(3) K-3 Illustrated by Tim Bowers. "Wilbur's Pet Shop is closed today. Good." So begins ornery pet-shop parrot Brock's fifteen days of diary-like observations. After a guy purchases him, there's tension at home until the pair survives a near disaster together. Brock's subversion of parrot clichés ("'Polly want a cracker?' That is terrible grammar") is wryly amusing, while the cartoony art handles the more obvious laughs.

Reviewer: Nell Beram

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Tim Bowers. "Christmas Eve, 9:45 PM / Two hours until launch on Christmas Eve." This elf's account of the night before Christmas is rife with humor ("I feel so good I snap an elfie") and "little known facts" ("We don't even bring the Naughty list with us"). There's tastefully cartoonish art and a turn involving a stowaway dog--what's not to celebrate?

Reviewer: Nell Beram

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Tim Bowers. Seymour the hamster's life is perfect until he's lured out from his cozy, safe cage by a conniving cat promising Seymour coveted yogurt drops. He spends a harrowing few nights hiding under the sofa and narrowly escapes a monster (the vacuum). This close-up portrait of hamster life, narrated with dry humor by Seymour himself, is illustrated with verve.

Reviewer: Rebecca Reed Whidden

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Brad Sneed. This Kansas tall tale relates the exploits of Johnny Kaw, who was born six-foot-two and continued growing. Johnny's adventures recall Pecos Bill and Paul Bunyan's: he tames a cyclone, creates the Rocky Mountains, and clears trees from the plains. The awkward rhymes with uneven rhythm detract from the folksy narrative; soft illustrations capture the character's enormity and majesty of the Great Plains.

Reviewer: Luther B. Clegg

(4) K-3 Tales of Young Americans series. Illustrated by Chris Ellison. In this tale of struggle and perseverance, African American Moses and his family leave their home in Baltimore to participate in an Oklahoma land run. Though it's slow to get moving, the story effectively relates the obstacles the characters face while working toward their dream of owning a farm. Dark, atmospheric paintings display the family's struggles and triumphs.

Reviewer: Juliet S. King

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Lee White. The Macintosh family's prize-winning rooster, Brewster, begins to crow at odd times of the day, disrupting their activities. Everyone's stumped until little Julie realizes that Brewster needs glasses. There's a lot of build-up, but the solution is abrupt and the rhymed text doesn't always scan. Sunny and busy caricature illustrations display unexpected angles and varied perspectives.

Reviewer: Christina Dorr

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Mark Braught & Mark Braught. Cosmo and the moon are good friends; however, the moon starts to follow Cosmo day and night, which results in around-the-clock darkness and lots of trouble. With Cosmo's help, the moon finally realizes that "never saying goodbye means you never get to say hello." The moon looks slightly sinister in some of the quirky illustrations, which adds another (probably unintentional) dimension to this offbeat story.

Reviewer: Kitty Flynn