(3) K-3 I Like to Read series. There's heavy traffic on the roads and on the water, but everyone must "Stop" to make way for nine little web-footed pedestrians. The text features nine distinct words and helpful repetition ("Cars go. Trucks go. Fire trucks go") and is well supported by the lively illustrations for a satisfyingly simple story. The vehicles' attention-getting colors and patterns offer lots to notice on repeat readings. Transportation buffs will get a lot of mileage from this zippy early reader.

Reviewer: Kitty Flynn

(3) K-3 To plan the "Blowout Bug Jamboree," an ant is used as the unit to measure other insects. A simple text makes size comparisons while charts visualize them; later, data is presented with a bar graph and a pie chart. A final gatefold shows all the insects on a "Jamboree Buggy-go-round!" A lively, approachable introduction to nonstandard measurement, comparison, and graphing.

Reviewer: Janet Dawson

(4) K-3 A couplet and an assortment of sea creatures--rendered in pen-and-ink, torn- and cut-paper, and watercolors--drift across each bright undersea spread. The rhymes (which aren't the smoothest) provide a brief overview of marine animals' skeletal variety, while a paragraph on each page expounds on endoskeletons, exoskeletons, cartilage, and creature-specific adaptations. A fact chart at the end compares eight sea creatures.

Reviewer: Rebecca Fox

(3) K-3 I Like to Read series. A dog lists the animals in the flower garden, from frog to bee to snail, and then proceeds to claim it: "This garden is all for me." The bare-bones language is accessible to beginners, and the narrator's change of heart ("No. This garden is for all of us") adds depth. Close-up, childlike illustrations put readers right in the garden.

Reviewer: Martha Sibert

(4) PS "Monkeys groom messy hair / to start the monkey day. / Elephants flap big ears / in cool, misty spray." Barner can be a stop-and-go driver of rhymes, but overall his book, which compares animal (including human) hygiene habits, is a pleasant ride. The collage art is photographed so pristinely that readers can see each stitch in every decorative ribbon.

Reviewer: Nell Beram

(3) PS A single sentence describes each of eight bears, including polar, spectacled, and moon bears. Smoothly enhancing the main text, the last two spreads offer information about the cubs (e.g., size, development) and geographic location of each species. The simple rhyming text and appealing collage art make this an accessible and entertaining beginner book on the bruin.

Reviewer: Bridget McCaffrey

(4) PS Translated by Teresa Mlawer. A family honors its ancestors on el Día de los Muertos or the Day of the Dead. The sing-songy rhyming text (which is more effective in the Spanish translation) lists activities associated with the holiday: food preparation, dancing, candle lighting, and remembering. Barner's colorful mixed-media illustrations are livelier than his text. An author's note (in English) provides additional information.

Reviewer: Tim Wadham

(4) K-3 Barner exploits the popularity of dinosaurs and butterflies to introduce basic concepts about ecosystem relationships, extinction, and survival. The brightly colored, energetic paper-collage illustrations are the draw here, portraying friendly fauna frolicking in a verdant prehistoric paradise. The big scientific ideas may be lost on the intended audience, but the images are great to look at.

Reviewer: Danielle J. Ford

(4) PS This introduction to penguins shows their activities and habits in tropical and polar climates. The pithy rhyming text is nearly upstaged by the eye-catching cut-paper collage illustrations; unfortunately, on many spreads, the text falls too close to the gutter. The book appends a few penguin facts including what they eat and what eats them; a "Penguin Parade" highlights the seventeen different species.

Reviewer: Amanda Mc. MacGregor

(3) K-3 Following a trail of ants to his own picnic lunch, a young boy pretends to be on a safari. Along the way he observes ant behavior and that of several other insects and invertebrates as well. At the end, several of the "bugs" are described in simple, factual sentences accompanied by pictures. The brightly colored cut- and torn-paper art highlights the "jungle" motif.

Reviewer: Paula M. Cairo

(4) K-3 Each month offers an opportunity for a parade, from the Thanksgiving Day Parade in November to a pet parade in June. Not fully focused on official holidays, the parade theme lacks a solid cohesive thread. The rhyming text is illustrated with bold cut-paper collage illustrations. Appended are useful facts about each month and instructions for making a calendar.

Reviewer: Sheila M. Geraty

(3) K-3 "Shooting stars streaking tails of sparkling light / The Big Dipper holding a scoop of night." Using brightly colored paper-collage illustrations and an engaging rhyming text , Barner introduces the sun, stars, and planets. While some scientific facts are appended, the book's best use is as a first visual tour of the solar system.

Reviewer: Danielle J. Ford

(3) PS Spare prose relates what a boy imagines he'd see if he were a fish swimming in a coral reef. The text is intermittently artful ("cloud of jellyfish," "sea of stars"), but the graphic collages of painted papers, fabric buttons, and such are more striking. A labeled double-page illustration of the coral reef, general facts about some of the creatures, and a note on coral reefs are appended.

Reviewer: Emma Loy-Santelli

(2) K-3 An introduction to maps using a familiar historical event adds a fantastic--and appealing--element to Paul Revere's ride, with a cadre of friendly mice to help him on his mission. Dramatic double-page spreads emphasizing abstract shapes and flat surfaces include portions of the map following Revere's route; a map at the end depicts the entire journey. Appended material includes brief notes on constructing maps and a summary of "The Ride."

Reviewer: The Horn Book, Inc.