(3) K-3 Illustrated by Birgitta Sif. Greenbackboy ropes Snowboy into playing a game called "KA-CHING," which requires cutting down trees and depleting the ocean of fish. Fortunately, Snowboy saved one tree and two fish when Greenbackboy wasn't looking; can Snowboy restore nature's balance? The strange story, set in an unspecified place and time, is a seductive fantasia with an ecological message draped in beguilingly broody art.

Reviewer: Nell Beram

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Jimmy Liao. Naturally good-natured and kind, young Filbert doesn't fall in line with Mommy and Daddy Fiend's "fiendish" exploits. When Filbert meets Florinda, a troublemaking angel, the pair concocts a plan to show the adults that they are both fine just the way they are. Friendly watercolor and gouache illustrations with electric colors and silly details are befitting a story about individuality and acceptance.

Reviewer: Sheila M. Geraty

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Rosie Reeve. Fred may be the family dog, as Grace's sister Sarah reminds her, but to Grace he has always been her very own special friend. After an ill-conceived attempt at preventing him from playing with Sarah and her friends, Grace learns that Fred (shown in expressive, good-natured illustrations) has enough love to go around. A useful message delivered with a light touch.

Reviewer: Elissa Gershowitz

(3) 4-6 Rumblewick's Diary series. Illustrated by Sarah Warburton. In this fourth series installment, disobedient witch Haggy Aggy commands her exasperated cat sidekick Rumblewick to find the "best makeover artist in the galaxy" so she can become a supermodel. But first Rumblewick must face the High Hags about HA's overspending (due to an all-pink shopping spree). Humorous black-and-white illustrations complement Rumblewick's comical inner thoughts.

Reviewer: Lana Barnes

(3) 4-6 Rumblewick's Diary series. Illustrated by Sarah Warburton. Haggy Aggy is unwilling to be a "proper-practicing" witch, forcing her right-hand cat, Rumblewick, to work overtime to avoid trouble with the High Hags. Rumblewick uses scrapbook-like images, doodles, black-and-white illustrations, and humorously descriptive language to document HA's antics in his private diaries. Readers will enjoy the quickly moving plot, with laughs and surprises around every corner. Review covers these Rumblewick's Diary titles: My Unwilling Witch Goes to Ballet School, My Unwilling Witch Sleeps Over, and My Unwilling Witch Starts a Girl Band.

Reviewer: Lana Barnes

(3) 4-6 Rumblewick's Diary series. Illustrated by Sarah Warburton. Haggy Aggy is unwilling to be a "proper-practicing" witch, forcing her right-hand cat, Rumblewick, to work overtime to avoid trouble with the High Hags. Rumblewick uses scrapbook-like images, doodles, black-and-white illustrations, and humorously descriptive language to document HA's antics in his private diaries. Readers will enjoy the quickly moving plot, with laughs and surprises around every corner. Review covers these Rumblewick's Diary titles: My Unwilling Witch Goes to Ballet School, My Unwilling Witch Sleeps Over, and My Unwilling Witch Starts a Girl Band.

Reviewer: Lana Barnes

(3) 4-6 Rumblewick's Diary series. Illustrated by Sarah Warburton. Haggy Aggy is unwilling to be a "proper-practicing" witch, forcing her right-hand cat, Rumblewick, to work overtime to avoid trouble with the High Hags. Rumblewick uses scrapbook-like images, doodles, black-and-white illustrations, and humorously descriptive language to document HA's antics in his private diaries. Readers will enjoy the quickly moving plot, with laughs and surprises around every corner. Review covers these Rumblewick's Diary titles: My Unwilling Witch Goes to Ballet School, My Unwilling Witch Sleeps Over, and My Unwilling Witch Starts a Girl Band.

Reviewer: Lana Barnes

(3) K-3 Illustrated by David Lucas. Rag doll Ruby Roo trades her rubber-duck friend's belongings not for the money they need but for a Magic Dancing Stick, Singing Bee, and Magic Fiddle. Rubbaduck is worried--until King Lion promises gold to whomever can make the forlorn queen laugh. The unpretentious story line, clean images, and fantastical toyland milieu are a pleasure.

