(3) 4-6 Illustrated by Michael Emberley. This fifth edition of the classic sex-ed compendium for tweens and young teens updates the 2014 edition, most notably revising the text throughout to use more gender-inclusive language and less binary thinking. Harris lays the groundwork in the first chapter, e.g., providing definitions for sex and gender and acknowledging that for some people the labels assigned at birth "do not describe who they are." Many pages have been redesigned to accommodate added text and reconfigured chapters. The addition of new illustrations better reflects diversity in all its forms. A welcome--and welcoming--edition.

Reviewer: Kitty Flynn | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 1995

(3) PS Illustrated by Chris Chatterton. A dog who happens upon some wooden blocks in various geometric shapes sets out to use them to create a bed; the dog's narration, addressed to its stuffed bear, offers a blow-by-blow of the task's progress and setbacks ("Oh no. There is only 1 rectangle block. Yikes!"). The spick-and-span art keeps the reader's focus on the clearly articulated math concept.

Reviewer: Nell Beram

(3) PS Illustrated by Chris Chatterton. A blue elephant child determines how many square blocks she needs to stack vertically to create a tower "as tall as ME!" When the blocks topple, she also crumbles ("OH NO-OOO...") before realizing that blocks stack sturdier horizontally. Harris successfully pairs basic math and building concepts with a toddler's realistic emotional crisis; both components are enhanced by Chatterton's cleanly rendered art.

Reviewer: Nell Beram

(4) PS StoryPlay Book series. Illustrated by Michael Emberley. Mother fox loves her cub even when he's angry or wild (Love); cartoon illustrations display a cat's dramatic imaginings when its book goes missing (Bear); a frog invites animals to dance with him in "the cool of the pool" (Down). New to these editions are intrusive discussion prompts and appended "creative activities" to help parents "engage with your little one." Review covers these StoryPlay Book titles: I Love You Because You're You, Maybe a Bear Ate It!, and Down by the Cool of the Pool.

Reviewer: Kitty Flynn

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Nadine Bernard Westcott. The bi-racial family featured in Who's in My Family heads off to the amusement park, where the kids and their parents notice and discuss the ways peoples are similar and different. In her straightforward, casual text, Harris writes about eye color, hair texture, and other physical and personality characteristics. Wescott's cartoon illustrations are as friendly and clear as the informative text.

Reviewer: Maeve Visser Knoth

(3) PS Illustrated by Nadine Bernard Westcott. The creators of What's in There? and Who Has What? introduce nutrition to the youngest set. The straightforward text covers healthy eating, personal preferences, allergies, and more, while speech bubbles and pictures show siblings Gus and Nellie's mixed-race family planning a picnic and visiting a farmer's market, community garden, grocery store, and park in their urban neighborhood. Sunny illustrations underscore the upbeat tone.

Reviewer: Gail Hedges

(2) 4-6 Illustrated by Michael Emberley. The original Horn Book review described this invaluable resource as an "unassuming, coherent, comprehensive explanation of sex in all its complicated glory." The frank and nonjudgmental discussion is illustrated with anatomically correct cartoon drawings. This twentieth-anniversary edition includes a broader definition of gender; expanded information about using the internet; and updated information about contraception, abortion, sexual abuse, and STDs, including HIV/AIDS. Ind.

Reviewer: Cynthia K. Ritter | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 1995; November, 2014

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Michael Emberley. Celebrating our bodies and our sexuality for younger readers, this frank and nonjudgmental discussion is illustrated with anatomically correct cartoon drawings. The fifteenth-anniversary edition of this invaluable resource is Harris and Emberley's laudable attempt to keep the content "as up-to-date and accurate as possible." The updated text and art include a broader definition of gender and expanded information about using the internet. Ind.

Reviewer: Cynthia K. Ritter | Horn Book Magazine Issue: January, 2000; November, 2014

(2) PS Illustrated by Chris Raschka. A young child (gender indeterminate) is frightened by loud noises on a trip to the zoo. Raschka's crayon and watercolor illustrations, using flat colors in orange, blue, green, and yellow, take the child through "the scary" until he/she finds calming spaces. Raschka again shows his remarkable skill at using line and color to illustrate abstract concepts for young children.

Reviewer: Kathleen T. Horning | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2013

(3) PS Illustrated by Nadine Bernard Westcott. Harris's confident and open interracial family is expecting a new baby. Without explaining how "half of this cell comes from a woman's body. The other half comes from a man's," the narrator describes the growing fetus as it develops fingers, then fingernails, begins to kick, and finally arrives. Harris's text is informative and matter-of-fact; Wescott's illustrations are just as approachable and helpful.

