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“Partly Cloudy” by Deborah Freedman. (Ages 4-8. Viking. $18.99.)

Deborah Freedman’s soft-edged illustrations of two curious bunnies marveling at the clouds in the sky will make young readers want to reach out and pat them — as they marvel at the many forms clouds take (and even learn a bit about them).

Where one rabbit sees cotton candy, a cozy blanket or Rapunzel’s flowing hair, another sees cumulus, stratus and cirrus clouds. The two eventually decide that “we’re both right,” as they settle in to enjoy the show.

With the tale over, cloud-gazers get more information at the end of the book about the water cycle and cloud formation.

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“All the Rocks We Love” by Lisa Varchol Perron and Taylor Perron, illustrated by David Scheirer. (Ages 3-6. Rise x Penguin Workshop. $18.99.)

In this poetic exploration of the magic of rocks, there’s nothing wrong with looking down, because “a world of possibilities is waiting on the ground.” From stacking them to banging them, examining them and giving them away, these “countless treasures” are all around us.

At the end of the book, the shiny, sparkly, layered and fossil-filled rocks depicted in the illustrations get a closer look, with a guide to several types of rocks and how they are formed.

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“The Wonderful Wisdom of Ants” by Philip Bunting. (Ages 4-8. Crown Books for Young Readers. $17.99.)

They’re small, hungry and everywhere, and author-illustrator Philip Bunting sees plenty of lessons for humans in the lives of the planet’s 10 quadrillion ants. He’s not a scientist (as he reminds readers in his dedication), just a superfan who “believes that the answers to many of life’s questions can be found in your own backyard.”

Filled with easy-to-understand information about ants — and crawling with pictures of them — this colorful ode to the ubiquitous insects reminds readers that they could take a lesson from ants, who love “Family. Micronaps. Recycling. Helping others.” And, of course, “being caught on camera carrying stuff way bigger than they are.”

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“Thank You” by Jarvis. (Ages 3-7. Candlewick Press. $17.99.)

There’s so much to say thank you for that author-illustrator Jarvis’ red-hatted little boy could do it all day long — and then start all over again.

Filled with thank-yous that are sometimes sweet, sometimes silly and always heartfelt, this sublimely illustrated book doesn’t leave out dinosaurs, geese, hats, puddles or people: “I thank myself for being me. ‘Thank me very much,’ I say.”

Caroline Luzzatto has taught preschool and fourth grade. Reach her at luzzatto.bookworms@gmail.com. 

It’s the most wonderful time … or the most stressful. Classes are beginning, summer is ending and the breathless race through the school year has begun. Young people might be apprehensive about the changes ahead of them, and these three picture books offer comfort — for anyone who has worrisome questions about school, more words than they know what to do with, or, perhaps, hardly any words to share.

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“Ruby René Had So Much to Say” by Ashley Iman, illustrated by Gladys Jose. (Ages 4-8. Kokila. $18.99.)

Did you know that flamingos have no teeth and that the first game of dodgeball was played hundreds of years ago in Africa? Ruby René does, and she’d like to tell you about it. In fact, “asking questions, stating facts, and sharing dreams, Ruby René could talk for hours.”

But at school — well, teachers don’t always appreciate a student who has so much to say, even if she’s just trying to help. “Ruby,” her teacher sighs, “hold it in your brain. We can talk more later.”

Ruby tries to be silent, tries to write instead of talking, but she doesn’t have her breakthrough moment until one day, when the principal, instead of shutting her down, asks her to share a bit more. Ruby René finds that her eagerness to communicate is a strength, not a weakness — and that she is more than able to rise to the occasion.

Funny, quirky and kind, this book tells a simple story of turning challenges into opportunities — but also subtly reminds readers that young people’s voices are valuable and that young minds need encouragement, not exasperation.

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“Home in a Lunchbox” by Cherry Mo. (Ages 4-8. Penguin Workshop. $18.99.)

