(2) PS This lively picture book in rhyming verse follows paramedic Sally (a pale human) and EMT Gus (a blue three-eyed monster) as they answer calls in their "amboolance." They pick up a sick zombie, an injured skeleton, and a kraken whose eggs are hatching prematurely, and transport them to the hospital. Mixed-media illustrations in bold colors combine humor and information to excellent effect; there are labels for technical things like medical equipment as well as ordinary things like hats. Despite the book's population of monsters (vampires and a mummy appear as well), the text provides solid information about the work of EMTs (including an appended glossary), making this a good choice for reading all year round.

Reviewer: Martha V. Parravano | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2020

(3) K-3 A frog stonecutter decides to look for a cushy job. He goes, by wishing, from job to job (to job) and is finally satisfied when he transforms himself into a stone...until he encounters another stonecutter! Horowitz lays out his version of a Chinese folktale of comeuppance with a mason's expertise, and his cut-paper, charcoal, and pencil illustrations are built with similar artistry.

Reviewer: Nell Beram

(4) PS Quick rhyming sentences introduce spunky little pirate boys with alphabetically ordered names, from "Pirate Arty. First to the party" to "Pirate Zach. The final attack." Illustrations use cut construction paper and charcoal and colored-pencil drawn lines to create a sense of these pirates' exuberance. A punchy way to learn the alphabet, but some examples feel forced ("Pirate Samson. Awfully handsome.").

Reviewer: Shoshana Flax

(3) K-3 Chico, a Peruvian chick, is afraid of everything--including his own shadow. His father reassures him with the story of the "Golden Chicken," a good-guy superbird that regularly saves the day. Seeking the legendary bird, Chico climbs the tallest mountain and soon finds himself in the superbird role. The rich acrylics add humor to Chico's simple, satisfying tale of bravery.

Reviewer: Carrie Harasimowicz Sullivan

(3) K-3 It's one thing for egomaniacal bunny Narcissa to openly insult various forest animals' appearance, but when she disses a magical frog ("Now, YOU are one ugly dude!") who is poised to grant her a wish, he takes revenge. All this is funny enough, but the wild-card ending will keep kids in stitches over multiple reads. The pointedly average-looking Narcissa resembles a floppy-eared snowman.

Reviewer: Nell Beram

(3) K-3 Frank and Carl--a bear and a fish, respectively--try to sell plain brown hats while animal street vendors around them successfully hawk flimflam such as "Remote Control Robot Cell Phones." Readers will root for sad-sack Frank and slightly-more-optimistic Carl in this witty riff on fickle consumerism. The gag-filled art, which was created on newsprint and features dialogue balloons, has a Sunday-comics vibe.

Reviewer: Nell Beram

(3) K-3 A cold weather–favoring moose reluctantly road trips to Florida for the winter with two duck pals. After sharing (and thoroughly enjoying) some signature Sunshine State experiences, Moose is not ready to return north at winter's end. Humorous digitally colored black-pencil and charcoal illustrations chronicle Moose's change of heart. Inside-joke details about the journey--signs, maps, landmarks--will be appreciated by fellow East Coast adventurers.

Reviewer: Sethany Rancier Alongi

(2) K-3 A doctor patches Humpty up, cautioning him to be more careful. He gives up rock-climbing but gets the blues just sitting around. Eventually, he's enticed to climb once again. This tongue-in-cheek treatment features characters from other nursery rhymes that children will recognize with delight. The silly fun of the text is aptly echoed in the cartoony drawings.

Reviewer: Susan Dove Lempke | Horn Book Magazine Issue: January, 2009

(4) K-3 A castle of frogs welcomes twenty-six princesses--Alice through Zaire--as they arrive to meet a (frog) prince. The rhyming text introduces each one ("Princess Olga. Dancing the polka. / Princess Pearl. The littlest girl"), while the lively illustrations convey something of each princess's personality. There's not much of a story; this has a diverting premise but isn't very satisfying overall.

Reviewer: Kitty Flynn

(3) K-3 This funny book concerns the children of Mama Gefilte, who, one by one and to Mama's chagrin ("Oy vey!"), fail to return from their daily outings. The chock-full-of-Yiddish text and illustrations--e.g., the theater poster advertising Goldie Lox & the 3 Shmears--will appeal mostly to those already in the know, but a glossary will help the uninitiated.

Reviewer: Rachel L. Smith

(3) PS One by one the members of the band march in: "Here comes a drummer.... Here comes another." The percussionists perform, and the baboon, poised to play his small triangle, waits. And waits. Young readers can decipher the spare text with help from the cut-paper illustrations and the many rhyming words that provide hints to unfamiliar vocabulary.

Reviewer: Betty Carter

(3) PS In a freewheeling style reminiscent of Chris Raschka's work, spirited images created with what appears to be cut paper illustrate silly wordplay revolving around a monkey, a hippo, and a giraffe ("A monkey among us. / A monkey among a fungus. / A monkey, humongous. / A hippopotamus. / A hippopotamus hops a bus..."). The art adds coherence and dimension to the brief, amusing text.

Reviewer: Christine M. Heppermann