Reviewer: Maeve Visser Knoth

(4) PS Illustrated by Nadine Bernard Westcott. On a trip to the zoo with their parents, a mixed-race brother and sister engage in a discussion of how families may differ from one another in where they live, what they eat, what they look like, and so on. Westcott's cartoon illustrations are inviting, but Harris's lists of attributes and differences can be dizzying to read.

Reviewer: Christine M. Heppermann

(2) PS Illustrated by Nadine Bernard Westcott. Harris explains how boys and girls are a lot alike but also anatomically different. A brother and sister start the conversation on their way to the beach. Harris gradually moves from personality traits to physical characteristics, very naturally introducing differences as the siblings, separately, change into their swimsuits. Enhanced by Westcott's friendly ink and watercolor illustrations, the tone is lighthearted but never too silly.

Reviewer: Christine M. Heppermann | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2011

(1) 4-6 Illustrated by Michael Emberley. An unassuming, coherent, comprehensive explanation of sex in all its complicated glory. The text is freely and profusely illustrated with explicit drawings done in a frank but disarming style. All the people pictured look wonderfully happy with themselves, whether they're kissing or copulating. This fifteenth-anniversary edition has been updated with current information about issues including HIV/AIDS, HPV, and personal safety and the Internet.

Reviewer: The Horn Book, Inc. | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 1995

(3) PS Illustrated by Molly Bang. When Leo shouts, "I hate you!" mother and son are both upset. Mom explains that words can be hurtful, then reassures Leo that she still loves him. With the help of a little humor, peace is restored. Harris offers a sensitive, realistic portrayal of family life. Bang's digital cut-paper and collage illustrations, complete with dramatic lettering, skillfully reflect the emotions involved.

Reviewer: Martha Sibert

(3) PS Illustrated by Michael Emberley. Baby Harry's screaming and attention-hogging irk his big brother, who announces that Harry should be thrown away, flushed, and--finally--sent to the moon. When he can't find Harry, though, he fears that his parents have heeded his words. This jealous-of-a-new-sibling book rises above others on the topic with its childlike narrative and fresh, funny illustrations that track the narrator-brother's emotional about-face.

Reviewer: Nell Beram

(3) PS Illustrated by Michael Emberley. After a sleepy yawn and big stretch, a catlike creature finds his book missing from his comfy bed. His active imagination takes over: "Maybe a bear ate it!" After panic subsides, he finds the beloved book buried under the bed--where observant readers will note it's been all along. Emberley's expressive cartoon-style illustrations against white backgrounds ably display the youngster's dramatic imaginings.

Reviewer: Carrie Harasimowicz Sullivan

(1) PS Illustrated by Michael Emberley. Harris and Emberley (It's Perfectly Normal, It's So Amazing!) successfully tackle questions about body parts, where babies come from, and other related issues for a preschooler audience. The ever-curious cartoon bird and his more reticent bee friend set a welcoming tone right from the beginning, and the text gives basic yet thorough explanations. Emberley's cartoon illustrations work seamlessly with the text. Ind.

Reviewer: Christine M. Heppermann | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2006

(2) PS Illustrated by Harry Bliss. "1. I am NOT a baby. 2. I'm a BIG kid. 3. So I do NOT need a stupid babysitter!" The small heroine of this story cannot prevent the inevitable--Mommy and Daddy are going out. But in text and cartoonlike pictures, the little girl is spunky, not forlorn. A snuggle in Mommy and Daddy's bed the next morning confirms that they didn't forget to come back--a very important point that can't be repeated too often for young children.

Reviewer: Lauren Adams | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2004

(2) PS Growing Up Stories series. Illustrated by Michael Emberley. Fictional twins Jasmine and Jackson represent the two-year-old set; factual information about typically developing two-year-olds is supplemented by a few extra bits on twins. With humor and understanding, Emberley's illustrations portray the (African-American) children's everyday triumphs and troubles. Their many activities are related in a straightforward, immediate text. The accompanying boxed information is aimed at older siblings.

Reviewer: Lauren Adams | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2004

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Jan Ormerod. On the eve of the first day of preschool, a boy's excitement turns to apprehension, and he decides that he'll sit out the first day. In this reassuring first-person narrative, illustrated with homey watercolors, the boy's harried but attentive parents convince him to take along his stuffed toy monkey--a tactic that helps make an ultimately welcoming place less initially intimidating.

Reviewer: Christine M. Heppermann