This is a charmingly illustrated book about the joys of sharing and giving to others. The storyline is explained in the title, and it explains how, since giving to others can make you feel very happy that, once you’re done with this book, write your name on one of the blanks on the endpapers and give it to someone you think could use a little more love. Such a wonderful message and lesson to learn!

The blurb inside, on the front of the dust jacket, describes this book as a “new classic.” I have to agree. It’s a beautiful meditation on how our qualities as a youngster can empower us to move into new directions as we get older, say, the fidgety kid in the back of the class might become and engaging teacher some day, or the sympathetic child who shares with others might lead many someday, because we should not mistake “kindness for a weakness.” It’s a beautiful and moving book, accompanied by clever and lovely illustrations, which offers a Gods-eye view of humanity. A new classic.

This is a cute and clever alphabet book, where each two-page spread uses multiple words to form a charming couplet, which is illustrated above each. For instance, “Seahorse sings sweetly to Shark, who feels sad.” and “Tiger says ‘Thank you’ to Turtle, who’s glad.” What a delight!

In this darling treasure of a book, a little girl loves the ethnic foods she is served at home, but when some other students ask what it is, she becomes embarrassed. Her parents come up with a clever scheme to help win over her — and her classmates. There are quite a few details, in the story and in the helpful appendix, which explain the Cantonese terms and delicious dishes, too. Well done!

This is a winning entry in the Uni the Unicorn series that my little girls just love. When Uni grows pumpkins in her garden, finding some of the garden was trampled and eat at night, her friends grow fearful, thinking it must be a ghost or monster. Although she is a little scared, too, Uni wants to know the truth more. Soon, she makes friends with a cute (and hungry) critter. I like that it shows how knowledge overcomes fear. As Marie Curie once said, “Nothing in life is to be feared, it is only to be understood.”

The lovely illustrations elevate this engaging history about how Thanksgiving was made into an official national holiday by Abraham Lincoln, in response to the advocacy and letters of Sarah Josepha Hale. Her family loved turkey and cranberries and pumpkin pie, so you know she knew what was good. I can only feel sorry for her after writing to a string of presidents, who ignored her, and are roundly remembered as among our nation’s worst. There are introductory and concluding sections on being thankful and on the many traditions we have created around the holiday.