(1) K-3 Illustrated by Marc Martin. Starlings are social birds, at times flying in groups so large that their wings create a murmuring sound that can be heard by humans on the ground. A honed text and stunning watercolor, pencil, and digital collage illustrations work together to give readers a sense of this phenomenon. "There are hundreds of us! / There are thousands of us! / There are millions of us!" Furrow brings his background as a scientist and Napoli her wide experience writing for children to this collaboration that has both the rhythm of poetry and simple but accurate information: "We find strength and safety in numbers. / We find warmth in numbers." Starlings fill and overflow the pages, swooping in gorgeous waves across the double-page spreads as the birds escape from a hungry falcon or land en masse in a field. The colors of the mixed-media illustrations bleed and blend together. The edges of each bird's wings are indistinct, smudging and overlapping as the mass travels together across the reds, oranges, and pinks of the sky. A striking gatefold gives a sense of the massive scale of a murmuration. An endnote gives readers additional information about starling behavior. Pair with Scanlon and Preston-Gannon's One Dark Bird (rev. 7/19).

Reviewer: Maeve Visser Knoth | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 2023

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Felicita Sala. With a going-to-bed frame, this picture book in rhyme takes those still wide awake after dark on a frenzied tour through the nocturnal food chain. A silhouette of a cat stalking a rodent beneath the window of a wide-awake child's bedroom sets the stage. In a quiet, blue-hued town, bursts of color and light indicate unseen activity. "Outside nighttime is action time for some... / THE MINI GO BALLISTIC." Tiny dinoflagellates consuming bacteria make a meal for the copepods who will be eaten by the goby fish and so on, all the way up to jackals, owls, and finally tigers. "Tigers eat whatever they want." Gouache, watercolor, ink, colored-pencil, and oil pastel illustrations layer bright colors that pop off the dark nighttime backgrounds and make dramatic use of light and shadow. Attractive compositions of flowing, swirling lines and shapes create the movement necessary for this busy animal world. When the wide-awake child, wearing a tiger suit, needs "one more prowl around the room / one more jump from pillow to pillow," the whole family rallies for one last burst of play before the book comes to a quiet close. In a final, striking spread, an immense orange tiger winds through the sleeping town--one eye trained on an owl in the sky. Back matter provides more information on the creatures mentioned in this ecological bedtime story.

Reviewer: Julie Roach | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2023

(2) 4-6 Narrator Simona is eight years old in 1940, and her younger sister five, when they leave their home outside Rome for Tokyo--their father has been hired as chef at the Italian embassy. The girls must quickly learn a new language and new customs--and although they come to love Japan, as Westerners their friends are few. As WWII approaches and then intensifies, life in Tokyo deteriorates, with food and clothing scarcities; classmates' brothers and fathers lost to war; school concerned with propaganda rather than learning. Then, in 1943, Italy surrenders--and Simona's family is now the enemy. From here, the novel becomes a survival story. The girls are separated from their father and sent to a starvation-level internment camp; escape and are rescued by a household of anti-war activists; they return, after the women's home is raided, to Tokyo, where they find refuge with a blind washerwoman; and finally, fatefully, end up in a Catholic mission in Hiroshima. Throughout, what saves them are Simona's strength and determination but also the sisters' assimilation into and respect for Japanese culture: at the camp, their politeness earns them life-saving tidbits from the kitchen; needing to buy train tickets back to Tokyo, they speak the language so well they pass for Japanese. Simona's eight-year-old voice is the same as her adult voice (the novel ends with a final chapter set in 1965), but readers may overlook this quibble as they immerse themselves in Napoli's story, told with immediacy, compassion, and nuance. A note describing the author's research and an extensive bibliography are appended.

