(2) K-3 Etiquette expert Elizabeth Picklepop IV's mettle is tested when her Introduction to Manners lesson goes from bad to worse to very undignified. An accidental splatter of blue paint morphs into a well-meaning but impulsive creature with Technicolor digestive issues. Ms. Picklepop tries valiantly to ignore Blurp's disruptions, managing to keep calm and carry on even after Blurp guzzles first red then yellow paint and the ensuing projectile blurps cast a colorful spray all over our bespectacled hostess and her ornately decorated manor house. Derby's (Two Many Birds, rev. 1/21) vibrant illustrations were made with images from "1950s home décor magazines, using digital tools, and splattering ink and watercolor from across a room." Every page is a feast of visual humor, whether the quirkily illustrated characters are part of crisp photo-collaged scenes or coated in Blurp's paint splatter. Ms. Picklepop finally loses her composure after a particularly humiliating faux pas (imagine a paint-filled whoopie cushion that sticks to one's derriere) and then attempts to salvage the situation with a lesson on being considerate...but it's not very considerate to yell at someone, is it? An apology and formal introductions (including Ms. Picklepop's tension-diffusing malapropism) set things back on track. This crowd-pleaser is sure to be enthusiastically if not politely received.

Reviewer: Kitty Flynn | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2023

(2) K-3 Birds of various forms and colors (impressionistically rendered with hip outfits) rest in the branches of a tree with a clearly labeled maximum occupancy of 100. An official- and stern-looking gray bird--the Bird Monitor--enforces the limit and manages the line of birds waiting for their turn: "15 Minute Wait at This Point." The birds are obedient but sullen-looking. New rules keep appearing, ever more arbitrary and senseless: "No nesting! No resting! No hair gel! No nudity!" Occupancy is reached when an egg hatches--with twins--atop another bird's head, thus jacking up the total number of birds in the tree to 102. The Bird Monitor loses it: the sky turns red and the vibrant watercolors appear messier as the furious enforcer yells "TWO MANY BIRDS!!!" and reaches for a net. The group finally rebels, swarming to create the shape of a giant bird (à la Leo Lionni's Swimmy, rev. 8/63) and swooping at the Bird Monitor in a full-fledged uprising. By the end, the Bird Monitor isn't entirely repentant, but the creatures now work together to cultivate several trees: "No more waiting!" There is a steady and engaging rhythm to the clever hand-lettered text, and visual jokes abound (for example, a bird with squiggling legs waits outside a "bird-a-potty"). This playful and multilayered story has the potential to spark laughs as well as conversations about order, rules, power, and community.

Reviewer: Elisa Gall | Horn Book Magazine Issue: January, 2021

(4) K-3 A girl named Amariyah offers a tutorial in ant-walking: "STEP ONE / Find Ant"; "STEP TWO / Politely Introduce Yourself"; etc. The steps contain tips, rules, and other hand-lettered-looking text elements, some hard to read. This visual confusion undermines the book's abundant humor, exemplified by Amariyah, who has the pluck of Beverly Cleary's Ramona and the hairstyle of Alice Cooper. Glos.

Reviewer: Nell Beram