(3) PS Illustrated by Elliot Kreloff. A boy and mother collect seashells and dig in the sand in this rhyming story. Along with counting practice ("Two more shells-- / numbers nine and ten. / When we get home, / Let's count them again"), Ochiltree incorporates information about seashells into the text and at book's end. The bold shapes, colors, and textures in Kreloff's collages will dazzle young beach lovers.

Reviewer: Andrea Curtis

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Kathleen Kemly. African American servant cook Molly Williams became the first known woman firefighter; this biographical snippet starts slowly but gains some momentum as she helps extinguish a fire in her New York City neighborhood. Action-packed text and energetic but muddled-looking watercolors depict the rigors of early-nineteenth-century firefighting. More so than the story does, an author's note and FAQs highlight Williams's accomplishments. Reading list, websites. Bib.

Reviewer: Lela Nargi

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Anne-Sophie Lanquetin. When Sam, a raccoon, picks pumpkins, she doubles the number each time--first one, then two, then four, until she has sixteen. But going home, the pumpkins fall and become "the hill-rolling, bowling-ball kind." Although the slight story is energetic and the illustrations lively and humorous, only some of the sixteen pumpkins are accounted for before Sam makes pumpkin pie.

Reviewer: Patricia Riley

(3) PS Illustrated by Mireille D'Allance. Early in the morning, a "pillow-pulling pup" named Maggie snatches the narrator's pillow and dashes off down the hall, daring her to follow to try to get it back. The rollicking, rhyming text, with its alliterations and wordplay, is enjoyable to read aloud, and the simple pastel illustrations capture the energy and fun of the story.

Reviewer: Patricia Riley

(4) PS Illustrated by Anne-Sophie Lanquetin. A lone primate's call for companionship produces nine friends--enough for a monkey jamboree. Because of the narrative's clip and lack of clarity on when to count and when to add the monkeys, the addition lessons herein probably won't prove instructive, but the rhyme scheme and peppy ink and pencil images of monkey hijinks should engage young readers.

Reviewer: Nell Beram