Reviewer: Martha V. Parravano | Horn Book Magazine Issue: January, 2021

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Naoko Stoop. In this bilingual book, a child moving into a new home sees the girl next-door frolicking in the snow and joins her. Speech balloons (the book's only text) contain their simple conversation, starting with "Hello" and the new girl's "Konnichiwa" in response, followed by "Let's play!" and “Asobou!" Many of their words are onomatopoeic: they hear a woodpecker and reply, "Peck peck" / "Kotsu kotsu"; while packing the snow for a snowman they say, "Nade nade" / "Pat pat pat." When they "Shiver shiver" / "Buru buru," it's time to head inside. The girls dry off, fold origami, and have some tea ("Huu huu" / "Blow blow"). Back to playing, they laugh together, and their final words are fittingly the same: "Ha ha ha!" Stoop (Sun and Moon Have a Tea Party, rev. 7/20) uses mixed-media on plywood to create cozy pictures of the children's play, both indoors and out. Inside, the wood is cleverly left bare and used to depict floors; in outdoor scenes the woodgrain, lightly covered, looks like clouds. The characters' perfectly round heads, with simple dots for eyes, resemble those in the books of Gyo Fujikawa, known for her early inclusion of non-white characters; Stoop's Japanese child here befriends a brown-skinned curly-haired girl. Both author and illustrator include notes at the back on their own experiences with language and friendship. Minor quibbles: a pronunciation guide would have been helpful, and the Japanese word hashi appears incorrectly as haji.

Reviewer: Jennifer M. Brabander | Horn Book Magazine Issue: January, 2022

(2) 4-6 In late 1846 during Ireland's Potato Famine, twelve-year-old Lorraine meets Susanna, daughter of Lorraine's tenant-farming family's English landlord. Together they devise a plan to help the farmers and cottagers survive. Napoli skillfully evokes Lorraine's close-knit community, interweaving Irish culture, history, and scenery for an accessible and appealing story. Lorraine's affection for her family and solidarity with her starving friends deepen the personal tragedy. Timeline. Bib., glos.

Reviewer: Deirdre F. Baker | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2018

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Laurel Molk. Giant Galápogos tortoise Harriet defies other creatures' jeers and explores the ocean and surrounding islands at her own slow pace: "She was in no hurry. There was plenty to see." A calmly voiced narrative encourages readers to follow their own rhythms, while eye-catching watercolor and block-print illustrations depict the exotic creatures along Harriet's saunter. Note on a real tortoise named Harriet included.

Reviewer: Renée Wheeler

(2) 4-6 Illustrated by David Wiesner. The main attraction of novelty aquarium Ocean Wonders is a mermaid named Fish Girl. When Fish Girl is befriended by a human, she starts to wonder: what would happen if she got out of her fish-tank prison? Wiesner and Napoli create an intriguing, original graphic-novel tale, featuring Wiesner's trademark clean lines and studied details in watercolor panel illustrations.

Reviewer: Roxanne Hsu Feldman | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2017

(3) 4-6 Illustrated by Christina Balit. Napoli (Treasury of Norse Mythology et al.) presents the legendary tales of Scheherazade. A helpful introduction draws attention to the "stories within stories within stories within the overarching story" structure; sidebars provide further context for readers. Well-sourced back matter tells more about the author's "literary license" along with information about "the Ancient Arab World." Lush, luminous illustrations appear throughout. Bib., ind.

Reviewer: Elissa Gershowitz

(2) YA In this fairy-tale revisioning set in fifteenth-century Venice, Dolce believes that she's an ugly monster. Father and daughter Marin and Bianca introduce Dolce to Venetian high society, where she is considered beautiful. Though Dolce, soon married to Marin, loves stepdaughter Bianca, the girl's increasing beauty fills her with dread. Napoli's characteristic lush prose relates Dolce's journey from monster to stepmother to monster again.

Reviewer: Sarah Berman | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2015

(3) 4-6 Illustrated by Christina Balit. This third collaboration by Napoli and Balit (Treasury of Greek Mythology; Treasury of Egyptian Mythology) is ideally not readers' first encounter with Norse mythology, as its plethora of names and places can be difficult to keep straight. However, those already familiar with the pantheon will appreciate the chatty, witty text, accompanied by Balit's striking, angular, resplendent-hued illustrations. Timeline. Bib., ind.

Reviewer: Elissa Gershowitz

(2) YA Sixteen-year-old Sebah, a Canaanite girl, survives a massive flood that kills her family. As the rains continue, she encounters a giant boat--Noah's ark. Exhausted and grief-stricken, Sebah finds herself in a cage with a pair of bonobos, with whom she soon bonds. The characters that Napoli creates to flesh out her retelling of the classic story add depth.

