(3) K-3 Illustrated by Mary Newell DePalma. "I hate school, and I'm sure not looking forward to the 100th day of it," thinks Graham on the first day of school while his teacher plays up the later-in-the-year celebration. Graham's not a strong reader, yet he must get through one hundred books before the big day--also his birthday. Creatively composed mixed-media illustrations reflect Graham's emotions while demonstrating potential hundredth-day projects.

Reviewer: Sarah Novogrodsky

(4) PS Illustrated by Christopher Denise. This loving ode celebrates the tender bond between mother and child: "If I could, / I'd rouse the sun / and make it shine / till day is done." Warm acrylic and charcoal images depict two expressive raccoons enjoying a day of picnicking and playing at the beach. Though the repetitive verse occasionally stumbles, it successfully communicates the constancy of a mother's love.

Reviewer: Rebecca Reed Whidden

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Mary Newell DePalma. Straightforward text describes the various morning routines of kids preparing for school ("Some of the children bound out of bed...one child burrows under the covers, hiding"). All the kids arrive to find a welcoming ceremony intended to assuage their first-day trepidations. The text is reassuring, and the accompanying acrylic illustrations are unfussy and cheerful.

Reviewer: Carolyn Shute

(2) K-3 Conceited, clever, and chauvinistic, Thurston struts his rooster pride in three sly stories. He adds a recipe-defying ingredient to his "Everything-but-the-Kitchen-Sink Soup"; proclaims his male superiority; and, after failing to finagle an underhanded victory in a card game, he walks away before it's over: "I may not always win, but I never lose!" Uncluttered illustrations provide visual punch lines for the text.

Reviewer: Betty Carter | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2005

(3) K-3 Deciding that she wants to be a fairy princess when she grows up, Willa, a pig, begins dressing and acting like one. Although her friends find her fairy antics annoying, Willa is undaunted; she rescues a young piglet and earns her just reward. The appealing story is illustrated with large, clean artwork that humorously depicts the pig heroine dressed in a tutu and brandishing her magic wand.

Reviewer: Sheila M. Geraty