Brave Old Blue by Colleen Muske (author) and Christopher Thornock (illustrator) (Sleeping Bear Press). “Old Blue arrives. Unsure. Alone. Trying to be brave. ‘Welcome, Old Blue,’ says Bobby. Old Blue nickers.” The exhausted, frightened animal takes in his surroundings and slowly — slowly — begins to understand that he’s finally safe, and that life at the horse-rescue sanctuary will be the sweetest one he’s ever known.  

Bannock in a Hammock by Masiana Kelly (author) and Amiel Sandland (illustrator) (Inhabit Media). “Bubbly with holes in a cast iron pan, Cienna likes bannock with butter and jam…You can eat it with char, or caribou stew, or with quaq, or maktaaq, to name just a few.” There are endless ways to enjoy the simple flat bread — a staple for Indigenous peoples in the U.S. and Canada — but don’t worry if you don’t know how to make it. The author, an Inuit and Dene, includes an easy recipe!

At the Window by Hope Lim (author) and Qin Leng (illustrator) (Candlewick). The little girl walks by the nice woman’s house every day — and every day, the woman’s windows are uncovered. Strange, thinks the girl, whose own panes are curtained. It’s not until the woman moves away that the girl, exploring the empty house, discovers what she’d been admiring: “From here I can see so many things I never noticed before,” she thinks as she takes in the beauty of her own neighborhood. Maybe it’s time to pull back her house’s curtains, too!