Reviewer: Jennifer M. Brabander | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 2014

(2) YA In tenth-century Denmark, Brigid escapes from a Russian slaver. After becoming a competent sailor and archer, she searches for news of her abducted sister, Melkorka (Hush). Brigid and her crew of women become notorious pirates, freeing those captured by slavers. Inspired by the story of Alfhild, the first Norse woman pirate, this adventure-filled romp is steadied and enriched by its historical underpinnings.

Reviewer: Deirdre F. Baker | Horn Book Magazine Issue: January, 2015

(3) PS Illustrated by Amy Bates. In fifteen short, warm free-verse poems, a young girl and her mother enjoy a leisurely day at the seaside: splashing in the ocean, playing in the sand, watching the sunset. Soft pencil and watercolor illustrations emphasize the water, sand, and light of a summer day. In sidebars, pencil drawings illustrate one word from each poem in American Sign Language.

Reviewer: Deirdre F. Baker

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Jim LaMarche. A grain of sand in the vast ocean feels worthless. But when it becomes the center of a pearl, later presented to a Persian princess, it knows it's important. While the acrylic paintings create a radiant setting for this softly told story about feeling special (and how pearls are made), the emotions of a grain of sand may not resonate with children.

Reviewer: Patricia Riley

(2) 4-6 Illustrated by Christina Balit. Napoli brings a storyteller's art and a scholar's diligence to the myriad deities of ancient Egypt. Skillfully structuring her narrative from early creation stories to the Third Dynasty's Imhotep, she weaves a well-chosen sample of myths into a disarmingly informal narrative. Illustrator Balit gathers ancient Egyptian forms and motifs into dynamic compositions. Beautiful and indispensable. Reading list, timeline, websites. Bib., ind.

Reviewer: Joanna Rudge Long | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2014

(2) YA Sixteen-year-old Sep wakes up with white lips, and her pediatrician diagnoses her condition as vitiligo. The rapid progression of the disease is aligned with her developing relationship with classmate Joshua--the vitiligo an impetus for the relationship's whirlwind pace, and her love for Joshua a force that ratchets up Sep's anxiety. Sep's turmoil is poignant, and readers will empathize with her fears and feelings.

Reviewer: Katrina Hedeen | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2013

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Jim Madsen. Sacagawea's infant son, carried on her back, narrates this story. Napoli's prose is more evocative than explanatory: "We try dugouts / against the mighty spring current. / The current wins. / We buy horses / and ride…" The language, while poetic and imagistic, can be puzzlingly abstract. Digital illustrations with the appearance of expansive oil paintings depict the shifting landscape.

Reviewer: Elissa Gershowitz

(2) 4-6 Illustrated by Christina Balit. Napoli follows Greek mythology's evolution from its creation story and elemental early deities to the psychologically resonant lives of later heroes. Her language is animated and thoughtful, her characters fully equipped with histories and emotions that propel their behavior. Twenty-five deities and mortals get full chapters that include Balit's gloriously star-spangled double page–spread portraits--boldly expressive, large-eyed, muscled figures in a handsome saturated palette. Reading list, timeline, websites. Bib., ind.

Reviewer: Joanna Rudge Long | Horn Book Magazine Issue: January, 2012

(3) 4-6 In ancient Egypt, Kepi and her pet baboon are kidnapped and taken aboard a ship bound for the capital. Kepi, initially scared, then indignant, seizes on the chance to confront the pharaoh about his cruel treatment of workers such as her father. A fantastical eleventh-hour plot twist brings the story into fairy-tale realm, gratifying fans of Napoli's previous like-themed novels.

Reviewer: Elissa Gershowitz

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Kadir Nelson. This picture book celebrates Kenyan Nobel Peace Prize–winner Wangari Maathai who, by encouraging women to plant trees, also gave them a way to improve their lives. Napoli's text is spare but powerful (e.g., "Kenya was strong once more, strong and peaceful"), and Nelson's collage illustrations have the pleasing beauty of a well-made quilt. Back matter supplies information about Maathai's Green Belt Movement. Websites. Glos.

Reviewer: Chelsey Philpot