On her first day in a new school and a new country, Jun has notes written directly on her hand — the words “hello,” “thank you” and “I don’t know” — and as she struggles through her confusing, exhausting day, those are the only words she has to work with.

The days tiptoe past — Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday — and Jun, unable to understand the words spoken around her, unable to make friends or express herself, finds glorious refuge in one thing: her lunchbox, packed with the tastes of home.

Cherry’s Mo’s “Home in a Lunchbox” has few words, but it is packed with emotion (and dumplings), with luminous illustrations that explode into color every time Jun opens her lunchbox and is surrounded by the comfort of familiar tastes and happy memories.

And, as it turns out, that lunchbox full of love is not just a comfort. It’s also a connection, as one kind student reaches out and Jun shares a piece of her happiness, starting a chain reaction of shared dumplings, pizza, spaghetti, hamburgers — and friendship.

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“Olu’s Teacher: A Story About Starting Preschool” by Jamel C. Campbell, illustrated by Lydia Mba. (Ages 3-7. Candlewick Press. $17.99.)

Olu isn’t so sure about starting preschool. OK, he’ll have some friends in his class, and they might be doing some fun things, but what about the teacher? “Where do teachers LIVE? What do teachers EAT? What if my teacher has big, sharp teeth like a T. rex?” Don’t worry, his parents reassure him. Teachers are “people like us.”

Olu feels very small and very scared, but then he meets his teacher Jay, whose big smile and calming ways are a welcome surprise. Moment by moment, Jay helps him feel more at home, and the day flies by. “I blink twice — and all of a sudden, Mom’s there.”

As she picks him up, Olu finally realizes who his teacher reminds him of — and the moment brings him a great big smile just like Jay’s.

Written with warmth and understanding by early childhood educator Jamel C. Campbell, this refreshing introduction to first days and first school experiences includes a note at the end for grown-ups with suggestions about building excitement and confidence in young students, because every child deserves the sparkling start that Olu gets in this lovely book.

Caroline Luzzatto has taught preschool and fourth grade. Reach her at luzzatto.bookworms@gmail.com.  

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“I Am Book” by Joren Cull. (Ages 5-8. Penguin Workshop. $18.99.)

When Book lands on the shelf at a different school library, he’s not sure what makes him special — or, in fact, what makes anything at all. He’s just a book “with, um words? … and, err, pages? … and a yellow cover? I’m still finding where I fit, inside my brand-new home.”

And to his horror, he’s not the most popular book. In fact, someone calls him “so cringe” and someone else rips out a page.

Can he make himself over into a dictionary (with a lot of misspelled words) or a horror book (that’s too scary)? Or is the answer to realize that not everyone enjoys the same things — and that’s OK.

“Not everyone will like me, no matter what they see,” Book realizes, but he will find his place “as long as I’m still being the best book I can be.”

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“The Dictionary Story” by Oliver Jeffers and Sam Winston. (Ages 3-7. Candlewick Press. $18.99.)

Most books know what they’re about, but the dictionary “was never quite sure of herself.” After all, she had all the words in the world, but she didn’t tell a story — at least not until she decided to “bring her words to life.”

And before she knows it, a hungry alligator has sprung from the “A” section to chase a doughnut rolling away through the book, only to startle a ghost and encounter the moon — and soon the dictionary can hardly keep up with the story she has set in motion. Each new turn of the story is drawn on dictionary pages that become increasingly jumbled, all the way to the tornado, umbrella, Viking, walrus and zebra at the end, when the dictionary laments, “It was chaos!”

Fortunately, she eventually is able to put things back in (alphabetical) order — and this stunning work of art in book form invites readers to return again and again to enjoy its humor and beauty.

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“My Book and Me” by Linda Sue Park, illustrated by Chris Raschka. (Ages 3-6. Red Comet Press. $18.99.)

This rollicking tribute to a favorite book captures the pleasure of not just reading a book but of carrying it everywhere, memorizing it, losing it and finding it again. “There’s jam on the cover from yesterday’s toast and crayon inside from when I was little,” but it’s still perfect.

