(4) 4-6 Illustrated by Jennifer A. Bell. A drifting leaf lures calico house cat Patches outside and into surprising adventures in this companion to Little Dog, Lost. Patches's benevolence toward the animals she meets, especially Gus the dog, returns to her in spades in this kindhearted novel written in easy-to-read free verse. The story is a bit message-y but still appealing, its warmth aptly reflected in Bell's softly shaded illustrations.

Reviewer: Carolyn Shute

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Jennifer A. Bell. After flopping and flapping, a young dragon finally achieves his first flight. But he breaks Mama's rules (don't fly too high, too far, or without Mama), which results in his crash-landing in unfamiliar territory. After a nervous-making moment, ever-watchful Mama rescues him. Digitally manipulated pencil and watercolor illustrations feature round-headed, friendly-faced dragons with ample child appeal. Little Wing's pride in his accomplishment, followed by anxiety, followed by reassurance from Mama rings true.

Reviewer: Rebecca Reed Whidden

(4) 1-3 Adventures of Sophie Mouse series. Illustrated by Jennifer A. Bell. In her seventh chapter book, mouse Sophie finds a four-leaf clover while painting. When, instead of good luck, she starts having very bad luck, Sophie wonders what's happening. Could her classmate's rumor about the Clover Curse be real? The tame, gentle story of friendship and school includes sweet black-and-white illustrations on nearly every page.

Reviewer: Grace Worcester Greene

(3) 1-3 Illustrated by Jennifer A. Bell. Third grader Stella breaks a mirror while getting ready for the Somers Elementary School Library Sleepover. Are the "ghosty yellow eyes" in the library and the spooky book that appears on her sleeping bag signs of bad luck? Or are they actually serendipitous? As usual, Stella's enthusiastic narration and Bell's cozy grayscale illustrations produce a lighthearted read with gently delivered lessons.

Reviewer: Rebecca Fox

(3) PS Illustrated by Jennifer A. Bell. As storm clouds gather, an adult collie guides a puppy home. Glimpses of other adult animals protecting their young follow, each captioned with a comforting rhyming couplet assuring young readers that "a storm will always end." Soothing, swirling double-page illustrations accompany the story, which ends with the collie and pup cuddling peacefully indoors.

Reviewer: Grace Enriquez

(4) 1-3 Adventures of Sophie Mouse series. Illustrated by Jennifer A. Bell. This mildly diverting chapter-book series about a mouse and her woodland friends continues with Sophie learning about differences and what makes us special (Forget-Me-Not) and that a little brother can be useful and smart (Winston). Sophie's emotions and experiences reflect those of young children; newly independent readers will appreciate the black-and-white pictures on nearly every page. Review covers the following Adventures of Sophie Mouse titles: Forget-Me-Not Lake and Looking for Winston.

Reviewer: Grace Worcester Greene

(4) 1-3 Adventures of Sophie Mouse series. Illustrated by Jennifer A. Bell. This mildly diverting chapter-book series about a mouse and her woodland friends continues with Sophie learning about differences and what makes us special (Forget-Me-Not) and that a little brother can be useful and smart (Winston). Sophie's emotions and experiences reflect those of young children; newly independent readers will appreciate the black-and-white pictures on nearly every page. Review covers the following Adventures of Sophie Mouse titles: Forget-Me-Not Lake and Looking for Winston.

Reviewer: Grace Worcester Greene

(4) 1-3 Adventures of Sophie Mouse series. Illustrated by Jennifer A. Bell. In these chapter books, Sophie Mouse and best friend Hattie Frog experience gentle adventures in their woodland habitat. The two learn to give a new classmate a chance (Friend) and to not trust rumors (Berries). Friendly black-and-white drawings depict all of the animal characters as roughly the same size. The purposeful stories are mildly diverting. Review covers these Adventures of Sophie Mouse titles: The Emerald Berries and A New Friend.

Reviewer: Grace Worcester Greene

(4) 1-3 Adventures of Sophie Mouse series. Illustrated by Jennifer A. Bell. In these chapter books, Sophie Mouse and best friend Hattie Frog experience gentle adventures in their woodland habitat. The two learn to give a new classmate a chance (Friend) and to not trust rumors (Berries). Friendly black-and-white drawings depict all of the animal characters as roughly the same size. The purposeful stories are mildly diverting. Review covers these Adventures of Sophie Mouse titles: The Emerald Berries and A New Friend.

