(3) K-3 Illustrated by Dieter Schubert. Sophie discovers Carl the crocodile under her bed, and Carl is scared of Sophie. Originally published in 1981, this latest edition offers new green-and-yellow-tone illustrations capturing the pairs' playful escapades as Sophie demands that Carl perform tricks, make pancakes, and tell her stories. With an economy of text, this monster-under-the-bed book offers a lighthearted approach to bedtime fears.

Reviewer: Sheila M. Geraty

(3) K-3 The wind whips an umbrella-clutching canine into the air. The dog journeys above the clouds, into the jungle, and so on; at moments of danger it is reliably saved by one animal or another who then ushers it to a safer setting. The art is so fully realized that the choice of wordlessness for this book was a good one.

Reviewer: Nell Beram

(3) K-3 A mouse shares his reliable cure for the blues: "Elephant soup!" The fastidious illustrations accompanying the recipe's steps ("Scrub gently") show a team of mice capturing a bemused-looking elephant who ultimately escapes the pot but nevertheless finds a way to cheer them up. Readers will delight in recognizing the tension between the narration's evenness and the illustrations' absurdity.

Reviewer: Nell Beram

(4) K-3 Rushing to help ill crocodile Kevin, hippo Ophelia tells Meerkat of Kevin's stomach "butterflies." Meerkat tells Frog, Frog tells Porcupine, etc.; with each telling, Kevin's ailments become increasingly dire. The dramatic art will satisfy readers, but the promising story line is derailed for the picture-book set upon learning that Kevin's "butterflies" are the result of his "being in love."

Reviewer: Nell Beram

(3) K-3 This book explains that baby animals need to be cared for by their parents, "just like people." From seahorse babies incubated by their fathers to platypus young no bigger than a bean, this basic introduction discusses the ways animals raise their offspring. Most of the illustrations are fairly realistic; occasionally the animals have been anthropomorphized (e.g., a beaver spanking its young).

Reviewer: Patricia Riley

(3) K-3 Mouse waxes expansive when declaring his devotion to his sweetheart, Mousegirl. No deed is too dangerous for him, no journey too difficult. But a cat shows up suddenly, and Mouse runs away, yelling, "I'll distract him!" Readers of this refreshingly ambiguous ending may doubt his courage, but Mousegirl does not. Humorous illustrations skillfully depict the mouse couple's wildest imaginings.

Reviewer: Martha Sibert

(3) K-3 A charming appropriation of plot elements from "The Grasshopper and the Ant" and "Stone Soup" makes neighbors of a petite, hardworking curmudgeon named Kate and a free-spirited giant who would rather play than prepare for winter. The art contains much homey detail, and sets the stage for the soup-making that brings the two opposites together.

Reviewer: Christine M. Heppermann

(4) PS In this Dutch import, Beaver's raft gets a little crowded when all of his animal friends climb on board. The plot is minimal, with a predictable ending--a lightweight butterfly capsizes the boat. Nevertheless, the animated watercolor illustrations amusingly convey the creatures' surprise as their craft founders.

Reviewer: Jim St. Claire

(4) K-3 After an accident in which Beaver's lodge is ruined, Bear and Hedgehog build him a sturdy--if rather unbeaverlike--new house, complete with found-object "decorations." They mistakenly omit the door, but Beaver assures them he can fix that. The ending is a bit abrupt; however, the Schuberts tell their story with understated humor, and their illustrations enhance the friends' distinctive personalities.

Reviewer: Martha Sibert

(4) K-3 When Bear discovers three abandoned eggs, he takes them home. Then, with the help of his more worldly friend, Hedgehog, he teaches the newly hatched goslings to swim, hunt, and finally--by way of a brave and clever solution--to fly. Though the telling of this humorous tale, originally published in the Netherlands, is sometimes disjointed, the expressive watercolors exude Bear's well-meaning, if bumbling, verve.

Reviewer: Emma Loy-Santelli

(3) K-3 Bear wants to water his drooping wildflowers, but his bucket has a hole in the bottom. Even with Hedgehog's help, he can't fix it. Then a storm waters the flowers for them. Soft shades of mottled green and brown watercolors reinforce the quiet friendship of the realistic yet animated friends in this retelling of the humorously circular German folksong.

Reviewer: The Horn Book, Inc.