Chris Raschka’s ebullient illustrations show different children, each with a different book — their perfect book, the love of their (reading) life, that makes them say, “I know every word. They’re right here inside me.”

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“How to Make a Picture Book” by Elys Dolan. (Ages 6-9. Candlewick Press. $17.99. Due Tuesday.)

First things first: Elys Dolan is not a worm. But in her funny, idea-packed book for young authors, she’s “appearing as one because it’s quicker to draw than a person. You see, time is of the essence. We need stories and we need them now!”

With her handy assistant Bert (a blue bug), Elys the worm/ writer/ illustrator takes readers on a whirlwind tour: her “Gallery of Muses,” where she talks about story ideas, her “story math” approach to putting together winning story combinations, discussions of characters and settings — and stacks of suggested activities. There’s even a guide to stapling together a homemade book, so aspiring authors can “grab your pens and pencils and let’s get making!”

Caroline Luzzatto has taught preschool and fourth grade. Reach her at luzzatto.bookworms@gmail.com

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“Not Quite a Ghost” by Anne Ursu. (Ages 8-12. Walden Pond Press. $19.99.)

As the school year starts, Violet finds her life in a hopeless tangle. Middle school is starting, she’s moving into a new house … and she’s wary of spending time alone in her spooky attic room because there’s something haunting it, hidden behind the serpentine vines of the wallpaper: “This was going to be hard to explain to her parents.”

Violet’s old friendships seem to be curdling, and she is stuck in a merry-go-round of social awkwardness: a disastrous sleepover, cafeteria conflicts and — the horror! — gym class. Her response: “She might vomit. She might have a heart attack. She might vomit and have a heart attack at the same time.”

And then things get worse. When a mysterious illness colonizes her body, Violet struggles, suffers — and doubts herself, because her friends and doctors seem to think it’s all in her head.

Something spooky in the house senses her confusion and pain, and begins needling her: “They haven’t been able to find anything wrong with you, have they?”

The supernatural villain is scary, but Violet’s undiagnosed illness might be even scarier, and the parallels between a haunting no one else can see and health problems that elude doctors are painfully clear. As it turns out, Violet is stronger than that voice, and stronger than the doubters — and with a little help from new friends and a family who believe in her, she finds a way forward.

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“Wicked Marigold” by Caroline Carlson. (Ages 8-12. Candlewick Press. $17.99.)

Princess Rosalind is so delightful that flowers spring up in her footsteps and animals become tame at her glance, and when she is kidnapped by an evil wizard, the kingdom goes into mourning.

But this is not Rosalind’s story. This is the very funny, slightly spooky, thoroughly entertaining story of her not-so-perfect sister Marigold, who comes face-to-face with that perfection when Rosalind mysteriously returns from captivity.

“Rosalind’s perfect. Rosalind doesn’t sneak through walls or clamber on rooftops, and she certainly doesn’t stomp,” Marigold laments as she stomps as hard as she can.

The answer, obviously, is that Marigold needs to balance that sweetness and light by being as wicked as she can possibly be — in other words, by presenting herself on the doorstep of the wizard who had held Rosalind and declaring herself ready for an apprenticeship in magical mayhem.

What could go wrong — other than the fact that wizard assistance is mostly housework, and she perhaps turned her wizard into a blob of goop by accident, and his friends and associates are horrible? “Of course all the clients are awful,” sighs Pettifog, the nattily dressed demon who holds the magical household together. “Who else do you think would hire an evil wizard?”

In the end, of course, Marigold figures some things out — among them, how “evil” she really is, how to make peace with a perfect sibling, how to undo a spell gone awry, and how it feels to be turned into a beetle. She does indeed find her happy-ish ending, but the great joy of this novel is in the saucily funny details of life in the service of evil (or, truthfully, in the service of the somewhat naughty), and readers will be cheering for Marigold — and wishing for a longer stay in her magical world.

