Twelve Dinging Doorbells
by Tameka Fryer Brown; illus. by Ebony Glenn
Primary    Kokila/Penguin    32 pp.    g
10/22    978-1-9848-1517-0    $17.99
e-book ed.  978-1-9848-1518-7    $10.99

“At the first dinging doorbell this ­holiday I see… / a sweet potato pie just for me!” In this delightful takeoff on “The Twelve Days of Christmas,” a little Black girl’s house begins to fill with family, friends, music, dancing, and food. The celebration brings, among others, “seven brothers repping,” “six toddlers squealing,” and “LOTS OF MACARONI AND CHEEEEESE.” The growing (mostly happy) chaos is cleverly reflected in a subtly changing text and especially in the illustrations, which employ unusual perspectives and dynamic angles to great effect. A warm, funny, original book — and don’t worry, our little girl gets her pie in the end. ­MARTHA V. PARRAVANO

Mother Winter
by James Christopher Carroll; illus. by the author
Primary    Creative Editions    16 pp.    g
8/22    978-1-56846-377-3    $16.99

“If you are awake, / on the longest cold night, / when the wind curls and frost holds time, / you’ll hear her bells and smell the first snow, / when Mother Winter goes walking.” This lyrical, luminous winter solstice book exhorts readers to go outside and experience the season’s natural wonders. The title character appears in the glowing, moonlit illustrations as a benevolent, larger-than-life figure whose blue cape trails behind while (in the text’s refrain) she “goes walking” through a town. Swirls of light and color abound in spectacular cool-toned art whose effect is ­breathtaking. ELISSA GERSHOWITZ

Snow Horses: A First Night Story
by Patricia MacLachlan; illus. by Micha Archer
Primary    McElderry    40 pp.    g
11/22    978-1-5344-7355-3    $18.99
e-book ed.  978-1-5344-7356-0    $10.99

On New Year’s Eve, young Jenny drives Percheron horses Tim and Tom from their farm to the market for a bustling celebration (“There is laughter and talk” is a refrain) and then back home; a dog gets the cozy last word. MacLachlan’s poetic text is hushed (“the sleigh makes a / whisper sound in the / snow — a comforting / swish, swish, swish”) but allows excitement to build (“in every window / of every house / there are little lights. / The town sparkles”). Archer’s illustrations, rendered in collage with homemade papers and inks, create luminous landscapes and invite poring over for details. A joyful, homey way to ring in the new year. SHOSHANA FLAX