(4) K-3 Illustrated by Tom Murphy. Rhyming verse tells of a pug who learns to juggle, becomes famous, indulges in plenty of doggie misbehavior, and nearly gets booted from town. His promise to change appeases the townspeople, but the pug immediately ignores his pledge and poops on a friend's rug. The droll black-line illustrations accented with primary colors are much more diverting than the brief, uneven text.

Reviewer: Carolyn Shute

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Tom Murphy. Mack, a bear, unexpectedly wakes up with a boy on his back. Using just three shades of orangey-brown and a single end rhyme, Bryan and Murphy build tension throughout Mack's packed day, expertly releasing it with a color addition and rhyme change when Mack finally slows down (though the author's "stop...and smell the lilacs" message is mostly for adults).

Reviewer: Claire E. Gross

(3) PS Illustrated by Tom Murphy. A boy wakes up with a bunny named Fred on his head and encourages his skeptical mother to see the advantages of his new situation. With a rhyming text well matched to spare, slyly drawn illustrations, this playfully absurd story is simple, silly, and short: a good choice for starting up or closing out story hours.

Reviewer: Gay Pampalone