Caroline Luzzatto has taught preschool and fourth grade. Reach her at luzzatto.bookworms@gmail.com

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“Superdads!: Animal Heroes” by Heather Lang and Jamie Harper, illustrated by Jamie Harper. (Ages 3-7. Candlewick Press. $17.99.)

Dads are good at much more than corny jokes. In this cheerful book about fantastic fathers in the animal world, vibrantly colorful cartoon-style illustrations highlight the sometimes surprising roles they play.

Among the “devoted, hardworking, fierce, and fun” dads on display are the seahorse and Darwin’s frog, who carry around their little ones, brown kiwis who incubate eggs, and wolves and owl monkeys, who teach their offspring skills through play.

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“Find Out About: Animal Tools” by Martin Jenkins, illustrated by Jane McGuinness. (Ages 3-7. Candlewick Press. $17.99.)

Conservation biologist Martin Jenkins — author of a sterling collection of children’s books about animals — returns with an introduction to animal tool use, filled with inviting, softly colored illustrations.

From tailorbirds using plant fibers to sew together nests, to archerfish using jets of water to plunk bugs into the water, to mugger crocodiles using sticks to help them catch birds, Jenkins’s portrayals of these animal innovators add up into a fascinating book for young animal fans.

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“The Mighty Pollinators” by Helen Frost, illustrated by Rick Lieder. (Ages 2-5. Candlewick Press. $18.99.)

From the humble bumblebee to the night-flying bat, Helen Frost’s poems explore the lives of pollinators “small and mighty, holding the world together.”

This lyrical look at the creatures “on the front lines,/ keeping fruit and flowers alive” is illustrated with stunning, up-close photography that makes specks of pollen glow like gold and creatures like the emerald-green sweat bee shimmer like jewels. An afterword by the author discusses what pollen actually is, how pollination happens, and how to observe and help pollinators, offering next steps for young scientists entranced by this peek into a crucial corner of the natural world.

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“Super Swifts: Small Birds With Amazing Powers” by Justin Anderson, illustrated by Clover Robin. (Ages 4-8. Candlewick Press. $18.99.)

Readers will never again take the small, nondescript swift for granted after reading Justin Anderson’s tribute to this avian champion.

The book follows the epic journeys of these little wonders, who can reach speeds of 70 mph, fly up to 10,000 feet high, napping while they soar, catching falling raindrops to drink. And when they reach their destination and are ready to nest, they celebrate: “Kreeeeech! they cry as they shoot low overhead, screaming like fireworks, chasing, diving, darting.”

They lay their eggs, then start all over again with their record-breaking migrations, flying faster, higher and for longer than any other bird.

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“Clever Crow” by Chris Butterworth, illustrated by Olivia Lomenech Gill. (Ages 3-7. Candlewick Press. $18.99.)

The sprightly text and gorgeous art in this ode to crows — full of glistening black feathers and ebony eyes with the glint of intelligence — will encourage readers to think again about an easily overlooked bird.

“Wherever you are right now, there’s sure to be a crow or two nearby,” croaking and cawing, flapping “steadily on,” a smart survivor who has adapted to environments around the world. They have great memories, can use twigs as tools, and even play.

“Crows may not be graceful to look at or lovely to listen to,” the book reminds readers. “But crows are smart, clever, crafty, and playful … just like you!”

Caroline Luzzatto has taught preschool and fourth grade. Reach her at luzzatto.bookworms@gmail.com

Soak up some new knowledge (without getting your fingers all pruny) with these four gloriously illustrated picture books.

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“Dive! The Story of Breathing Underwater” by Chris Gall. (Ages 5-8. Roaring Brook Press. $19.99.)

Author-illustrator Chris Gall starts deep in the past, when traveling under the water was all about how long people could hold their breath.

“What’s down there? There is only one way to find out,” he writes — and begins his chronicle of how human ingenuity has allowed deeper and deeper dives. Among the fascinating episodes he diagrams and describes are the first diving bells, how underwater work on bridges caused early encounters with decompression sickness, and the invention of the bathysphere by amateur divers with dreams of the deep.