Reviewer: Grace Worcester Greene

(3) 1-3 Illustrated by Jennifer A. Bell. Stella is jealous when her little sister, Penny, is cast in the TV show they both auditioned for. On the day of the taping, Stella sets her feelings aside to comfort her scared sister. As usual for the series, the relatable story teaches an important lesson without being too didactic. Bell's sweet sketchlike illustrations fit the book's vibe nicely.

Reviewer: Julie Bartynski-Fenner

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Jennifer A. Bell. A frightened mouse is chased into a theater by a cat, takes refuge in ballerina Céleste's pointe shoe, then cautiously strikes up a friendship by leaving crumbs and baubles for Céleste to find. The pear-shaped mouse and long-limbed dancer make endearingly incongruous dance partners. The mouse's-eye-view perspective heightens the drama of a few scary moments, but a warm pastel palette throughout will reassure readers.

Reviewer: Katie Bircher

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Jennifer A. Bell. While hiking, Rhoda amasses a collection of glinting, palm-snuggling, glowing rocks of various shapes and sizes. When the collection becomes too heavy, Rhoda must pare down to a handful of the most special souvenirs. Griffin's gently poetic text and Bell's feathery art in warm forest greens and blues lend softness to this quiet nature book.

Reviewer: Rebecca Reed Whidden

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Jennifer A. Bell. Squirrel Walnut, who misses Mom when she's at work, talks to her about why she has a job ("so I can pay rent on our den"). The writing is inconsistent, but the vigorously illustrated story is refreshingly honest about the nonmercenary reasons that grownups work ("I'm good at what I do"; "People depend on me").

Reviewer: Nell Beram

(4) PS Illustrated by Jennifer A. Bell. Without saying the words, different animal grandpas express love for their grandchildren in many ways: tousling hair, winking, tying shoelaces, or "teaching you to throw a super-duper, screaming yellow zonker sinker ball." Rendered in pencil and finished digitally, cozy vignettes and double-page spreads highlight the special relationships between grandfathers and their grandchildren in this sentimental story.

Reviewer: Sheila M. Geraty

(3) 1-3 Illustrated by Jennifer A. Bell. Third grader Stella volunteers to watch her friend Evie's dog while she's on vacation. But when Bella gets loose, Stella needs help from her family and friends to find the puppy before Evie returns. The story teaches an important lesson in responsibility without being too didactic. Fans of the series will enjoy Stella's latest pleasant adventure, augmented by Bell's sweet illustrations.

Reviewer: Julie Bartynski-Fenner

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Jennifer A. Bell. "Dear Santa, Thank you for my Christmas presents." So begins Ava's yearlong correspondence with Santa. He's pleased to receive a thank-you note and answers monthly, describing how he's met the Tooth Fairy but not the Easter Bunny, how to handle brothers who don't believe in him, and more. It's entertaining repartee, supported by cheerful illustrations of their respective lives.

Reviewer: Patricia Riley

(3) PS Illustrated by Jennifer A. Bell. "When a dad says 'I love you,' he doesn't always say it in the plain old ordinary way." This amiable book lists what fathers do to demonstrate their love for their children. The pencil and digitally finished illustrations show a variety of doting animal dads spending time with their youngsters--making pancakes, answering questions, and gamely singing the same song over and over.

Reviewer: Martha Sibert

(4) 4-6 Illustrated by Jennifer A. Bell. More than anything, Mark wants a dog. His mom, the town's mayor, says no. More than anything, dog Buddy wants a boy. But hers has moved away. More than anything, shy Charles Larue wants to belong. But the town has labeled him as odd and shunned him. A chance thunderstorm fixes all their problems in this somewhat trite but sweet verse novel.

Reviewer: Lauren Aimonette LIang

(3) 1-3 Illustrated by Jennifer A. Bell. Stella falls asleep with a piece of "Magical Glow-in-the-Dark Chewing Gum" in her mouth and wakes up with it stuck in her hair, forcing her to cut it short. And worse, best friend Willa announces she's moving away. Hopefully, the magic gum can grant wishes--and fast. Tender illustrations and a quirky narrator make this a pleasing chapter book.

Reviewer: Susan Halperin

(3) 1-3 Illustrated by Jennifer A. Bell. In Pardon Me, Stella's best friend Willa moves away and ignores her; when Stella meets Evie, a new student from London, things begin to look up. Case finds Stella upset with "meanies," from Mrs. Finkel to class mean-boy Joshua, but Stella's sweet nature ultimately wins. Chapter-book readers will continue to relish Stella's playful narration in these third and fourth installments. Review covers these titles: Stella Batts: A Case of the Meanies and Stella Batts: Pardon Me.

Reviewer: Julie Bartynski