(3) K-3 Illustrated by Eric Comstock. It's 3:30 p.m., and Charlie Piechart--just a regular kid with a pie chart for a torso--must find his dog in time for a 4:15 groomer's appointment. As in the previous Charlie Piechart books, the boy sleuth arms himself with math and logic. It's a compelling educational caper, with winning throwback art in retro colors like mustard and aqua.

Reviewer: Nell Beram

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Eric Comstock. Child sleuth Charlie must find a classmate's missing cone-shaped princess hat, which she needs for that evening's school play. The authors offer an easy-does-it introduction to three-dimensional geometric shapes without derailing the story's mystery engine. The art is retro-style with a twist: Charlie has a pie-chart torso, and the cast's skin colors include purple and blue. Activities and a seek-and-find challenge are appended.

Reviewer: Nell Beram

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Eric Comstock. Pizza night at Charlie's house goes awry when a slice vanishes into thin air. Charlie, who's pictured with a pie-chart torso, plays detective, using deductive reasoning and fractions to narrow down his suspect list. Written with numerals and presented graphically, fractions fit quite neatly into the playful mystery. Retro, mid-century-styled illustrations feature clues and math concepts.

Reviewer: Tanya D. Auger

(4) K-3 Bright and Early Book series. Illustrated by Michael Fleming. Because Gwen the hen reminds him that "it's bad luck to count your eggs before they hatch," Red Rooster makes several back-to-back trips to the worm store to buy one for each of ten new baby chicks as they hatch. The easy-to-read, repetitive text in this slight tale about an excited new father provides counting practice and is supported by large, clear illustrations.

Reviewer: Sethany Rancier Alongi

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Ard Hoyt. Alice, who lives in Dallas, Pennsylvania, loves to pretend to be a Wild West cowgirl until Lexis from Texas (or is she?) comes to town and threatens to usurp her. A high-noon playground showdown leads to an injury and an inevitable but satisfying partnership. This mild rivalry-turned-friendship tale conveys its message smoothly, while Hoyt's watercolor and pen illustrations embody the "Yippee ki-yay!" spirit.

Reviewer: Cyrisse Jaffee

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Michael Slack. Cow is in trouble, and it's up to Bee to get the message to the other animals, but chain-reaction misunderstandings recalling the children's game telephone interfere ("Cow is stuck in the fence" becomes "Cow put a duck in the tent," etc.). The hoped-for twist never materializes, but the humor and up-tempo illustrations carry the story to its pleasant-enough conclusion.

Reviewer: Nell Beram

(4) 1-3 Stepping Stone series. Illustrated by Roger Bollen. Zenon hosts an Earth girl on her space station home, and although Teena impresses Zenon's friends, her ideas for fun get all of them in big trouble. The futuristic setting is thin and the cosmic slang very stale, but Zenon's dilemma will ring true even with readers living in the present. Extensive black-and-white cartoons illustrate this chapter book. Glos.

Reviewer: Anita L. Burkam