In this densely illustrated history, Gall makes the science understandable but also captures the wonder of exploring the planet’s last great frontier.

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“Else B. In the Sea” by Jeanne Walker Harvey, illustrated by Melodie Stacey. (Ages 5-7. Cameron Kids. $19.99.)

This portrait of an artist who painted stunning pictures of the newly discovered astonishments of the deep sea in the 1930s opens a window into a little-known chapter in the history of ocean exploration.

“Else B.” is Else Bostelmann, who was born and educated in Germany, emigrated to America, and for decades set aside her dreams of being an artist — but was then hired by the scientist William Beebe to document his momentous bathysphere expeditions in the Bahamas. Already in her 50s, Else B. embraced the challenge, experimenting with painting underwater and capturing the colors of the undersea world, and using Beebe’s notes and specimens to create watercolor sketches, charcoal drawings, and oil paintings of “bizarre fish, with their own built-in lights, like alien creatures.”

The book is filled with elegant watercolor, pencil and ink illustrations that bring the endeavor to life — and, delightfully, an author’s note that includes reproductions of some of Else B.’s remarkable paintings.

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“Aqua Boy” by Ken Wilson-Max. (Ages 4-8. Candlewick Press. $17.99.)

Aaron adores the beach, just like the rest of his family, who not only swim and explore but also clean up their beloved piece of nature. He has one problem: He’s afraid to put his head under the water.

“One day, I’m going to swim with the dolphins and whales,” he vows. But it’s not until a storm strands an octopus on the shore that he makes the leap.

“He kept looking at the octopus, and the octopus looked back at him,” as Aaron’s father gently helps the creature back into the water, and Aaron, entranced, puts on his goggles and follows its return to a watery home.

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“The Den That Octopus Built” by Randi Sonenshine, illustrated by Anne Hunter. (Ages 4-8. Candlewick Press. $18.99.)

This poetic introduction to the life cycle of an octopus embraces the crafty creature’s many skills, from clever hunting to stealthy camouflage, and its surprising weapons.

“This is the stream of blinding black ink/ she shoots at the seal, then she’s gone in a blink,/ back to the den that Octopus built.”

As sprightly as the rhyme is — following the pattern of “This Is the House That Jack Built” — it doesn’t shy away from the end of the story, as the octopus protects a den full of eggs, then dies after her offspring hatch and float away. In-depth notes at the end (appealingly titled “Arm Yourself with Octo-Knowledge”) add more information about this amazing animal.

Caroline Luzzatto has taught preschool and fourth grade. Reach her at luzzatto.bookworms@gmail.com

“Bunny’s Most Fabulous Vacation Ever!” by Brian Fitzgerald. (Ages 4-8. Red Comet Press. $18.99.)

Bunny has the perfect vacation planned: collecting rocks alone, stargazing alone, swimming alone, and putting up a fence to keep out intruders. And then, disaster: “A monster had set up camp … RIGHT! NEXT! DOOR!”

But it turns out that Bob the monster likes all the same things Bunny does, and after a storm ruins his plans, Bunny decides to share her space, and her vacation, with him, so they could be “two happy campers in a cosy caravan.”

It turns out that a shared vacation was just the break Bunny needed — and she and Bob “made plans to do it all over again next year.”

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“If You Spot a Shell” by Aimée Sicuro. (Ages 4-8. Random House Studio. $18.99.)

Summer is all about beach trips, and Aimée Sicuro’s beautiful flight of fancy takes readers on a voyage of discovery, turning beach finds into gorgeous illustrations (made with real shells).

A shell “could be a pirate’s patch, a raft that floats, or a magical kaleidoscope,” and Sicuro turns shells into all of these things, as well as umbrellas, swim caps, kites and rocket ships. “If you spot a shell, you could imagine most anything” — proof that summer is a wonderful time to let your body and your mind roam free.

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“Found” by Sam Usher. (Ages 3-7. Templar Books. $17.99.)

