(4) K-3 Illustrated by Hvass&Hannibal. This plea to protect the wild includes poems about life in thirteen habitats, including the rainforest, Arctic, desert, and deep sea. The lyrical free-verse poems often address habitats as characters ("Savanna speaks in whispering grasses"); most animal names mentioned in the verses are italicized. The digital illustrations lack depth but capture the settings in a stylized, colorful manner. More about each habitat and a note on conservation are appended.

Reviewer: Carolyn Shute

(3) 4-6 Illustrated by Aitch. Mostly culled from early-twentieth century folklore collections, these accessible retellings are organized by region: Africa, Asia, North America, South America, and Australia and Oceania. The short tales, presented in small print in two columns, include familiar and lesser-known tales. The folkloric spot- and full-page illustrations are more decorative than dramatic. Bib.

Reviewer: Roger Sutton

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Nathan Reed. Samson the Mighty Flea is the weightlifting star of Fleabag's Circus. He leaves to pursue a solo act to become "the biggest star in the world" but returns after realizing he misses his friends. The text has occasional rhyming passages, but its patterns are too haphazard to build drama effectively. The illustrations, full of bold colors and curlicues, are well suited to the circus motif.

Reviewer: Shoshana Flax

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Grahame Baker-Smith. Tom loves playing in the snow with his new friend, a pale boy from the mountains, but spring can't come until the boy--Winter's Child--leaves to sleep. With food and firewood running low, Tom's elderly Nana is threatened. The spare story manages to avoid preciousness, but the magically glittering winter scenes in the intricate, often surreal digital artwork are the real draw.

Reviewer: Anita L. Burkam

(4) PS Illustrated by Alison Edgson. Scurry plans to grow a sunflower for Mommy, but younger sibling Scamp innocently eats the seed. The mouse siblings set off on an adventure to find a new "funflower" seed in this treacly tale. Softly textured, pastel-colored illustrations capture the siblings' tender relationship as they work together to plant the new sunflower seed (and find patience to wait for its growth).

Reviewer: Sheila M. Geraty

(3) PS Illustrated by Sarah Fox-Davies. A mother snow leopard leads her eager cub from the den, introducing him to his high-mountain world; though habitat is important to the story, it's not specifically identified. The text is poetic, and the illustrations offer attractive views of the leopards, their dramatic surroundings, and the other animals that live there. A brief note about snow leopards appears on the copyright page.

Reviewer: Martha Sibert

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Alex T. Smith. Matthew's sure his mom has X-ray vision. How else could she know he was standing up in the tub or jumping on the bed? When his test of this theory apparently fails, Matthew surmises (incorrectly), "She's just an ordinary mom, like all the rest." Cheery patterned mixed-media illustrations display the hair-bobbed, pearl-wearing superheroine.

Reviewer: Carrie Harasimowicz Sullivan

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Grahame Baker-Smith. Credulous Leon and his skeptical siblings take in a magic show. Leon volunteers to step into the magician's box and there he discovers another world. The story becomes increasingly subordinate to the dark, dramatic digital-montage art. The layouts feature a couple of die-cuts, a fold-out page, and an overwhelming variety of fonts.

Reviewer: Nell Beram

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Daniel Howarth. While playing hide-and-seek on Christmas Eve, bunny Snowball falls asleep among a pile of presents by Santa's sleigh. Upon being discovered, he's employed to help the big guy deliver the loot. Though the story line and denouement are overly familiar, the cozy winter illustrations have appeal.

Reviewer: Nell Beram

(4) 1-3 Illustrated by Ian Beck. In his second adventure, it's up to Digory to come to the rescue after King Widget disappears. A baby dragon, a failed joust, a second lost king, and practical Princess Enid add to the fun. Readers familiar with the first book will find this to be more of the same. Beck's expressively silly line drawings bolster the story.

Reviewer: Beth L. Meister

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Terry Milne. When hand-me-down stuffed kangaroos Mama and Little Joe arrive in their new home, the expensive ("We're much too special to be played with") toys shun them, despite Mama's friendly overtures. It takes a crisis for the snobby toys to understand what it means to "have a heart." The gentle watercolors add to the old-fashioned feel of this warm (if none-too-subtle) tale.

Reviewer: Susan Halperin

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Sue Hellard. Digby is having new-school anxiety, so his mom slips kisses into his pocket, creating a well of confidence for him. It's a sappy premise, but Digby (who's depicted as a mole sporting geeky red glasses) is a gentle soul who invites easy identification. To bring to life the all-animal cast, Hellard uses a loose hand but doesn't skimp on particulars.

Reviewer: Nell Beram

(4) PS Illustrated by Tiphanie Beeke. After stuffed rabbit Bitsy gets lost in the woods, a bear returns her to her home. Bitsy then frets that her rescuer will fall asleep before he makes it back to his cave to hibernate. Adults may find Bitsy too cute for her own good, but young readers will be drawn to her and to the soft seasonal illustrations.

Reviewer: Nell Beram

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Charlotte Middleton. Jackson is disappointed with the hamster his parents give him, but he names it Monster hoping for excitement. When he forgets to care for Monster, the hamster fends for himself and turns into a...monster. Monster takes Jackson as a pet and neglects him--but not really, it was just a dream. Different textures in the collage illustrations add interest to the unsurprising tale.

Reviewer: Kitty Flynn

(4) PS Illustrated by Charles Fuge. It's Little Wombat's turn to be the seeker in a game of hide-and-seek with Rabbit and Koala, but since he's easily distracted, he wanders off and gets lost during a cloudburst. While it's entertaining to watch Little Wombat's toddlerlike behavior, a very speedy rescue by Mom lessens the story's impact. The cutesy illustrations offer close-ups of Little Wombat and friends.

Reviewer: Martha Sibert

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Jenny Jones. When Harry gets a cardboard box, it becomes first a shop, then a lion's den, a pirate ship, an octopus's cave, and a castle; meanwhile, Harry's dog assumes roles that include difficult customer, shipwrecked sailor, and "dog-fish." This original story, which features sumptuous images that alternately show Harry's fantasy and real worlds, may inspire little ones to pursue similarly imaginative play.

Reviewer: Patricia Riley

(3) PS Illustrated by Maggie Kneen. Duffy the rabbit is restless at bedtime: "It's so quiet, and nothing happens in the dark." He can't sleep at all, until Mommy describes the nocturnal activities of other animals, especially badgers. Herbert Badger eats breakfast at night, and his mother--amusingly--says "Day-day, little one," when he goes to bed in the morning. Detailed illustrations enhance the story's cozy atmosphere.

Reviewer: Martha Sibert

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Katherine Lodge. This Western tall tale features an overly qualified pancake-tossing competition entrant whose pancake rises so high it eclipses the sun. Spirited Maira Kalmanesque illustrations and fluid design suit the text's whimsical--if spotty--description of events, which culminate in our hero, Clever Cowboy, being reunited with and upstaged by his long-lost sister Kate.

Reviewer: Christine M. Heppermann