(4) K-3 Ollie the owl is jealous of his grandmother's treatment of baby cousin Lily. The initial scenes of jealousy ring true, but later the text tells rather than shows the problem at hand, and the resolution is too sudden and too happy. The illustrations contain appealingly fluffy brown owls, but the bright teal grass is at odds with the purple sky and nighttime setting.

Reviewer: Lolly Robinson

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Tim Warnes. A terrifying bear stomps and roars and hoards all his yummy honey, not sharing with the other forest animals. But in a surprising twist, it's just Bear playing his favorite game: "Big Scary Bear." Convincingly in on the farce and adding to satisfaction of the revelation are the soft illustrations of endearing animal characters initially shivering in fear before laughing it off.

Reviewer: Sheila M. Geraty

(3) K-3 As he helps Big Bear prepare for the holiday, young Teddy keeps asking, "Is it Christmas yet?" His boundless enthusiasm--and mishaps resulting from it--begin to try Big Bear's patience, but the elder rises to the occasion when the Christmas tree breaks. Lively illustrations, with Teddy charging and cavorting across the large pages, underscore the air of anticipation and excitement.

Reviewer: Martha Sibert

(4) PS Mouse waits alongside the riverbank for her "Special Friends." Rabbit, Frog, and Turtle join Mouse in her carefree wait, spending the day having fun together only to find that they are, indeed, Mouse's "Special Friends." Chapman's cheery art adequately reflects the sweet, sentimental story.

Reviewer: Sheila M. Geraty

(3) PS Humpty Dumpty, Jack and Jill, Three Blind Mice, Goldilocks, the Little Red Hen--they're all here in one convenient greatest-hits-style anthology of classic nursery rhymes and stories. While this volume will be redundant for some collections, Chapman's flat, bold, eye-pleasing acrylics help make the book a choice introduction for the uninitiated.

Reviewer: Nell Beram