It starts off as just another beach day for a boy and his grandfather as they pack their snacks and towels and buckets — full of the delights of building the “best sandcastle in the world” and enjoying “the best ice cream I’d ever eaten.”

And the day only gets better. When the boy discovers a seal in distress, he and his grandfather take off on a grand, imaginative adventure across the ocean, under the sea, through a shipwreck, and then back home again.

It was an amazing day, they agree at the end of it, leading to just one question: “Can we go again tomorrow?”

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“Heatwave” by Lauren Redniss. (Ages 4-8. Random House Studio. $19.99.)

Nothing captures those relentless days when the sun has baked you to a crisp as perfectly as the nearly monochromatic illustrations in “Heatwave,” glowing red like the burner of a stove.

“No way. Too hot. Game cancelled. 100 degrees in the shade,” the text puffs, too hot and exhausted to say any more, as a boy and his droopy dog seek relief.

There’s a subtle environmental message here, about how it feels to live on a warming planet — but also a simple, evocative diary of a summer day when it’s nearly too hot to think or move, at least until a downpour and sunset offer a bit of relief.

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“The Truth About the Couch” by Adam Rubin, illustrated by Liniers. (Ages 3-7. G.P. Putnam’s Sons. $19.99.)

In the summer, beaches and swimming pools and amusement parks may get all the attention — but what about the humble couch, a beloved destination on many a lazy, happy summer day?

Adam Rubin’s tongue-in-cheek ode to the couch offers cheerfully bogus baloney about everything from what couches eat (spare change, remotes, and occasionally a grandmother) to where they come from (couch farms and spaceships, obviously). But don’t take my word for it: Check out this handy guide … just make sure you don’t run afoul of the dinosaur-riding furniture police.

As the book says, “The truth was right there under your butt the whole time.”

Caroline Luzzatto has taught preschool and fourth grade. Reach her at luzzatto.bookworms@gmail.com

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“The Fastest Drummer: Clap Your Hands for Viola Smith!” by Dean Robbins, illustrated by Susanna Chapman. (Ages 7-9. Candlewick Press. $17.99.)

Viola Smith might not have planned to play the drums. But in her family’s jazz band, it was the only instrument that wasn’t taken, so she gave it a try — and it was love at first CRASH. “She lost the beat, made a terrible racket, and had more fun than she’d ever had before!”

Bold, flashy and dedicated to learning more about her accidental instrument, Viola kept drumming when the rest of the family dropped out of the band — even though the idea of a female jazz drummer seemed out of sync with 1930s attitudes. Undeterred, she launched a band with female musicians — The Coquettes — and put her skills on display, mounting her massive drum kit on a platform and showcasing her flash with flying drumsticks.

Not content with her own success, she lobbied during World War II for established bands to give “girl musicians” a break, continued to study music, launched a solo act with an even more spectacular drum kit, and learned to play in symphony orchestras as well.

Paired with Dean Robbins’ thoughtful text, Susanna Chapman’s kinetic illustrations capture the whiz-bang enthusiasm and power of Smith’s drumming, bringing glorious life to the story of a woman who played her own beat from age 13 to 107.

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“Lucy! How Lucille Ball Did It All” by Amy Guglielmo and Jacqueline Tourville, illustrated by Brigette Barrager. (Ages 4-8. Abrams. $19.99.)

On Monday nights at 9, Lucille Ball did it all: She broke television barriers with a massive hit show that she starred in and produced, creating a comedy legacy that’s still inspiring people today. But it didn’t come easy. When she was a sassy, silly, attention-seeking child, “girls weren’t allowed to be loud, and they weren’t supposed to be funny.”

Through the ups and down of her youth, including her father’s death, financial struggle, school plays, and trips to vaudeville shows, Lucy nurtured a dream of performing — even though acting school and her early bit parts didn’t capture her special comedic gifts. She pushed and pushed, through dozens of movies, studying comedy, dyeing her hair its signature red to stand out in Technicolor — until she muscled a wise-acre role in a radio comedy into a groundbreaking entertainment deal, heading her own TV studio and starring in her own show, “I Love Lucy.” The rest, of course, is hilarious history.

