(4) K-3 Step into Reading series. Illustrated by Alessia Girasole. To get rid of the smelly giant who lives on the hill and floods their valley each week with dirty wash water, siblings Pepper and Jake must solve a riddle: what's "one thing and also three things?" (The answer? Water.) Girasole's cartoons modernize the story's classic fairy tale structure. It's a predictable but decent addition to a new reader's collection.

Reviewer: Hannah Rodgers Barnaby

(3) K-3 Step into Reading series. Illustrated by Marsha Winborn. In between outings with his best friend Bess (a meticulous cat, mother of three kittens), Porky (a messy, disorganized, bachelor pig) is trying to write a special poem for Poem-Reading Day. By book’s end, Porky has found the perfect words to celebrate their friendship. Gently humorous and expressive pictures illustrate this odd-couple pair.

Reviewer: Barbara Barstow