(2) PS Illustrated by Robert Neubecker. In their third imaginary interplanetary adventure (following Space Boy and the Space Pirate), Niko, dog Tag, and toy robot Radar encounter the fearsome Snow Monster from Planet Ice (a.k.a. Niko's sister, Posh), who takes Radar captive. Curtis's energetic, very funny text stays true to Niko's perspective. Neubecker's lively digital illustrations strike the right balance between what's actually happening in their snow-covered backyard and what's pretend play.

Reviewer: Kitty Flynn | Horn Book Magazine Issue: January, 2018

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Robert Neubecker. In his backyard, imaginative Niko (Space Boy and His [Sister] Dog) blasts off to Planet Zorg after space pirate (sister) Posh "abducts" cousin Sasha. Despite the pirate stealing their (cardboard) spaceship, the brave crew manages to return to Planet Home (Earth); but can they reboot when the pirate declares: "Let's delete ourselves from this story"? The out-of-this world illustrations help advance the imaginative meta-fictive adventure.

Reviewer: Kitty Flynn

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Robert Neubecker. Space hero Niko and his dog are on a moon mission to find a lost cat. The illustrations show what's really happening: a pretend journey in a cardboard-box spaceship. They're joined by stowaway/sister Posh ("but she is not in this story"). Comical illustrations follow Niko's imagination, working in concert with the tongue-in-cheek text and making the relatively sophisticated structure easier to follow.

Reviewer: Kitty Flynn | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2015

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Doug Cushman. Anxiously awaiting her cousin's visit, little cat Emma and her mother welcome a stream of guests to their inn as the snow relentlessly falls. After every nook and cranny--including Emma's own room--is filled by weary travelers, cousin Abby finally arrives for the sleepover. Cozy watercolor and pen-and-ink illustrations reflect the text's message of hospitality and community that a storm can elicit.

Reviewer: Rebecca Reed Whidden

(3) 1-3 Rocky Cave Kids series. Illustrated by Stacy Curtis. Dinosaurs, mammoths, and cave people coexist in this accessible story for young readers. Miggy, a cave child, finds a lucky dragon stone. She must keep it a secret lest it lose its magic. When forced to protect her clan, she realizes her own power. Adventure and magic delivered in short chapters will entice beginning readers.

Reviewer: Lana Barnes

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Doug Cushman. When the Olivers find a newborn on their doorstep, they're delighted. He's like all other babies--"Except for the fur. The tail. The pointy teeth. And the purple horns." Monster Olly is very smart and grows quickly, but he must learn how to interact with his much smaller friends. Playful watercolor illustrations add zest to this story about self-acceptance.

Reviewer: Patricia Riley

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Paul Meisel. Goose organizes a barn-wide poetry slam. Each animal brings a unique poetry style--and a personal complaint--to the "stage." The poems are funny but overstuffed with puns, and some of the humor may be lost on younger listeners. The variety of silly soliloquies would shine in a read-aloud or reader's-theater activity. Cartoony watercolor and pencil barn scenes match the story's light tone.

Reviewer: Sethany Rancier Alongi

(4) 4-6 Independent-minded Princess Quinn leaves her underground kingdom to explore Outer Earth (a.k.a. the modern world) in the expanded edition of Princess Nevermore. Her childhood friend Cam quests to discover his (providently noble) heritage in the sequel, a more standard medieval romantic fantasy. Though the formalized presentation of emotion can be distancing, the juxtaposition of worlds is consistently engaging. Review covers these titles: Cam's Quest and Princess Nevermore.

Reviewer: Claire E. Gross

(4) 4-6 Independent-minded Princess Quinn leaves her underground kingdom to explore Outer Earth (a.k.a. the modern world) in the expanded edition of Princess Nevermore. Her childhood friend Cam quests to discover his (providently noble) heritage in the sequel, a more standard medieval romantic fantasy. Though the formalized presentation of emotion can be distancing, the juxtaposition of worlds is consistently engaging. Review covers these titles: Cam's Quest and Princess Nevermore.

Reviewer: Claire E. Gross

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Dee Huxley. Baby Chance doesn't care for Ma's gooky mush, for Pa's guitar playing, or for the dog slobbering on his rattle. "It all made me right cranky. So I left." Living with a variety of critters, he writes home and after extracting a promise for no more gooky mush, he returns in time for his first birthday cake. The droll story is enhanced by Chance's genial cowboy-speak and the chalk-pastel and colored-pencil drawings. A darn good cowboy yarn.

Reviewer: Susan Dove Lempke | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 2003

(4) 1-3 Redfeather Chapter Book series. Illustrated by Jennifer Danza. Five short chapters relate the quarrels and adventures of a cat and mouse who are best friends. Although the text is set in a larger typeface and the lines are spaced widely for easy reading, young readers may have difficulty following several of the story lines, some of which require a sophisticated sense of humor. Black-and-white line drawings depict the plucky pair.

Reviewer: Anne St. John

(4) 4-6 In this final book in the Monster of the Month Quartet, thirteen-year-old Rilla Earth continues to receive in the mail toy monsters that mysteriously come alive. This time around, Rilla struggles to keep the noisy monsters in her bedroom quiet during her aunt's wedding downstairs. The tension fizzles a bit in the end as the monsters all return to their inanimate states without discovery. The pen-and-ink illustrations add humor to the story.

Reviewer: The Horn Book, Inc.