(4) PS Illustrated by Keiko Motoyama. When a young prince refuses to use his potty, the king and queen are advised to get him a puppy. Through patiently teaching the puppy the proper place to pee, the prince is miraculously potty trained, too. Lively pictures offset the arch tone of the unlikely story.

Reviewer: Amanda Sullivan

(3) PS Illustrated by Pam Paparone. "One little raindrop, dark, dark sky. Two little raindrops, clouds go by." Counting from one to ten, a little girl sporting rain gear explores the elements. When the rain gets too heavy, she heads in to "Ten little toes in a nice warm tub" and so on down to one, at which point the rain stops. The rhymes have a steady gait, and the bright, attentive images make the rainy day seem almost thrilling.

Reviewer: Hilary Breed Van Dusen

(4) K-3 All Aboard Reading series. Illustrated by Jerry Smath. Princess Buttercup, one of six flower fairies, gets lost after following a butterfly into the woods. But the butterfly gives her a ride back to her friends, just in time for the party they have planned. The simple text is aimed at the youngest beginning readers, who will find lots of visual clues in the bright, cheerful illustrations. A few words seem difficult, but fans of flower fairies will persevere.

Reviewer: Anne St. John