Reviewer: Nell Beram

(4) PS Illustrated by Sam Williams. Little Brownmouse delights in playing peek-a-boo games, and her patient, gentle mouse mother plays along while lovingly proceeding through the daily routines of dinner, bath, and bedtime. Soft pencil illustrations of a Borrowers-like world lend extra charm to an already delightful tale, only slightly marred by breathless sentences beginning too often with "So..." and "And...."

Reviewer: CHristine Sarrazin

(4) PS Illustrated by Frederic Joos. To pass the time on a train to Grandpa's, Big Bear has Little Bear eat lunch, read books, and color pictures. But when those activities pall, Little Bear has an idea--she'll run up and down the aisle. The author seems overly pleased with this impractical solution, but the familiar predicament and the sweetly appealing cartoons will draw readers.

Reviewer: Anita L. Burkam

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Susan Varley. Princess Chamomile decides she needs her own sort of garden, one with hide-and-seek bushes, a "Reading Quietly" place, and lots of grass for cartwheels. After months of planning and hard work her vision comes to life and becomes "everyone's sort of garden." The childlike sensibility of the text and the buoyant illustrations, complete with a foldout showing the garden in all its glory, make a winning combination.

Reviewer: Emma Loy-Santelli

(3) PS Illustrated by Frédéric Joos. Every time something bad happens to Little Bear, Big Bear is there to "kiss it better." When Big Bear receives bad news in the mail, Little Bear is quick to offer comfort; in a satisfying reversal of roles, she showers Big Bear with Band-Aids and kisses. Expressive watercolor illustrations, featuring sturdy bears in overalls, accompany this good-natured story.

Reviewer: Martha Sibert

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Mark Birchall. Everyone loves Chimp's new purple overcoat, except for Chimp: it's too long, too hot, and too scratchy. So he works a trade with a kangaroo for a shorter, softer, yellow coat. Everyone hates it, except for Chimp. His happiness outweighs popular opinion as he beams that it's "the right coat for me." The type is difficult to read, but the bright, cartoonlike illustrations capture Chimp's individuality and self-confidence.

Reviewer: Charlotte S. Huck

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Susan Varley. Princess Chamomile, a mouse, rebels against her royal restrictions and sets off on a jaunt beyond the castle walls. Kidnapped by the candy store proprietor (a cat), Chamomile outsmarts her captor and garners increased freedom from her regal parents. Detailed pastel watercolors picture the feisty princess's humorous escapades in the entertaining story.

Reviewer: Sheila M. Geraty

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Lisa Flather. Dog wants a real name, like Digger or Swiftfoot, so he resolves to earn one. But when acting out the names he wants gets him nowhere and behaving well almost gets him called "Honeybun," Dog decides it's not so bad being just "Dog" after all. Oram's well-told story and Flather's expressive illustrations imbue Dog with personality and charm.

Reviewer: Emma Loy-Santelli

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Tim Warnes. The ten stories in this humorous collection all have titles such as "Not-So-Smart Bears," "Not-So-Hungry Bear," or "Not-So-Greedy Bears." Oram mentions where the tales originated--Russia, China, Japan, North America, and various European countries--but she gives no sources. The cheerful, expressive illustrations complement the text, which is a good choice for reading aloud.

Reviewer: Martha Sibert

(2) K-3 This snappy retelling features plenty of dialogue and a protagonist named Too Nice, who is harassed by her sisters and forced out into the woods to visit the witch Baba Yaga. Fortunately, she is accompanied by the wise doll, given to her by her mother before her death. Dramatic illustrations contrast the big-eyed, innocent Too Nice with a tangibly--and glamorously--demonic Baba Yaga. No sources are given.

Reviewer: The Horn Book, Inc.

(3) K-3 In this companion to 'Badger's Bring Something Party', Mole stages an awards ceremony to shake Badger's blues. Squirrel wins for fairy cakes, Miss Snail wins for slow dancing, and Stoat wins for swimming, but Badger cleans up with awards for "Always Knowing the Best Way Through the Woods," "Always Knowing What to Do in a Crisis," "Always Being There for Others," and more. Soft watercolors create an idyllic woodsy world.

Reviewer: The Horn Book, Inc.