(4) YA Withern Rise series. Alaric and Naia are parallel characters living in two different realities. But realities have a shelf life, and theirs are nearing their ends. Meanwhile, assorted figures from various other realities struggle with problems both common and fantastical. The enigmatic characters and confusing plot act as vehicles for Lawrence's flights of lyrical prose, delicate imagery, and thought-provoking quantum philosophy.

Reviewer: Claire E. Gross

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Arthur Robins. On Christmas Eve, Mother and Father Christmas put fussy Baby Christmas in a little sleigh harnessed to Rudolph Junior. When the reindeer discovers that he can fly, they take off, whirling around the world (nicely echoed in the text design), while Mother and Father search for them. The Quentin Blake–like illustrations are delightfully silly, but the story lacks a satisfying ending.

Reviewer: Patricia Riley

(3) YA After his mother's death in a train wreck, Alaric discovers an alternate reality in which a girl named Naia shares a parallel life with him, living in the same house with the same parents, though her mother was only injured, not killed, in the accident. The complexities of this fascinating premise are expertly explored in a thought-provoking novel with an enigmatic conclusion.

Reviewer: Peter D. Sieruta

(3) 4-6 Mixing bad-boy humor with the supernatural, these British imports feature Jiggy trapped in a pair of outrageous situations. First he acquires a new pair of underpants that are impossible to remove; later, a computer game changes Jiggy into a girl (specifically, he turns into his good friend Angie.) The quick pace and risqué situations will draw readers. [Review covers these titles: The Killer Underpants and The Toilet of Doom.]

Reviewer: Peter D. Sieruta

(3) 4-6 Mixing bad-boy humor with the supernatural, these British imports feature Jiggy trapped in a pair of outrageous situations. First he acquires a new pair of underpants that are impossible to remove; later, a computer game changes Jiggy into a girl (specifically, he turns into his good friend Angie.) The quick pace and risqué situations will draw readers. [Review covers these titles: The Killer Underpants and The Toilet of Doom.]

Reviewer: Peter D. Sieruta

(4) 4-6 Young Jiggy McCue discovers he's being haunted by the ghost of a bad-tempered goose that was flattened by a bulldozer when Jiggy's new home was being built. Jiggy and his friends exhume the bird, reburying it in a location that will appease its spirit. Though essentially a one-joke story, the flippant first-person narration and humorous dialogue keep this English import moving at a smart pace.

Reviewer: Peter D. Sieruta

(3) PS Share-a-Story series. Illustrated by Alison Bartlett. A caterpillar, who wishes that he was a lion, goes around growling at other animals until he actually scares a little fish and realizes that he would rather be a small bug than a ferocious predator. The vivid illustrations use a variety of painted textures to highlight the story. Suggestions for ways to share the story with young children are also included.

Reviewer: Jim St. Claire

(3) PS DK Toddler Story Book series. Illustrated by Adrian Reynolds. Illustrated with big, eye-catching pictures, these lighthearted books key into toddler experiences and interests and have thick reinforced pages. Panda Big and Panda Small like different things, but both like being together; Baby Loves celebrates a baby's exuberance for life and his parents' for him; Caterpillar's Wish is to fly, which he soon does; a girl tries to coax her busy cat to the dinner table in I'm Too Busy; and after a pig swallows a magic acorn in The Pig Who Wished, she gets all her outlandish wishes and nobody seems to mind.

Reviewer: Suzy Schmidt