(4) PS Illustrated by Alea Marley. "Everybody's somewhere, / Where are you? / I'm right here, / I'm somebody, too." Rhymes with little regard for meter describe where people might be, in terms concrete ("Somebody is flying, / Someone's in a car") and abstract ("Nowhere is somewhere"). Cut-paper-like illustrations, showing an ethnically diverse cast of kids in a variety of settings, accompany this well-meaning but murky object-permanence lesson.

Reviewer: Nell Beram

(3) PS Way I Feel series. Illustrated by Kathy Parkinson. A young guinea pig faces common anxieties, and her family, teachers, and friends help her find ways to articulate her worries and soothe herself. Sunny illustrations of supportive roly-poly rabbits, cats, and dogs underscore the warm, optimistic message. An opening note reminds adults that all children worry and recommends simple coping skills and modes of reassurance.

Reviewer: Gail Hedges

(4) PS Way I Feel series. Illustrated by Kathy Parkinson. A young guinea pig describes how he feels whenever he's temporarily separated from one or both of his parents. Sometimes the narrator seems to be parroting adult ideas ("When I miss you, there are ways others can help me"), but overall the text is sensitive and reassuring. The gentle images of the pudgy, anthropomorphized animal cast seem influenced by Rosemary Wells.

Reviewer: Nell Beram

(4) K-3 Way I Feel series. Illustrated by Kathy Parkinson & Kathy Parkinson. An anthropomorphized bear cub ruminates about jealousy: when she feels it, others who feel it, and ways to feel better when it strikes. While the abstract text would be a slog on its own, it is thankfully tethered to inviting, nuanced images of the cub experiencing the feelings described: e.g., her face makes plain her irritation that she is a less accomplished ballet dancer than her peers.

Reviewer: Nell Beram

(3) PS Way I Feel series. Illustrated by Kathy Parkinson. A young guinea pig feels good about herself when, for example, she "can help" or when she's loved "just as I am." Soft, friendly watercolors picture the animal characters playing, painting, learning new skills (roller-skating), and making mistakes (tangling a kite in a tree). A note to adults offers advice about fostering self-esteem.

Reviewer: Sheila M. Geraty

(3) PS Way I Feel series. Illustrated by Kathy Parkinson. A young guinea pig describes situations when she feels sad--when someone won't play or listen or is sad too--as well as how the emotion feels, "a cloudy, tired feeling." Illustrated with simple, friendly watercolors, the text conveys that it is "all right" to feel and show sadness and to recover. A note to adults offers advice about helping children cope with "ordinary sadness."

Reviewer: Sheila M. Geraty

(3) PS Illustrated by Kathy Parkinson. Told from the perspective of Dinah, the youngest in the Bear family, this simple story captures very young children's perceptions of divorce, along with their questions, emotions, and fears. Spelman shows how divorce disrupts the sameness children depend on in their lives and their need for reassurance as they become secure with their new situation. Parkinson's watercolors effectively convey the story's message.

Reviewer: Emma Loy-Santelli