We picked a full bag of mostly new picture books from the library as we don't visit it as often as during the school year. Several new publications were examined by my review team – our children. Some were bold, creative, large and colorful. Fiction, informational, biographies: we read many different books over a number of days. In my mind as I hear their comments and listen or watch their reading enjoyment I run my own elimination process.

A simple, quiet, gentle book was the clear winner this time, beating all of its "louder" competitors: What Bluebirds Do, by Pamela Kirby. It won all of our hearts with the true photographic story of a pair of bluebirds in the backyard of the author's house. Beautiful photography, a list of resources, and a careful description of the bluebirds' life are combined into the most delightful nature-book we have come across in a while!