(4) K-3 Illustrated by Holly Stone-Barker. When Gavin decides to grow the biggest pumpkin ever, his friends give him useful tips for planting, pollinating, and caring for it throughout the summer. Finally in September he needs his uncle's forklift to carry the pumpkin to the fair. The straightforward text and collage illustrations provide good information about the growing process, but the pages feel cluttered. Glos.

Reviewer: Patricia Riley

(3) K-3 Step into Reading series. Illustrated by Jon Goodell. Follow the life cycle of chickens as a suburban family gets baby chicks from a farm, watches them grow to chickens, and witnesses their eggs hatching. In simple sentences, readers are introduced to chicken-rearing vocabulary ("We put the chicks in a brooder"). New readers can clearly observe the chicks gradually growing in the friendly illustrations.

Reviewer: Kari Allen

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Valeri Gorbachev. "I'll give the mailman a hug and ask him to send it to Granny," says Owen, a pig. Postal worker Mr. Nevin hugs Ms. Porter, who sorts the mail, Ms. Porter hugs driver Leroy, and so on until, at her end, mail carrier Shelly delivers the hug to Granny. The Richard Scarry-like animal characters enact this clever concept with friendly humor and much expression.

Reviewer: Kitty Flynn | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2005