(3) 4-6 Horace Splattly: The Cupcaked Crusader series. Illustrated by Barry Gott. An amorous villain named the "Heartbreaker" is ruining recess at Blootinville Elementary by conjuring rainstorms over the playground. All the students end up in the library, forced to listen to the surly science teacher's boring epic autobiography. It's up to Horace to set things right. Fans of the series will enjoy this humorous, quirky, fast-paced installment. Cartoony black-and-white art appears throughout.

Reviewer: Mark Adam

(4) 1-3 Horace Splattly: The Cupcaked Crusader series. Illustrated by Barry Gott. Blue shag carpet is taking over town, and Horace must save the day. His cousin, who inadvertently eats one of the power-giving cupcakes meant for him, lends a hand...as the Annihilator. There are some loose ends, but like the four previous books, this one is quirky and fast paced. Cartoony black-and-white art appears throughout.

Reviewer: Mark Adam

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Scott Nash. Talk show host Pickle, "the only talking pickle in the world," is lonesome until he befriends an Antarctic penguin who longs for a change of scenery. Pickle takes Penguin back to his home in New York City, but the two get separated. While Penguin wanders lost, Pickle does his briny best to find him. The dynamic illustrations add charm to the reassuring text.

Reviewer: Mark Adam

(3) 1-3 Horace Splattly: The Cupcaked Crusader series. Illustrated by Barry Gott. On a school camping trip, Horace and friends investigate the sudden disappearance of their teachers, who have been abducted by Clownosauruses, strange creatures reputed to steal laughs from their victims. In his guise as the Cupcaked Crusader, Horace discovers that the Clownosauruses have gotten a bum rap and really aren't that bad after all. This over-the-top story is paced at hyper speed and contains plenty of silly humor.

Reviewer: Peter D. Sieruta

(3) 1-3 Illustrated by Barry Gott. When snapping hair clips attack the citizens of Blootinville until they're bald, Horace Splattly, a.k.a. the Cupcaked Crusader, is mistakenly blamed. Unfortunately, he must practice a humiliating routine for a prince pageant, instead of finding the true culprit--a disgruntled, unpopular hairdresser who's opened a wig shop. David's over-the-top story is rich with mystery, mounting tension, and humor.

Reviewer: Mark Adam

(3) 1-3 Horace Splattly: The Cupcaked Crusader series. Illustrated by Barry Gott. The evil Chef Nibbles has hypnotized the second-grade Lily Deaver scout troop into doing his bidding--namely to destroy all the grocery stores and restaurants, forcing the town to eat Nibbles' Snoodles and Cheaze. It's up to fourth-grader Horace Splattly (a.k.a. the Cupcaked Crusader) to save the day. Fans of the absurd will enjoy the kitsch drama. Black-and-white cartoon art adds to the silliness.

Reviewer: Mark Adam

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Tara Calahan King. Because his Halloween alter ego, Captain Crusader, is so popular at his new school, Max wants to keep wearing his costume even after the holiday is over. However, he soon realizes that his imagination (and a little flexibility) provide an even better entree into his classmates' games. The offbeat illustrations for this satisfying story portray Max's real life along with glimpses of his imaginary adventures.

Reviewer: Martha Sibert

(3) 1-3 Illustrated by Barry Gott. Horace, the littlest guy in his class, gains super powers when he eats the weird cupcakes specially baked by his bossy, genius younger sister. These enable him to rescue his principal from a giant principal-eating gerbil--goofy plotting that readers with a silly sense of humor will love. The idiosyncratic characters are strongly drawn, while Gott's cartoon art adds a suave touch.

Reviewer: Anita L. Burkam

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Frederique Bertrand. A vindictive brother trades his little sister to Zub, a big red creature, for some paper and crayons but then wants to renege on the bargain when he misses her too much. While this Faustian story employs realistic dialogue to portray the sibling relationship, the message is heavy-handed: "you were a greedy, selfish boy who wasn't thinking about his sister." Some of the childlike illustrations are painted or drawn on ledger paper.

Reviewer: Melinda Greenblatt

(4) 1-3 Illustrated by Delphine Durand. Second-grader Gregory Sampson awakens one morning to find he has become a beetle, and no one but his best friend notices the transformation. Much more chipper and mild than Kafka's Metamorphosis, the story and its offbeat stylized illustrations offer an amusing, if rather pat, look at what it might be like to be a bug for a day.

Reviewer: Christine M. Heppermann

(4) 1-3 Illustrated by Clement Oubrerie. In this unusual tale, a mean, bossy alter ego named Lucretia takes over Miranda's body. At first Miranda likes the way Lucretia gets whatever she wants, but when she goes too far, Miranda reclaims herself--and her parents. This unique revenge fantasy highlighted by offbeat, humorously energetic illustrations goes on a bit too long but makes its point effectively.

Reviewer: Susan Halperin