(4) K-3 Green Light Readers series. Illustrated by Doug Cushman. While his brothers vie to see who can find the most Easter eggs, a young mouse joyfully explores the spring day. His enthusiasm is dampened when he discovers he is the only one without an Easter egg. Discouraged, he tries again and finds a hatching turtle egg. Originally published as a picture book, the text and illustrations work in this format. Though the choppy rhyming text isn't inspiring, the energetic watercolor illustrations are inviting.

Reviewer: The Horn Book, Inc.

(4) K-3 Green Light Readers series. Illustrated by Doug Cushman. Originally published as a picture book, this edition is reformatted for beginning readers. Elaborate preparations set the stage for a young mouse's cowboy-themed birthday celebration. The frivolity gets out of hand, but the revelers re-group and clean up, and the party goes on. Though the rhyming text is uneven, the festive watercolors provide context clues to help with decoding.

Reviewer: Kitty Flynn

(3) K-3 Green Light Readers series. Illustrated by Doug Cushman. Previously published as a picture book, this beginning reader tells of a mouse family's Christmas preparations (tree trimming, baking, caroling). The rhyming text is suited to this format and is supported by lively illustrations of mice full of holiday cheer. A prowling cat adds a bit of tension; the unexpected ending offers a friendly twist on the usual cat-and-mouse dynamic.

Reviewer: Kitty Flynn

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Lorinda Bryan Cauley. Twins Greta and Gregory draw straws for Grampie Groundhog's "family forecasting job." When Gregory, the winner, has nervous nightmares and misplaces his glasses while sleepwalking, Greta must help him predict spring after all. The conclusion lauds cooperation, but it's not hard to see that the conflict could have been avoided altogether. Watercolor and colored-pencil illustrations are warm but bland.

Reviewer: Jane Kohuth

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Vladimir Vagin. On Christmas Eve, the toys beneath the Carrolls' tree come noisily alive and start making trouble. Luckily the cookie angel atop the tree comes to life, too; by singing Christmas music, she manages to calm the toys down and avoid disaster. The inexperienced but well-intentioned angel is an appealing character; detailed illustrations portray her adventures with humor, though human figures are awkwardly rendered.

Reviewer: Martha Sibert

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Marsha Winborn. When Ogre eats her tulips, May Belle makes him plant a new garden; when he eats his invitation to her tea party, she teaches him to read; and when he's bored, she suggests other activities for him. These three short stories dramatizing an unusual friendship are told with humor and are accompanied by lively pen and watercolor illustrations.

Reviewer: Patricia Riley

(4) PS Illustrated by R. W. Alley. Two playful kittens accidentally bowl over some kids, pop a wading pool, terrorize birds, etc.; each fracas is captured with a simple rhyme concluding with the titular cry. Detailed comical images feature two wide-eyed felines wreaking havoc. The ending is anticlimactic, but for the littlest readers the ride will be worth it.

Reviewer: Nell Beram

(4) PS Illustrated by Doug Cushman. A group of mice celebrate Independence Day with a parade, a picnic, a ball game, sack races, a dip in a pond, and, of course, sparklers and fireworks. The energetic watercolors capture the holiday spirit better than the lackluster rhyming text, which--with lines like "Munch, munch, / crunch, crunch, crunch"--relies too heavily on repeated words and onomatopoeia.

Reviewer: Peter D. Sieruta

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Marsha Winborn. Three short, easy-to read stories about a little girl and her adventures with a hairy gray ogre resonate with a satisfying tone. In one story, May Belle drags the dirty ogre into a bath, in another she insists he bake a pie to make up for the two he stole, and in the last she wins over the little monster and asks him to stay. The amusing pictures show a snub-nosed girl who lives in a house in the woods.

Reviewer: Melinda Greenblatt

(4) PS Illustrated by Doug Cushman. While his brothers vie to see who can find the most Easter eggs, a young mouse joyfully explores the spring day. His enthusiasm is dampened when he discovers he is the only one without an Easter egg. Discouraged, he tries again and finds a hatching turtle egg. The story, told in a choppy, rhyming text, is accompanied by energetic watercolor illustrations.

Reviewer: Patricia Riley

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Kay Chorao. As Rosie waits with her aunt for her parents to come home, the young squirrel imagines several terrible scenarios that may hinder their safe return. Yet, with each scary vision, the brave Rosie creatively saves her parents from such dangers as a tiger, sea serpent, and fox. The playful illustrations capture the reality of Rosie's fear and her ability to overcome such worries.

Reviewer: Charlotte S. Huck

(3) PS Illustrated by Melanie Hope Greenberg. As a girl plants a garden she observes the field of wildflowers growing on the other side of the fence--the wind's garden, as she calls it. With both gardens getting the benefit of sun and rain, the plants and flowers grow and grow. The simple text extols the beauty of nature, with joyous, naive gouache paintings that fill up with colorful flowers as the summer goes on.

Reviewer: Melinda Greenblatt

(4) PS Illustrated by Doug Cushman. As a rhyming text tells of a mouse family's Christmas preparations (tree trimming, baking, caroling), watercolors not only show the mice full of holiday cheer, but also a furtive cat watching the festivities with interest. In a friendly twist on the usual cat and mouse tension, the cat's unexpected gift, a huge wedge of cheese, inspires the mice to give in kind. Overall, this is a slight offering.

Reviewer: Sheila M. Geraty

(3) PS Illustrated by Melissa Iwai. Jesse and Gramps are sitting in front of the fireplace, where Gramps tells a bedtime story about a fire dragon who chases them across mountains and a river and through a jungle until Jesse heroically extinguishes the dragon with a hose. Brief, rhythmic text and warm, colorful illustrations ensure that the adventure is fast paced and exciting but not scary.

Reviewer: Jim St. Claire

(4) PS A group of mice meet with minor adventure while delivering valentines to the other woodland animals. Though similar in style in both text (brief and bouncy) and art (perky pen and watercolors) as Roberts and Cushman's earlier collaboration, 'Halloween Mice!', this volume's lack of even an inkling of plot makes it less successful.

Reviewer: The Horn Book, Inc.