Bagley, Jessixa. Boats for Papa. illus. by Jessixa Bagley. 40p. Roaring Brook/Neal Porter Bks. Jun. 2015. Tr $17.99. ISBN 9781626720398.

PreS-Gr 2 –“They didn’t have much, but they always had each other.” So begins this spare tale of longing and acceptance. Buckley and his mother (a pair of beavers) spend their days near their ocean-front home, gathering driftwood treasures, playing together, and having picnics in the sand. His favorite pastime is using his discoveries to make miniature ships to send out to sea with a note that reads, “For Papa, Love Buckley.” He is sure the boats will reach his father if they don’t wash back up on shore. He works tirelessly over the course of a year to create new and beautiful boats for his absent parent. One evening when he forgets his customary note, he runs back to grab a piece of paper from Mama’s desk and discovers his ships hidden there.That night when Mama goes to retrieve Buckley’s boat, the note reads, “For Mama, Love Buckley.” Bagley’s tender watercolors and lyrical text give weight and volume to a family’s grief. Her portrayal of Buckley’s hope and his mother’s acts of love are heartbreakingly beautiful and authentic. The ambiguity of Papa’s absence allows this story to transcend specifics and gives it a timeless and universal appeal. VERDICT The only thing better than this title for anyone who has experienced loss is the redemptive nature of time.–Jenna Boles, Greene County Public Library, Beavercreek, OH

Cooper, Elisha. 8: An Animal Alphabet. illus. by Elisha Cooper. 40p. Scholastic/Orchard. Jul. 2015. Tr $17.99. ISBN 9780545470834.

PreS-Gr 2 –More than an oversize alphabet book (and slightly less than most counting books). Cooper’s 8 is filled with playful representations of animals both familiar and exotic. He explains that he chose the number “because 8 is round and adorable…not too big, and not so small, but just right.” Each letter features several different animals including one type that’s depicted eight times, which is what encourages the counting element of the book. Some may quibble that the animals are not drawn to scale (for instance, a dung beetle should not appear as large as a deer’s tail), but the fun of seeing eight varieties of hummingbirds or being introduced to a yabby surely outweighs such petty complaints. All of the creatures are identified in the formidable pictorial “Did You Know?” section at the back. VERDICT Unusual in its conception and scope and illustrated with joy, this is an alphabet book to pore over, worth adding to any collection.–Miriam Lang Budin, Chappaqua Library, NY

Lee, JiHyeon. Pool. illus. by JiHyeon Lee. 56p. ebook available. Chronicle. May 2015. Tr $16.99. ISBN 9781452142944.

PreS-Gr 2 –This unique and elegant wordless adventure follows a timid boy’s foray into a crowded public pool. Due to the crash of humanity cramming the water with their comical bulk and myriad of blow-up gear, the goggled hero dives deep and discovers a female counterpart, who leads him to a forest of fantastic aquatic creatures and plants. Some fish are friendly enough to pat; others embrace the children into their school. A group of fiercer-looking fish flee, allowing the humans to enjoy a white whale’s visit. The tamer underwater inhabitants lead the children back to the surface for their return to the deck. Lee’s artistic choices are brilliant. The rowdy crowd is depicted in black, white, and gray line drawings and contrasts with the joyful aquatic world in colored pencils and pastels. The large format and the artist’s generous use of solid space greatly expand the journey’s vistas. VERDICT Lee’s debut picture book is a swan dive.–Gay Lynn Van Vleck, Henrico County Library, Glen Allen, VA

McGehee, Claudia. My Wilderness: An Alaskan Adventure. illus. by Claudia McGehee. 32p. Sasquatch. 2015. Tr $16.99. ISBN 9781570619502.

K-Gr 4 –In this beautifully presented text, McGehee brings to life the true story of Rockwell “Rocky” Kent III’s adventures with his father, Rockwell Kent II, as they spent seven months on a remote island off Seward, AK, during the winter of 1918. Nine-year-old Rocky begs his mother to let him accompany his father on a painting expedition, which finds them living with Lars Olsen, an old trapper, and Olsen’s family of angora goats. McGehee’s meticulous scratchboard illustrations pair with Rocky’s first-person narrative to foster a tone of wonder and discovery, as driftwood becomes a lookout on the beach and whale fin sightings become pirate ships. The love between father and son is woven throughout the text in the images of Robinson Crusoe read-alouds and joint snow baths in powdery piles outside their cabin. This is a clearly formed tale of father-son adventure that has a nostalgic feel. VERDICT A tale to treasure again and again as either a storytime read-aloud or an independent read.–Colleen S. Banick, Westport Public Schools, CT

Sís, Peter. Ice Cream Summer. illus. by Peter Sís. 40p. Scholastic. Jun. 2015. Tr $17.99. ISBN 9780545731614. LC 2014025155.

