(3) K-3 Illustrated by Henry Cole. In this spin on the classic tale, featherbrained prairie chicken Mary McBlicken hears "a rumbling and a grumbling and a tumbling"; she takes this to mean that "a stampede's a comin'!" and sets out to tell Cowboy Stan. It's an energetic retelling made all the more swift (and funny) by the illustrations of pop-eyed prairie animals in a Mary-induced panic.

Reviewer: Nell Beram

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Craig J. Spearing. Hopkins gives readers a cursory tour of the Lone Star State, stopping briefly at sixteen sites of interest. Choppy quatrains present information on major cities such as Houston and Dallas, as well as selected historic sites and natural regions; additional information on each subject is appended. Color-saturated colored-pencil illustrations, from sunset-orange to dusty-brown, accompany the text.

Reviewer: Luther B. Clegg

(4) K-3 Illustrated by S. G. Brooks. Three armadillos plan a girls' night out on the town, but first they must cross the highway (through a culvert) where a scrawny coyote lives. A clever retelling of the "Three Billy Goats Gruff," this tale ends happily with the Armadilly Tuff sisters teaching Tallula the coyote how to dance. Though garishly colored, the bold illustrations extend the humor of the text.

Reviewer: Luther B. Clegg