A young boy fears he'll be his mom's next fix-it-up project."There's Nothing my mom can't do Something with," protagonist Jake shares. From "tires and teapots" to "traffic cones and soup cans," his mother sees treasure in trash, scouts dumpsters for hidden gems, and piles her wheelchair with odds and ends that they "simply must have." (In a delightfully silly scene, she even tows home an abandoned trawler hitched to her wheelchair; it is refreshing to see a disabled character enacting slapstick humor.) In their cozily cluttered apartment, Mom "tinkers and tailors," transforming her eclectic finds into new creations. A rusty truck becomes a flourishing daisy garden; a "damp bedraggled rat" is transformed into "quite a decent dog" in a humorously absurd montage. But when their curmudgeonly neighbor Mr. Price grumbles that Jake's "must-have mom" "won't be satisfied until she's changed every last thing in the world," Jake worries: Does she want to change him, too? In a poignant speech, Mom assures him that she wouldn't change a thing about him-he's her "one and only must-have son!"-and even Mr. Price can't suppress a smile. Khatun's scratchy, expressive cartoon-style illustrations energetically and colorfully complement Smith's rhythmic, upbeat text. Mom's enthusiasm is infectious, and the tender bond between mother and son radiates from their faces, accentuated by warm family portraits gracing the walls of their home. Jake and his mom have medium-brown skin and straight black hair; Mr. Price presents White. (This book was reviewed digitally.)A sweet, environmentally-conscious tale of unconditional love. (Picture book. 4-8)

With whimsical storytelling, Smith and Khatun offer an unexpected take on an indestructible parent-child relationship. Jake’s mother adores dumpster diving, and turning her discoveries into unique objects—“where most people see Trash and Junk, she sees Opportunity and Treasure.” Amid bright-colored scenes of the brown-skinned pair wheeling home an assortment of “must-have” curbside finds via Mom’s wheelchair, Jake offers exaggerated narration of his mom’s trash triumphs. “A damp bedraggled rat” gets turned into “quite a decent dog,” and a “rusty old truck” is transformed into a flower-filled planter. Trouble ensues after a curmudgeonly neighbor’s thoughtless comment causes Jake to worry that his mom’s tinkering will extend to changing him. Luckily, though, Mom also knows how to fix misunderstandings. Loosely drawn pencil sketches by Khatun are colored digitally with a rainbow range of flat hues and exhibit a style that well suits the cluttered, casual aesthetic propelling this intergenerational story. Ages 5–8. (Mar.)

K-Gr 2 Told in the first-person, this is a story about a young boy, Jake, concerned that his mother's tendencies might relate to him in a worrisome way. She's a trash-to-treasure fanatic, who can improve upon every torn, rusted, or broken object they collect. Could this mean that she wants to change him, too? Is he deficient in the same way as the discarded things? Unfortunately, Smith doesn't sufficiently expand the narrative to connect the dots between the mom's hobby and the boy's anxiety. The lively illustrations depict diverse characters, with the boy and his mom both presenting as dark-skinned, and while it is not consequential to the story itself, the mother uses a wheelchair. The parental reassurance at the end is a sweet touch, though the child's misunderstanding is not clear enough to make the ending satisfying. VERDICT This book succeeds more on the theme of recycling than the intended social-emotional learning.Gloria Koster