Brigette Barrager’s watercolor ink illustrations, with pops of color (like Lucy’s hair) highlight the effervescent nature of Lucille Ball’s star quality, and an afterword digs deeper into Ball’s pioneering work as the queen of comedy.

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“Signs of Hope: The Revolutionary Art of Sister Corita Kent” by Mara Rockliff, illustrated by Melissa Sweet. (Ages 4-8. Abrams. $19.99.)

A “fearless explorer” of art, Sister Corita Kent, the ’60s-era “Pop Art nun,” preached a message of embracing the beautiful details of everyday life. “She sees nothing ordinary, nothing ugly,” and her vibrant prints were as big, bright and loud as she was quiet and thoughtful.

Packed with collage art reflecting the nun’s own work, this colorful biography is filled with quotations from Sister Corita’s ministry of peace, equality, art, love and joy. This tribute includes an author’s note and timeline at the end tracking her place in ’60s history and her eventual departure from her religious order to continue her artwork.

Bursting with encouraging words and rainbow colors — like her version of the U.S. Postal Service “love” stamp —  it’s a love letter to a surprising artist who “taught us how to SEE and play and protest joyfully, to make art all our lives and to make our lives ART.”

Caroline Luzzatto has taught preschool and fourth grade. Reach her at luzzatto.bookworms@gmail.com

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“The Perfect Place” by Matt de la Peńa, illustrated by Paola Escobar. (Ages 4-8. G.P. Putnam’s Sons. $18.99.)

It’s a perfect day for Lucas, soaring through the school hallway, basking in the glow of a perfect grade on his perfect report. And then imperfect life intervenes: His father’s truck breaks down and he arrives home to find the electricity shut off again, his mother preparing for a night shift, putting on makeup by candlelight. Lucas’s triumph feels forgotten. This is home: “the paint peeling off the walls and the broken dresser drawers … the orange juice stain on the rug.”

That night, Lucas dreams of another place, a perfect place, where “a parade was arranged where the mayor presented him with the Medal of Perfection and recounted for the crowd each perfect thing Lucas had ever done.” It’s a glorious, sunny, clean, orderly place — until a little boy spills a cup of juice, and the tiny stain is all it takes to exile him from this world of perfection.

And with that, the spell is broken. Lucas backs away from the magical world and returns to his own “sagging old building” and bustling neighborhood, and wakes up to the messy reality of family love and a welcoming home that’s just “the right kind of imperfect.”

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“Being Home” by Traci Sorell, illustrated by Michaela Goade. (Ages 4-8. Kokila. $18.99.)

As the story opens, a Cherokee girl says farewell to city life, where “more houses go up. Fewer animal relatives visit. Our family is too far away.” But change — a new rhythm of life — is on the way, as she moves home “to our ancestors’ land and to our people.” Her arrival brings friends and relatives to help unpack, room to roam, the sound of a rollicking creek rather than the buzz of traffic.

Stunning pencil, gouache and digital illustrations capture the joy of exploration and connection as a family leaves behind the staccato drumbeat of city life for a new pace. The girl sighs, “I love the rhythm of being home.”

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“Back Home: Story Time with My Father” by Arléne Elizabeth Casimir, illustrated by Ken Daley. (Ages 4-8. Candlewick Press. $18.99.)

All of Daddy’s wonderful stories “begin with ‘lakay’ — back home.” And Lune treasures the tales her father tells of life in Haiti, stories based on childhood memories, stories with messages about truth and love, stories of the aspirations that led him to go to school and emigrate to a new country.

Lune loves these stories so much that she sneaks out of bed to wait up for her father, who is coming home late from his long shifts at work — and he understands right away what she wants. “His voice embraces me. He knows I am here for a story.”