K-Gr 2 –In response to a letter from his Grandpa, Joe is happy to convince his grandfather that he deserves a special trip planned for later in the summer. He is definitely not forgetting about his schoolwork. Joe is reading, writing a book, solving word problems, studying history, and even learning cartography. What he doesn’t mention is that he is learning all of this through his fascination with ice cream. Joe eats it and draws it, builds it and dreams it, and even knows the ins and outs of how it came to be. When Joe finds out where they are going on their special trip, it is the cherry on top of a fantastic summer. This book is fabulous for teachers introducing a unit on letter writing or research skills. The facts about how ice cream was invented are interesting and presented in a cartoonlike manner that children will find entertaining. Sís’s illustrations are done in a beautiful rainbow of watercolor, making readers feel the warmth of summer and the cool delight associated with this delicious treat. Children will love finding all of the ways that ice cream is incorporated into each picture. VERDICT A great choice as a tool for teaching or simply as an enjoyable read.–Amy Shepherd, St. Anne’s Episcopal School, Middleton, DE

Winstanley, Nicola. The Pirate’s Bed. illus. by Matt James. 32p. Tundra. 2015. Tr $17.99. ISBN 9781770496163.

PreS-Gr 2 –A pirate snoozes through a great storm while his frightened bed is buffeted about. The storm pitches the sleeping pirate and his crew overboard then to an island where they live “in peace for the rest of their days, eating sweet fruit and teaching parrots to talk.” Meanwhile, the pirate’s bed drifts away from the island, free from stinky feet and loud snores. Ocean life is filled with wonders. “When the dolphins sliced the air with their silver, sickle-shaped bodies, the bed thought it had never seen such a beautiful sight.” In time, the bed misses the weight of a sleeper. It drifts to shore where a carpenter finds and restores it. After it’s been waiting in a shop, a young mother brings the bed home for her little boy, and years later he passes it to his. “As time went on, the bed was passed from family to family. And whoever slept in that square-framed, solid and sensible bed felt the rock of the ocean on dry land. It might be that the bed was passed down to you!” The illustrations are as rich and wonderful as the language and story. They are rendered in acrylic paint and India ink on board. James uses layering, scratching, and solid dark outlines to pack emotion into the images. The art gives the impression of having been painted by a child, but the textures show a formidable talent. VERDICT This is a treasure of a book.–Amelia Jenkins, Juneau Public Library, AK

Alexander, Claire. Monkey and the Little One. illus. by Claire Alexander. 32p. Sterling. May 2015. Tr $14.95. ISBN 9781454915805.

Bell, Cece. I Yam a Donkey! illus. by Cece Bell. 32p. Clarion. Jun. 2015. Tr $16.99. ISBN 9780544087200; ebk. $16.99. ISBN 9780544087415.

Berry, Lynne. Pig and Pug. illus. by Gemma Correll. 40p. ebook available. S. & S. Jun. 2015. Tr $16.99. ISBN 9781481421317.

Butterfield, Moira. Stardragon. illus. by Adolfo Serra. 40p. Trafalgar Square. May 2015. pap. $11.99. ISBN 9781908786371.

Cali, Davide. Snow White and the 77 Dwarfs. illus. by Raphaëlle Barbanègre. 32p. Tundra. 2015. Tr $17.99. ISBN 9781770497634. LC 2014941838.

Carnavas, Peter. Jessica’s Box. illus. by Peter Carnavas. 32p. Kane Miller. 2015. Tr $11.99. ISBN 9781610673471. LC 2014939758.

Catalanotto, Peter. The Newbies. illus. by Peter Catalanotto. 40p. Atheneum/Richard Jackson Bks. Jul. 2015. Tr $17.99. ISBN 9781481418928; ebk. $12.99. ISBN 9781481418935. LC 2013047676.

