(2) K-3 Illustrated by Bob Kolar. A pirate skeleton, upon finding its bones have been scattered at sea, implores readers to assist in putting itself back together. The jaunty rhyming text is both funny and informative regarding human anatomy ("Who can spot my shoulder blade... / Oh, scapula, come back!"), with clearly labeled diagrams at the beginning and end. Kolar's digital undersea illustrations are friendly and understated, with humerus, er, humorous details.

Reviewer: Elissa Gershowitz | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2019

(3) PS Illustrated by Chad Geran. Little gorilla Willy considers several new animal identities: e.g., "If Willy strides outside / and roars with pride, / will Willy be a lion? / Will he?" Geran, using preschool-friendly bold, flat colors, gives Willy's misguided animal impersonations the élan of the cartoon world's better pratfallers. Having succumbed to Willy's charms, readers will gladly add their voices to this book's chorus: "No. / Still a gorilla!"

Reviewer: Nell Beram

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Agnese Baruzzi. When Scott's science-project robot causes mounting havoc among his classmates' projects, Scott activates its handy order-restoring features to set things right. Baruzzi's comical digital illustrations complement the action in this creative cumulative rhyme (inspired by "The House That Jack Built"); they move from tidy to chaotic and back to tidy again, with a nice visual joke at the end.

Reviewer: Martha Sibert

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Liza Woodruff. In this amusing adaptation of "She'll Be Coming 'Round the Mountain," a group of Arctic animals eagerly prepare for the return of their polar bear friend: "We will plan an arctic party when she comes. / We'll play music, tapping icicles and drums." The genial mixed-media illustrations hint at the surprise Polar Bear brings with her: two new cubs.

Reviewer: Martha Sibert

(4) PS Illustrated by Carolyn Conahan. "This old van, she passed ONE, / shining in the rising sun." Two hippie grandparents drive past one train, two bulldozers, and so on, until they reach their grandson's derby race. Once readers figure out what to count (it's not initially obvious), the "This Old Man"–set verses offer a groovy ride, with help from the mellow, yellow-dominant art.

Reviewer: Nell Beram

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Keika Yamaguchi. Percy the pug loves "stomp puddles, ready-for-a-romp puddles,"--really, any kind of puddle. One day, he finds the "PERFECT" one, except he's unwanted by its grumpy, glaring matriarch; when Percy's handy puddle map aids a piglet rescue, he gets in good with Mama. Winsome illustrations humorously extend the rollicking text, especially when the hero frolics in "squishy, swishy mud" paradise.

Reviewer: Carrie Harasimowicz Sullivan

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Liza Woodruff. This book puts a frosty twist on the classic tune "If You're Happy and You Know It." Bouncy rhyming verses, perfectly matched to the song's rhythm, roll out as arctic friends, from polar bear to beluga whale, slide, ski, skate, and build a fort in the snow and ice. Mixed-media illustrations extend the text with silly details (e.g., a sunbathing moose).

Reviewer: Carrie Harasimowicz Sullivan

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Jannie Ho. Santa goes undercover in his workshop to find out why his elves are so worn-out. The trouble, he discovers, is their workload. His fix? Stretch out the days and make room for laughter. Norman borrows "The Night Before Christmas" form to mostly good effect, but the meter isn't perfect. Thick glossy pages feature digital illustrations with comical North Pole details.

Reviewer: Tanya D. Auger

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Liza Woodruff. "There were eight on the sled / and the caribou said, / 'It's slicker! Go quicker!'" Ten animal friends squeeze onto a toboggan and start a wild ride down a bumpy hill. Animals fall off one by one until only Caribou is left, and the fun begins again. This wintry variant of "Ten in the Bed" is accompanied by cheerfully silly illustrations.

Reviewer: Lana Barnes

(4) K-3 Illustrated by David Walker. A boy and his father play in a pond, where the boy imagines capturing the "sly old Crocodaddy": "Fearlessly, I step in front, / captain of the / Crocodaddy hunt!" The rhyming text takes a few missteps, but the dramatic illustrations of the boy's fantasy easily communicate this father and son's warm real-life relationship.

Reviewer: Kitty Flynn

(4) K-3 Illustrated by David Clark. Kristi's family starts a business posing as pets for owners who need training. Kristi, who makes mess after mess with her overexuberant behavior, wonders which pet impersonation would be just right for her. The cartoonlike illustrations verge on the grotesque (Kristi has no neck and her head is flat like a Frisbee) but are oddly befitting this weird story.

Reviewer: Rebecca Reed Whidden