(3) K-3 Illustrated by Abby Carter. Outdoors-loving and usually obedient dog Scooter escapes when the front door is left open. After going a little too far outside his normal walking route (and his comfort zone), he realizes that exploring is more fun—and less scary—with his owner. Onomatopoeia and funny dog-speak translations will keep kids engaged. Expressive watercolor and pencil illustrations chronicle his excitement-packed adventure.

Reviewer: Sethany Rancier Alongi

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Stephen Gammell. In this takeoff of "There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly," a teacher consumes more and more outlandish animals, class pets all. When faced with the climactic snack--a child--the green-faced, wild-haired teacher insists: "I would never do that!" Bowen's rhymes will have kids rolling in the aisles between their desks, and Gammell's spiky mixed-media illustrations are fittingly absurd.

Reviewer: Shoshana Flax

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Tomek Bogacki. The snow, the lights, tree shopping--a girl describes for her young brother every traditional aspect of Christmas. She concludes by telling him that he is what makes this Christmas special. The boy looks too old to qualify as a "new baby brother," but otherwise the illustrations, which seem to exist behind a scrim of icy white frost, are spot-on.

Reviewer: Nell Beram

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Barry Gott. The book's inspired premise--what teachers do at school after students go home--is enough to draw in readers; exuberant illustrations of teachers run amok seal the deal. Alas, this Spanish version doesn't replicate the energetic rhymes of the original text, and the bland translation limits the book's appeal.

Reviewer: Tim Wadham

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Barry Gott. Energetic text and exuberant illustrations work together to depict what teachers do after the students have left for the day ("They change into jeans / and get ready to play. / They shout to their friends / 'The day's over! Hooray!'"). Young readers will have a blast examining each illustration closely to discover all the mischief being made by the teachers.

Reviewer: Jeannine M. Chapman

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Jon Berkeley. On her first night as a tooth fairy, Sally encounters the skeptical Miranda Kay, who has hidden her tooth in an attempt to discover whether the tooth fairy is real. Sally gamely follows Miranda's clues, retrieves the tooth, and even turns the tables on Miranda. Berkeley's portrayal of Sally is refreshingly unsentimental, though text and pictures leave a few loose ends.

Reviewer: Martha Sibert

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Tomek Bogacki. A young girl explains to her baby brother all of the good things that happen while visiting Grandma and Grandpa, even passing along tips for the very long car ride (bring books, games, and "all your crayons"). The soft illustrations show the girl on previous visits enjoying every season with her grandparents. The quiet, gently amusing story will resonate with both adults and children.

Reviewer: Anne St. John