ONLY ONLY MARISOL RAINEY

In her latest series outing, Marisol Rainey faces her fear of a large dog on the loose.

Marisol loves riding her bike, especially with her best friend, Jada. On weekends they ride around their neighborhood, pausing only when they come to the house where the terrifying beast lives, whom they call Daggers. They’ve never interacted with the dog, so Marisol doesn’t know if Daggers is his real name or if he is even dangerous at all. One day Marisol sees a lost dog flyer for Daggers (actually, turns out his name is Gregory). Her nervousness grows, making it difficult to ride her bike alone. She and Jade seek help from their friend Felix, who claims he can talk to animals. Felix doesn’t know how to ride a bike, so the girls make a deal: They’ll give him lessons if he finds a way to communicate with—and recapture—Gregory. But teaching someone takes patience, and Jada is being rude to Felix. Marisol, who’s often plagued by the what-ifs, confronts her fears and discovers she’s not the only one who worries about things. Short and sweet, this installment is full of humor and relatability. Characters deal with friendship ups and downs and learn not to make snap judgments about people. Kelly's charming black-and-white illustrations add fun facts about animal communication and bike safety. Marisol is biracial (her mother is Filipina, while her father is White), Jada is Black, and Felix presents White.

A fun read that brings only delight.