Cronin, Doreen. Boom Snot Twitty: This Way That Way. illus. by Renata Liwska. 40p. ebook available. Viking. Jun. 2015. Tr $16.99. ISBN 9780670785773.

Derby, Sally. Sunday Shopping. illus. by Shadra Strickland. 32p. Lee & Low. May 2015. Tr $17.95. ISBN 9781600604386. LC 2013047488.

Dolan, Elys. Nuts in Space. illus. by Elys Dolan. 32p. Candlewick. May 2015. RTE $17.99. ISBN 9780763676094. LC 2014939363.

Enzerink, Mirjam. The Day the Sun Did Not Rise and Shine. illus. by Peter-Paul Rauwerda. 32p. Lemniscaat. 2015. Tr $17.95. ISBN 9781935954439.

Estes, Allison. Izzy & Oscar. illus. by Tracy Dockray. 40p. Sourcebooks Jabberwocky. 2015. Tr $16.99. ISBN 9781492601500.

Ewert, Marcus. Mummy Cat. illus. by Lisa Brown. 48p. HMH. Jul. 2015. Tr $16.99. ISBN 9780544340824.

Florian, Douglas. How to Draw a Dragon. illus. by Douglas Florian. 32p. S. & S./Beach Lane. 2015. Tr $17.99. ISBN 9781442473997; ebk. $10.99. ISBN 9781442474000. LC 2014012062.

Gall, Chris. Dinotrux Dig the Beach. illus. by Chris Gall. 32p. (Dinotrux). Little, Brown. Jun. 2015. Tr $17.00. ISBN 9780316375535. LC 2014003845.

Hatanaka, Kellen. Drive: A Look at Roadside Opposites. illus. by Kellen Hatanaka. 32p. Groundwood. May 2015. Tr $16.95. ISBN 9781554987313.

Jones, Sarah. Lloyd Llama. illus. by Sarah Jones. 40p. Blue Manatee. Jun. 2015. Tr $17.99. ISBN 9781936669325.

Judge, Lita. Good Morning to Me! illus. by Lita Judge. 40p. ebook available. S. & S./Atheneum. May 2015. Tr $17.99. ISBN 9781481403696. LC 2014006270.

Kelsey, Elin. Wild Ideas: Let Nature Inspire Your Thinking. illus. by Soyeon Kim. 32p. Owlkids. 2015. Tr $18.95. ISBN 9781771470629. LC 2014947497.

Kim, Cecil. The Three Pig Sisters. illus. by Keun Park. 32p. (MySELF Bookshelf). ebook available. Norwood House. 2015. Tr $22.60. ISBN 9781599536545; pap. $11.94. ISBN 9781603576895.

Kimura, Yasuko. Pakkun the Wolf and His Dinosaur Friends. tr. from Japanese. illus. by Yasuko Kimura. English ed. 32p. Museyon. May 2015. Tr $16.99. ISBN 9781940842042.

Krishnaswami, Uma. Bright Sky, Starry City. illus. by Aimée Sicuro. 32p. further reading. glossary. Groundwood. May 2015. Tr $17.95. ISBN 9781554984053.

Leiter, Richard. The Flying Hand of Marco B. illus. by Shahar Kober. 24p. ebook available. Sleeping Bear. 2015. Tr $15.99. ISBN 9781585368884. LC 2013027384.

Livingston, A.A. B. Bear and Lolly: Catch That Cookie! illus. by Joey Chou. 32p. HarperCollins. Jun. 2015. Tr $15.99. ISBN 9780062197917.

Lobel, Anita. Playful Pigs from A to Z. illus. by Anita Lobel. 40p. ebook available. Knopf. Jul. 2015. Tr $16.99. ISBN 9780553508321; lib. ed. $19.99. ISBN 9780553508338. LC 2014033874.

Lozano, José. Little Chanclas. tr. from Spanish by Luis Humberto Crosthwaite. illus. by José Lozano. 32p. Cinco Puntos. 2015. pap. $7.95. ISBN 9781935955863; ebk. $7.95. ISBN 9781935955870. LC 2014007648. Bl

McIntyre, Sarah & David O’Connell. Jampires. 32p. ebook available. Scholastic/David Fickling Bks. Jun. 2015. Tr $16.99. ISBN 9780545816632.

Marino, Gianna. Night Animals. illus. by Gianna Marino. 40p. Viking . Jul. 2015. Tr $16.99. ISBN 9780451469540.

