(2) PS The Go-Go Guys, three egg-shaped youngsters, "NEVER sleep!" and have brains that go "BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!" While tucked into bed reflecting on more appealing activities than going to sleep (such as driving cars, bulldozers, and UFOs), their imaginations seemingly manifest into reality, resulting in a wrecking ball smashing their tiny house and setting off a wild ride to the moon and back. The energetic rhymes, lively illustrations, and subtle storytelling details take center stage. Told primarily through dialogue, with an occasional sound effect interlude ("VROOM VROOM VROOM"), the absurd rhyming text bounces between word balloons and across page-turns with surprising fluidity. The comics format never grows stale, constantly shifting from fast-paced multi-panels layouts to powerful double-page spreads ("KABOOM"). Watkins's fantastical illustrations, in a muted retro palette, appear hand-drawn and organic. A wobbly, pencil-like line frames nearly everything from characters to panel borders. The brisk rhymes will pull readers quickly though this bedtime romp. Watkins has delivered a dose of playful chaos that will most certainly connect with young readers who also "aren't wired for sleep."

Reviewer: Patrick Gall | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2023

(3) PS "Most marshmallows don't grow on trees / or come from storks / or even Mars." An even-tempered narrative describes marshmallows' everyday existence ("They celebrate birthdays. / They watch TV," etc.), which sounds uncannily like that of humans. The illustrations are hand-built scenes employing marshmallows, cardboard, and everyday objects, which support the book's irreproachable message that beauty can exist in oddity.

Reviewer: Nell Beram

(3) PS "Once upon a time, there was a BIG BUNNY," begins this silly story-within-a-story, with lots of kid-friendly, peanut gallery–type interruptions: "A ginormously SCARY bunny?" Mixed-media illustrations ("pieced together with this & that," per the copyright page) depict the zaniness as the bunny's quest for carrots takes it from outer space to a city--and with the narrator and listener humorously revealed on the last page.

Reviewer: Elissa Gershowitz

(2) PS Young elephant Pete concludes that because he is big, gray, and pants-less, he must be a...boulder. When Pete's exasperated mother insists that he put on some pants, Pete's spirits are clearly diminished: conformity is an uncomfortable fit. Dialogue balloons incorporated into the muted art provide a sense of forward propulsion. Pair with Mr. Tiger Goes Wild for another story about sartorial freedom and self-knowledge.

Reviewer: Minh Lê | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2017

(3) PS When one particularly rude little cake comes eyes-to-eye with a giant cyclops, the cake gets a few lessons in manners that help him see things differently. The oddball, sweet story will help young kids think about their interactions and understand the importance of being polite. The pencil and ink illustrations use offbeat humor to emphasize the simple lesson.

Reviewer: Breanna J. MCDaniel