Joy Cowley

When Marta ruins her homework and breaks her glasses, Grandmother soothes her with an ancient story and one of her delicious tortillas. Set on the Papago reservation in southern Arizona, watercolor illustrations bring the desert setting and characters to life.

Joshua Tucker’s best friend on the family farm is Semolina, a sassy and talkative chicken — at least with Joshua. A sneaky, hungry red fox puts Semolina at risk in more than one way in this satisfyingly old-fashioned story dotted with black/white illustrations.