(4) K-3 Illustrated by Ivica Stevanovic. Using spoons, sausages, etc., a kingdom struggles to get accurate measurements. To decide on an official unit, King Balbazar hatches a contest, the winner of which will marry his daughter. Arzo, who's so poor he has only his feet to measure with, prevails. Deadpan speech-bubble commentary from humorously caricatured kingdom citizens outshines the off-kilter rhymes in this pourquoi tale.

Reviewer: Katrina Hedeen

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Cecilia Rébora. At the pet shop, parrot Perico, who speaks Spanish, is repeatedly misunderstood: when he says agua, a woman thinks he wants to go to the opera; mal results in a (disastrous) trip to the mall. Perico ultimately finds a home with a bilingual child. The humor can be a stretch, but cheerful illustrations ably reflect the confusion.

Reviewer: Tim Wadham

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Andrew N. Harris. Tally McNally, a cat, loves to keep score--always in his favor--making tally marks with his sharp claws. When his one-upmanship lands him in a storm drain, he must count on his friends for help. The text uses unremarkable rhymes and meter, but dynamic illustrations offer plenty of visual examples of the math concept. An explanation of tallying is appended.

Reviewer: Rebecca Reed Whidden

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Carrie Hartman. Taking off from the "Hickory Dickory Dock" nursery rhyme, this book chronicles, hour by hour, an exhausting (and ever-expanding) cat-and-mouse chase. Colorful, action-filled spreads display the passing time on a cleverly incorporated analog or digital clock. Rhythmic stanzas move the story along at a good pace, making for a rollicking read-aloud introduction to time telling. An appendix discusses time in more detail.

Reviewer: Sethany Rancier Alongi

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Russell Julian. When Emma's cows gets mixed up with Cowboy Kirby's, he suggests: "Count 1, 2, 3, 4... / Keep the cattle in a line. / Even numbers will be yours. / All the odd ones will be mine." After the cows start roaming, Kirby mistakenly halves his total while Emma's grows and grows. Playful illustrations of mischievous bovines reinforce the story's humor.

Reviewer: Tanya D. Auger

(4) K-3 Illustrated by John Hovell. Jenny collects coins (cumulatively shown in sidebars) around her house; she's saving up for a special purchase. When she's finally ready for the dollar store, she's temporarily thwarted by the unexpected sales tax. The last page reveals Jenny's piggy-bank purchase. Angular illustrations unimaginatively mirror the occasionally forced rhyming text, which offers a simple lesson in money management.

Reviewer: Frieda F. Bostian

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Andrew N. Harris. Based on "This Little Piggy," this rhymed counting book features twenty pigs who come together for a picnic. One by one, the porcine chef, pilot, skydiver, and others arrive and find that the wolf (cleverly hidden in all the pictures) intends to spoil the party. The rhymes tend to falter, but readers will be entertained by this motley piggy crew.

Reviewer: Sheila M. Geraty

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Anne Canevari Green. Harris's rhythmic, loosely rhyming text describes how seven insects move through a backyard garden. Though it's basically a retread of this duo's Pattern Fish, this book cleverly elucidates its concept via verbal and pictorial patterns. In each two-page cartoon illustration, every element, from the decorative frame to the background characters, shares the same pattern (AB, ABB, etc.). An endnote provides further explanation.

Reviewer: Emma Loy-Santelli

(2) PS Illustrated by Ora Eitan. In this simple, ingenious board book, the text consists solely of the three words in the title. A little girl spends the day with her beloved stuffed bear, getting him up in the morning, tossing him up and down, and so on. The girl's adventures are small but compelling, thanks to Ora Eitan's illustrations, which are Carrot Seed-like in their simplicity and expressive use of line.

Reviewer: Martha V. Parravano | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2001

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Anne Canevari Green. Harris's rhythmic, loosely rhyming text describes six creatures moving through the sea, until a shark shows up and scares them away. More important than the slight story line, though, are the verbal and pictorial patterns throughout: in each two-page cartoon illustration, every element from the decorative frame to the background characters shares the same pattern (AB, ABB, etc.). An endnote provides further explanation.

Reviewer: Erica L. Stahler

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Beth Griffis Johnson. A variation on traditional counting-book fare shows that different combinations--10 children's toes, 99 polka dots plus one more, and so on--can all yield 100. The text's use of humor will leave many young readers blissfully unaware that they are beefing up their skip-counting and mental math skills. The rhyming text is somewhat awkward, but friendly illustrations further convey the message that math is fun.

Reviewer: Tanya D. Auger