(3) K-3 Illustrated by Sue Truesdell. "If I were allowed to invent my own zoo, / the first thing I'd have is..." So starts this funny rhymed adventure in which readers see sharks reading books, oxen as short-order cooks, a big animal pillow fight, groundhogs on a picket line, and more. The loose-lined, detail-packed, peppy illustrations add even more personality to the book's zany cast of characters.

Reviewer: Kari Allen

(2) K-3 I Can Read Book series. Illustrated by Sue Truesdell. A pesky chicken's constant dirt-scratching threatens friends Earl and Pearl's pumpkin-growing project. They banish the chicken from the pumpkin patch--until grasshoppers descend. Chicken, with a few authoritative clucks, manages to save the day. The book's careful accumulating structure, repeated refrain, and controlled yet piquant vocabulary are big plusses for new readers. Truesdell's pen-and-ink and watercolor illustrations provide humor, characterization, and action.

Reviewer: Martha V. Parravano | Horn Book Magazine Issue: January, 2009

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Sue Truesdell. Rhyming text describes an array of hats one might see on Halloween night, worn by children on their way to a party: "Floppy hats and sloppy hats, / silly hats and frilly hats. / Flowered hats for bees to buzz in, / fussy hats from someone's cousin." This simple story is fast paced, and the cartoon watercolor illustrations are cheerful and bustling with energy.

Reviewer: Mark Adam

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Sue Truesdell. When Red the Clown gets a new dog, Grumps the old circus family dog worries that he isn't appreciated. He works and works to improve his one and only trick. In the end, Red the Clown makes sure he gets his share of cheers, because he's family, after all. The playful, energetic watercolor and pen-and-ink illustrations successfully characterize this tale of loyalty and determination.

Reviewer: Patricia Riley

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Sue Truesdell. These informative, good-natured guides to pet behavior emphasize the importance of learning the ways in which pets communicate emotions through their actions, facial expressions, and body positions. The combination of photos of the author and cartoony illustrations of animals works against the factual insistence of the texts; however, the illustrations are for the most part skillful at capturing familiar animal expressions.

Reviewer: Danielle J. Ford | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2000

(3) 1-3 Illustrated by Sue Truesdell. When the local bully starts combing his hair, wearing cologne, and following them around, the Scarface Detectives (a.k.a. Willie, Lucy, and Kyle) fear the worst: aliens must have taken over his brain. The sleuths' efforts to prove their case make for lots of laugh-out-loud sequences, well matched by the breezy cartoon-style illustrations. Plenty of clues help point readers to the real reason for Chuckie's about-face.

Reviewer: Tanya D. Auger

(3) 1-3 Illustrated by Sue Truesdell. Originally published in Cricket, these are the collected adventures of Caroline and Hilary, the fairy (in girl form) who's come to live with her. Together they use Hilary's magic to build the tallest snowman, enliven a magician's show, and make Caroline's cat invisible so he can accompany them to school. The girls make an enchanting pair, and Truesdell's loose line drawings embody their zest and energy.

Reviewer: Emma Loy-Santelli

(2) K-3 In Willie's third encounter with the mysterious, he has more to contend with than the ghost in his friend Kyle's new house: when Kyle moved away, Lucy became Willie's new best friend, but now Kyle is back in the neighborhood. This neatly managed conundrum is a half step up from the easy reader genre and eminently accessible--at once funny and scary with expressive cartoon-style illustrations that zoom with energy.

Reviewer: The Horn Book, Inc.

(4) K-3 Young Filbert MacFee is sick of being in the hospital, so he eats some magic animal crackers. He changes into different animals at will to avoid shots, medicine, and other hospital discomforts. After a lot of monkey business, kindly Dr. Kebob diagnoses Filbert's real affliction--homesickness. Although overly long, the outlandish story and cartoon illustrations make this an entertaining read.

Reviewer: The Horn Book, Inc.