(4) K-3 The Moogee family (they resemble yellow pigs with hooked snouts) needs a more kid-friendly house; Mama and Papa Moogee, with gibberish-spouting Moogee children in tow, offer rhyming commentary while looking at possible new homes with a Realtor. Young readers will be enticed by the marker art's clean lines and bold colors, but will they relate to adults discussing real estate?

Reviewer: Nell Beram

(3) PS McGuirk uses rocks from her collection to form both the letters and items they stand for in this creative alphabet book. The sea-worn rocks made of fossilized sandstone look uncannily like the real things. The book could be a catalyst for collectors and naturalists; an author's note describes how she waited "for many years...for the letter K to appear."

Reviewer: Sarah Novogrodsky

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Leslie McGuirk. Puppy Wiggens goes to the Four Seasons (owned by coauthor Von Bidder) to learn about "refinement and good manners." McGuirk's lighthearted gouache illustrations include playful pups and speech-bubble asides; each lesson (e.g., "When you meet someone, shake his hand or paw") is summarized on a Four Seasons dinner plate. The pages are busy and the jokes insider-y, but the manners lessons are solid.

Reviewer: Carrie Harasimowicz Sullivan

(3) PS Snail, a giant snail as big as a pony, is afraid of snail hunters, so he decides to find an owner. The boy he approaches is reluctant at first, but Snail soon has him convinced of the benefits, and they become fast friends. The naive, childlike, and graphically strong drawings on bright color fields match the oddball plot and deadpan delivery of this humorous tale of boy meets snail.

Reviewer: Anita L. Burkam

(4) PS The iconic West Highland terrier cavorts sportively through two new adventures, going over and under and around various bizarre obstacles like a gorilla, a taxi, and a snowman in Off His Rocker; and going to the circus to perform for his favorite food, popcorn, in Over the Top. The flimsy premises form the barest excuse for the eye-catching, delightfully playful, fruit-toned illustrations.

Reviewer: Anita L. Burkam

(4) PS The iconic West Highland terrier cavorts sportively through two new adventures, going over and under and around various bizarre obstacles like a gorilla, a taxi, and a snowman in Off His Rocker; and going to the circus to perform for his favorite food, popcorn, in Over the Top. The flimsy premises form the barest excuse for the eye-catching, delightfully playful, fruit-toned illustrations.

Reviewer: Anita L. Burkam

(4) PS Leslie McGuirk's tiny cartoon terriers on fruit-toned backgrounds have an appealingly quirky attitude, but Tucker's growth here from puppy to stunt sledder contains extraneous narrative material that confuses the direction of the story. Nevertheless, the endearing puppies, watching TV, surrounded by dog angels, and having food dreams, are entertaining.

Reviewer: Anita L. Burkam