] Sprot Guzzlor,” via pull-tab. Whatever they are, exactly, the Flanimals lend themselves well to the pop-up stage. Ages 5—up. (Mar.)

Encyclopedia Mythologica: Gods and Heroes Matthew Reinhart and Robert Sabuda. Candlewick, $29.99 (12p) ISBN 978-0-7636-3171-0

Reinhard and Sabuda continue to raise the bar in their second Encyclopedia Mythologica pop-up (following Fairies and Magical Creatures), a global tour of gods and other deities. Multiple stories unfold on each page within layered tableaus in miniature booklets, like treasures to be unveiled. A sort of flip book detailing Hercules's 12 tasks is triggered by pull-tab; one booklet shows the destruction of Atlantis; elsewhere, a grimacing Pele erupts from the spewing lava of a volcano; and the plumed Aztec serpent, Quetzalcoatl, seems to fly toward readers on the final spread. A fun and engaging assemblage that seamlessly marries its form and content. Ages 5—up. (Feb.)

Get Interested!

Here's a sampling of books to spark the mind and stir the senses.

Ready Set Grow! DK, $12.99 (80p) ISBN 978-0-7566-5887-8

Sunny and energetic spreads feature more than 30 garden project ideas, aimed at getting kids outdoors and in the dirt. Photographs and illustrations teach the basics about plant cultivation—top 10 lists offer tips for growing “quick-to-grow,” and “cool” plants (including a “Tickle-me plant” and “Venus flytrap”). Recycling is a recurring theme (the book suggests planting herbs for sun tea in an old suitcase); many of the garden-related projects tend toward the whimsical (building a floral teepee or creating a fairy circle); and there's a strong emphasis on growing edible plants—everything from microgreeens to kohlrabi. The fun, easy, and green concepts should have readers eagerly awaiting spring. Ages 6—up. (Feb.)

The Children's Baking Book Denise Smart, photos by Howard Shooter. DK, $17.99 (128p) ISBN 978-0-7566-5788-8

This accessible baking book features more than 50 sweet and savory recipes—everything from tarts and potpies to brownies and muffins—with full-color photographs that show both preparations and tasty end results. Divided into sections on cookies and baked goods, dough, cakes, and pastry, the recipes are further labeled with levels of difficulty. Aspiring bakers should be pleased at the simple steps involved to make a raspberry cheesecake, but more difficult dishes, like a jam-filled cake roll, may benefit from adult assistance. The sweet-toothed should find the mouthwatering pictures and straightforward instructions hard to resist. Ages 7—12. (Feb.)

The Robin Makes a Laughing Sound: A Birder's Journal Sallie Wolf, designed by Micah Bornstein. Charlesbridge, $11.95 (48p) ISBN 978-1-58089-318-3

This journal strikes a pensive and tranquil note, emphasizing the simple joys to be found in observing nature, birds in particular, rather than providing specific tactics for identifying species. Cursive lists of North American birds appear under a heading for each season, followed by a collage of bird sketches in ink and watercolor, journal entries, and careful observations that take the form of tender, sometimes surprising poems: “A pair of nuthatches used to visit my feeder every day./ That was before West Nile virus/ spread from bird to bird.” It should find an audience in nature-lovers, writers, and other contemplative readers. Ages 9—12. (Feb.)

How to Survive Modern Art Susie Hodge. Abrams/Tate, $19.95 paper (128p) ISBN 978-1-85437-749-4

In this striking introduction to modern art, Hodge chronologically surveys significant movements and styles from art nouveau to postmodernism and digital art, while spotlighting artists such as Giacometti, Chagall, Hopper, and Hirst. Full-color images appear on every page, along with paragraphs highlighting specific artists, works, and the influence of historical events. Asides zoom in on topics for discussion or contemplation—concerning modern sculpture, Hodge asks, “Why have so many artists focused on imagination, emotion and purity? If you were a sculptor, what would you focus on?” The extensive glossaries of terms, movements, and artists are invaluable, and readers of all ages should appreciate that the emphasis is not on “what” to think about art, but “how.” Ages 14—up. (Mar.)

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