Markle, Sandra. Toad Weather. illus. by Thomas Gonzalez. 32p. Peachtree. 2015. Tr $16.95. ISBN 9781561458189. LC 2014006505.

Martins, Isabel Minhós. The World in a Second. tr. from Portuguese by Lyn Miller-Lachman. illus. by Bernardo P. Carvalho. 56p. maps. Enchanted Lion. 2015. Tr $18.95. ISBN 9781592701575.

Milgrim, David. Wild Feelings. illus. by David Milgrim. 40p. Holt. Aug. 2015. Tr $16.99. ISBN 9780805095876.

Miura, Taro. The Big Princess. illus. by Taro Miura. 40p. Candlewick. May 2015. Tr $14.99. ISBN 9780763674595. LC 2013955695.

Na, Il Sung. Welcome Home, Bear: A Book of Animal Habitats. illus. by Il Sung Na.32p. ebook available. Knopf. Jul. 2015. Tr $16.99. ISBN 9780385753753.

Nesbitt, Kenn. Believe It or Not, My Brother Has a Monster! illus. by David Slonim. 32p. ebook available. Scholastic/Cartwheel. Jun. 2015. Tr $16.99. ISBN 9780545650595.

Niimi, Nankichi. Gon, the Little Fox. tr. from Japanese by Mariko Shii Gharbi. illus. by Genjirou Mita. English ed. 32p. Museyon. 2015. Tr $16.99. ISBN 9781940842035.

Olson, Jennifer Gray. Ninja Bunny. illus. by Jennifer Gray Olson. 32p. ebook available. Knopf. Jun. 2015. Tr $16.99. ISBN 9780385754934.

Pizzoli, Greg. Templeton Gets His Wish. illus. by Greg Pizzoli. 48p. Disney-Hyperion. May 2015. RTE $16.99. ISBN 9781484712740. LC 2014017391.

Preston-Gannon, Frann. Pepper & Poe. illus. by Frann Preston-Gannon. 32p. Scholastic. Aug. 2015. RTE $16.99. ISBN 9780545683579.

Ray, David Eugene. The Little Mouse Santi. illus. by Santiago Germano. 32p. Bienville Ray, LLC. 2015. Tr $15. ISBN 9780692252253. LC 2014912441.

Sadler, Marilyn. Tony Baroni Loves Macaroni. illus. by Lucie Crovatto. 32p. Blue Apple. 2014. Tr $14.99. ISBN 9781609052935.

Sattler, Jennifer. Pig Kahuna: Who’s That Pig? illus. by Jennifer Sattler. 32p. ebook available. Bloomsbury. May 2015. Tr $16.99. ISBN 9781619636323. LC 2014021978.

Schwartz, Corey Rosen & Rebecca J. Gomez. What About Moose? illus. by Keika Yamaguchi. 40p. S. & S./Atheneum. Jun. 2015. Tr $17.99. ISBN 9781481404969; ebk. $12.99. ISBN 9781481404976. LC 2013041941.

Sias, Ryan. Sniff! Sniff! illus. by Ryan Sias. 32p. ebook available. Abrams Appleseed. 2015. Tr $14.95. ISBN 9781419714900. LC 2014016111.

Stewart, Briony. Here in the Garden. illus. by Briony Stewart. 36p. Kane Miller. Jun. 2015. Tr $11.99. ISBN 9781610673488. LC 2014939759.

Suzhen, Fang. Grandma Lives in a Perfume Village. tr. from Chinese by Huang Xiumin. illus. by Sonja Danowski. English ed. 48p. NorthSouth. May 2015. Tr $19.95. ISBN 9780735842168.

Swimming, Swimming. illus. by Clement, Gary. 48p. Groundwood. 2015. Tr $18.95. ISBN 9781554984497.

Townend, Jack. A Railway ABC. illus. by Jack Townend. 58p. V & A. 2015. Tr $11.95. ISBN 9781851778447.

Velthuijs, Max. The Kind-Hearted Monster: Two Classic Stories. illus. by Max Velthuijs. 64p. NorthSouth. May 2015. Tr $19.95. ISBN 9780735841079.

Wu, Mike. Ellie. illus. by Mike Wu. 40p. Disney-Hyperion. May 2015. Tr $16.99. ISBN 9781484712399. LC 2014015778.