(3) PS Illustrated by Guy Parker-Rees. A bouncy rhyme introduces little penguin Pip-Pip, who's afraid of the water. His understanding mother urges him to think positive thoughts about the sea (e.g., there could be "friends for you to meet"), instead of fearing monsters and other disasters. Large, expressive blue- and purple-tinged illustrations show nervous Pip-Pip finally taking the plunge, as well as his delight when he realizes he can swim.

Reviewer: Martha Sibert

(4) K-3 StoryPlay Book series. Illustrated by Guy Parker-Rees. Four girls head to the store for the perfect party shoes (Shoe-la-la); amiable dinosaurs dance and stomp in a "dinosaur romp" while two worried-looking rodents watch (Dinosaurumpus!); two pigs squander their money on chips and "sody-pop" instead of solid building materials (Pigs). New to these editions are intrusive discussion prompts and appended "creative activities" to help parents "engage with your little one." Review covers these StoryPlay Book titles: Shoe-la-la!, Dinosaurumpus, and The Three Little Pigs and the Somewhat Bad Wolf.

Reviewer: Kitty Flynn

(4) PS StoryPlay Book series. Illustrated by Guy Parker-Rees. Mother fox loves her cub even when he's angry or wild (Love); cartoon illustrations display a cat's dramatic imaginings when its book goes missing (Bear); a frog invites animals to dance with him in "the cool of the pool" (Down). New to these editions are intrusive discussion prompts and appended "creative activities" to help parents "engage with your little one." Review covers these StoryPlay Book titles: I Love You Because You're You, Maybe a Bear Ate It!, and Down by the Cool of the Pool.

Reviewer: Kitty Flynn

(4) PS Illustrated by Guy Parker-Rees. "Tigers are not made of cotton, / And although they're furred quite thickly / They can get mad very quickly." A young boy learns that outlandish animals, such as a Tyrannosaurus rex or a tiger, are not conducive to bedtime. (A teddy bear is a better option.) Though Edwards's slapstick rhymes lumber along, bright illustrations convey the silly cautionary tale's over-the-top action.

Reviewer: Sheila M. Geraty

(4) PS Illustrated by Guy Parker-Rees. Told that she is too small to compete in the Jungle Run race, lion Cub proves that her diminutive stature is advantageous when she outmaneuvers the other animals through the course's obstacles. Generic but amiable cartoon illustrations and a sometimes stumbling meter don't add to the story, but the message that size is irrelevant to success will be empowering to preschoolers.

Reviewer: Rebecca Reed Whidden

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Guy Parker-Rees. Farmer Joe--a hound in overalls--decides to lift everyone's spirits by playing a song on the guitar. Fox, Rabbit, and Bear all join in with their instruments, and soon the entire farm is moving to the music. The rhyming (sometimes forced and singsongy) text is well matched by the jolly, brightly colored illustrations.

Reviewer: Marika Jeffrey

(4) PS Illustrated by Guy Parker-Rees. Singsongy, repetitive rhymed text introduces readers to the exploits of young penguins as they spend the day having fun. Things appear to take a dramatic turn when a lost seal pup appears, but everything turns out okay. Exuberant illustrations capture the penguins' playfulness. Though the penguins themselves are cartoony, background colors highlight the glorious iridescence of winter in the Antarctic.

Reviewer: Cindy Lombardo

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Guy Parker-Rees. When the animals on Noah's ark get fractious, Noah suggests a talent show. The frogs hop, the toucans peck, the elephants spray, but it's the caterpillars that dazzle the others by turning into butterflies. This very loose interpretation of the Bible story is marred by clunky, forced rhyme. The cartoon art is busy but energetic, featuring brightly colored backgrounds and varied perspectives.

Reviewer: Maeve Visser Knoth

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Guy Parker-Rees. As a bell tolls midnight, a dog and a cat observe a procession of supernatural creatures. Couplet verses count backward as eleven witches, ten ghosts, and so on are introduced in busy, amusing illustrations. The ending is predictable (everyone has gathered for a Halloween party) in this not-too-scary book that will appeal to kids who like their wizards friendly and their spiders smiling.

Reviewer: Peter D. Sieruta

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Guy Parker-Rees. Portly, a young hippo, is bored by sitting in water and eating grass all day. He ventures into the jungle and mimics characteristics of rhinos, bats, elephants, and giraffes. In the end, Portly returns home where the "water felt wonderful, and the boring old grass tasted better than ever." The brightly colored illustrations infuse humor into this unoriginal tale.

Reviewer: Charlotte S. Huck

(4) PS Illustrated by Guy Parker-Rees. Mucky Ducky loves mud; his mother is a neat freak. One day, just as she is about to stop Ducky from wallowing in the muddy millpond, she falls in--and has a blast. The writing is generically giddy, and the cartoony art is hectic, but kids will respond well to the notion of a longtime killjoy parent finally seeing the light.

Reviewer: Nell Beram

(4) PS Illustrated by Guy Parker-Rees & Guy Parker-Rees. In this often alliterative, rhyming alphabet book, the animal-filled images feature objects--both mentioned and unmentioned--that begin with the featured letter; an illustrated list of some of the unmentioned objects is provided at book's end. Some of the rhymes strain to scan ("j is for jellybeans--ooh, they're so nice!"), but this is a peppy alphabet book nonetheless.

Reviewer: Nell Beram

(4) PS Illustrated by Guy Parker-Rees. It's time for Baby Leo to have his nap, so all jungle noises must stop. Papa Lion gives one enormous roar, quieting the jungle cacophony. But one by one, the animals start "cawing," "chuckling," and "howling," only to be shushed by Papa Lion. Regardless, Baby Leo sleeps soundly until he is awakened in a most surprising way. This is a slight but rowdy tale featuring colorful, action-packed art that's likely to amuse listeners.

Reviewer: Hilary Breed Van Dusen

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Guy Parker-Rees. Amiable dinosaurs dance and stomp in a "dinosaur romp" while two worried-looking rodents watch. It's not good science (the old name Brontosaurus, rather than Apatosaurus, is used), but it's definitely good fun. The cheerful tone, swooping, swirling text, and brightly colored art showing exuberantly dancing dinosaurs make this a good choice for story hours.

Reviewer: Susan Dove Lempke

(3) PS Illustrated by Guy Parker-Rees. "Down by the pool in the cool of the day, Frog cried, 'Wheeeee! Can you dance like me?'" One by one, other animals join in, each dancing in a different way: Duck flaps, Pig wiggles, and Sheep stamps. Listeners may be inspired to do some wild dancing themselves. Spirited, vibrantly colored cartoon-style illustrations match the mood of the bouncy rhyming text.

Reviewer: Martha Sibert

(4) PS Illustrated by Guy Parker-Rees. It's time for Africa's annual Jungle Dance, but alas, Gerald the giraffe is graceless. After he's ridiculed for attempting to join in, a cricket encourages him to listen to his surroundings ("the sweetest music / is those branches in the breeze"). The story's happy outcome and moral are simplistic, but the taut, fleet rhymes create a catchy soundtrack for Parker-Rees's comical, carnival-toned images.

Reviewer: Nell Beram