(4) PS Illustrated by Adrian Reynolds. To test into the Tickle Squad, a mouse must tickle a series of large, often dangerous animals as two other mice in lab coats observe and comment on his performance; bland cartoony illustrations depict the giddy results of each tickle session. The endpapers, displaying handwritten formulas on graph paper, help set up the faux-scientific premise for this one-joke story in rhyme.

Reviewer: Katrina Hedeen

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Miriam Latimer. Although Ruby couldn't be more excited about the idea of sleeping in a tent in the backyard with her friend Mai, her imagination takes her from her safe sleeping bag to some dark, scary places before she falls asleep. The rhymes hit a few potholes, but it's an eminently relatable premise, and the chiaroscuro in Latimer's art is astute.

Reviewer: Nell Beram

(3) PS Illustrated by Alison Edgson. Little Bear wants desperately to see snow, though he knows bears must hibernate all winter. He's also worried that his friends Squirrel and Mole will forget about him while they're having seasonal fun. He does finally sleep, and in springtime the pals have a happy reunion. Edgson's soft, cuddly-looking animals are a natural fit with White's simple, relatable text.

Reviewer: Sophie Williamson

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Miriam Latimer. Young Ruby, accompanied by her mother, embarks on an imaginative walk to school. The challenging route includes--in Ruby's mind--fierce crocodiles, haunted houses, swooping bats, menacing tigers, and forest beasts. Acrylic paints and bright watercolors assist the jaunty rhyming text (refrain: "I must be brave, I must be strong") to tell of Ruby's adventures.

Reviewer: Cindy Lombardo

(3) PS Illustrated by Cliff Wright. A young badger describes what happens when his parents fight: "It gets dark, and I am lost. It gets cold, and I shiver." Against expressive watercolors of the arguing parents, the child badger creeps through a stormy landscape, dramatically rendered in stark, wintry tones. Later, when the parents are friends, the badger's spirits rise. The text has a comforting rhythm, and the art is striking.

Reviewer: Anita L. Burkam