(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) PS Illustrated by Emma Dodd. In rhyming text, a child describes everything he loves about his new sibling, starting with "one fat tummy, tight as a drum. / Two little cheeks on one little bum." While pointing out the baby's adorable body parts isn't a new concept, the welcoming illustrations--complete with floating hearts in the backgrounds--warmly convey the family's love for their new addition.

Reviewer: Rachel L. Smith

(4) PS Illustrated by Emma Dodd. "I love my daddy, yes I do, / He’s very kind--and funny too," begins a toddler's book-length tribute. The soothing text occasionally contorts conspicuously to make a rhyme work ("He teaches lots of things to me"; "He lifts me on his shoulders high"), but the illustrations--bold, boisterous, mellifluous--never miss a beat.

Reviewer: Nell Beram

(4) K-3 Illustrated by David Wojtowycz. Insects and other creepy outdoor creatures introduce themselves with only the simplest facts. Though jovial and lighthearted, the poems may come off as patronizing in their eagerness to show that bugs are worth befriending. The rhyme and meter are mostly effective, but not-quite-rhyming pairs (e.g., rotten/bottom) do occur. Invitingly bright illustrations are this collection's winning feature.

Reviewer: Shoshana Flax

(4) PS Illustrated by Emma Dodd. A little protagonist loves Mom and thinks readers should, too. Andreae's rhyming text, highlighting the importance of the mother-child bond, supposedly from a toddler's perspective, is warm and humorous but not always convincing. Dodd's illustrations, big and bold and outlined with thick black lines, fill the pages, making this a cuddly lap-read.

Reviewer: Sophie Williamson

(4) PS Illustrated by David Wojtowycz. Each letter is matched with an animal who offers an autobiographical profile ("Hello, I'm a big happy hippo") in verse. There are a few clever descriptions, but many rhymes in this familiar-seeming book are predictable (paws and jaws, whale and tail), and some rhyme anchors are used more than once (sea, sky). The illustrations are pleasingly color saturated.

Reviewer: Nell Beram

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Russell Ayto. While on a museum field trip, young Captain Flinn is led to Gordon Gurgleguts's ship, just in time to help find the rest of his treasure. Flinn must also save the treasure--and Captain Gurgleguts--from Bag o' Bones Island's pirate dinosaurs. The story's narration and the angular, collage-style watercolor and ink illustrations are full of fun.

Reviewer: Shoshana Flax

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Sue Hellard & Sue Hellard. A proud grandfather brags about how smart his two-year-old grandson is. Granddad thinks that the boy's paintings are as masterful as Picasso's and that he will soon get a Ph.D. and be elected president. Although the amusing illustrations show the older man and toddler doing age-appropriate activities, the rhyming text is aimed more at adults than young children.

Reviewer: Patricia Riley

(3) PS Illustrated by Nick Sharratt & Nick Sharratt. Don't let the title deceive you: the delightful array of pants celebrated in this bouncy, Dr. Seuss-style rhyme are all of the underwear variety. "Small pants, big pants / Giant frilly pig pants," "Fairy pants, hairy pants / Run away from scary pants!" and other humorous groupings are playfully depicted in Sharratt's black outlined, neon-colored pictures.

Reviewer: Christine M. Heppermann

(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 Vanessa Cabban. In a rhyming text, Andreae explains that babies grow inside their moms, but he limits the information to a few simple facts: during pregnancy, moms grow larger, get hungry, feel sick, and are sleepy. Cheerful illustrations with rounded, smooth shapes and friendly, warm colors are more engaging than the slight text and contribute to the comfortable tone of the book.

Reviewer: Maeve Visser Knoth

(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

(3) PS Illustrated by David Wojtowycz. Andreae devotes one bouncy verse to each of fifteen barnyard animals, including the fox and the owl who hunt there. Many are amusing, such as Turkey's contribution: "I've got these funny, floppy things / That hang down from my neck, / They dangle when I gobble / And they wobble when I peck." The sprightly illustrations use large shapes and bright colors to depict widely smiling cartoon farm animals.

Reviewer: Martha Sibert