The greatest gift Lune’s parents give her, though, is the understanding that she, too, has stories to tell, about her own life, stories to share with her parents and the world. A sensitive ode to immigrant families’ treasured connections to “back home” as well as the power of storytelling, Casimir’s book invites young readers to build and share their own stories about home, wherever it may be.

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“The Spaceman” by Randy Cecil. (Ages 3-7. Candlewick Press. $17.99.)

The spaceman isn’t impressed. In fact, “at first glance I thought this a rather ordinary planet,” he confesses, upon landing on Earth one starry night.

But when the petite traveler’s spaceship is stolen by a pesky bird, he’s forced to wander, admiring the plant life and encountering a “hideous beast” that at first seems to be a slavering monster but turns out to be an “unrefined … but charming” dog who just wanted to play.

After a joyous day of fun and exploration, the spaceman finds his missing spaceship and faces the sad task of returning to endless wandering. After all, “one does have one’s responsibilities.” Then again, if there were to be a mishap with the ship, he’d be forced to call this wondrous planet home, and continue “laughing and playing … and enjoying the gentle breeze with my friend.” It turns out this little spaceman knows an extraordinary home when he sees one.

Caroline Luzzatto has taught preschool and fourth grade. Reach her at luzzatto.bookworms@gmail.com

Children with pets of all sorts know very well how strong that bond can be — and these three new books about special relationships between animals and humans will definitely give young readers a big dose of the warm fuzzies.

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“Just Like Millie” by Lauren Castillo. (Ages 3-7. Candlewick Press. $17.99.)

When a young girl moves to a new home, she doesn’t feel lonely – because being alone feels safe and predictable. “Before Millie it was just Mom and me, in a new city, in our new apartment,” she says.

But when Mom takes her to an animal shelter to meet gentle Millie, not too big, not too small, “a just right dog,” the girl’s life begins to open up, and her fear of new people and new experiences begins to fade. “On every walk we met at least one new person. It was less scary each time,” she says.

With her wordless friendliness, Millie becomes a best canine buddy and helps her favorite person make a new human friend too.

Author/illustrator Lauren Castillo’s story is as gentle and sensitive as her canine character — and her gorgeous ink, watercolor and pastel illustrations capture both the heartbeat of the lively neighborhood and the tentative steps forward of the young protagonist.

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“Luigi: The Spider Who Wanted to Be a Kitten” by Michelle Knudsen, illustrated by Kevin Hawkes. (Ages 4-8. Candlewick Press. $18.99.)

When a big, hairy spider finds an old house to live in, he thinks that all he wants is a dark corner to hide in and a few bugs to eat. Imagine his surprise when the friendly (human) inhabitant of the house lifts him from under the couch and proclaims, “It feels like a kitten! I have always wanted a kitten.”

Before he realizes what has happened, the spider has a new name, a breakfast minus the bugs, and a toy to play with — as well as some cheerful companionship. But what happens when his new friend realizes Luigi is more arachnid than alleycat?

This heartwarming tale — complete with personable illustrations that truly make the spider look charmingly kittenish — ends on a tender and understanding note for the surprise soulmates.

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“The Secret Elephant” by Ellan Rankin. (Ages 4-8. Random House Studio. $18.99.)

Inspired by the true story of a Belfast zookeeper who took a baby elephant into her home every night during the aerial bombardment of World War II, “The Secret Elephant” tells the tale from the point of view of the petite pachyderm.

She and the keeper “crept and we creep’d. We sneaked and we snuck’d,” she says. “I was a VERY stealthy young elephant.”

But of course young elephants grow up, neighbors talk … and the arrangement can’t last after the head zookeeper finds out.

Still, when the elephant can’t come home with her any longer, the young woman brings home to the elephant, staying with her at the zoo during the long, frightening nights. Even after the war, after she stops working at the zoo, the woman continues to visit her elephant friend — and the connection remains strong, even though they’ve “both got a few more wrinkles now.”

Caroline Luzzatto has taught preschool and fourth grade. Reach her at luzzatto.bookworms@gmail.com