(2) K-3 Mid-century aesthetics, dreamlike storytelling, and meticulous craft combine to create a peculiar tale of good versus evil. Thanks to the aptly named Snarly McBummerpants -- a six-legged humanoid clad in a tie and bowler hat -- the "world got stuck being sad." The villain's minions, the solid but smog-like Mopey Smokes, travel far and wide to ruin everyone's moods; that is, until the arrival of the Rocket Puppies in their doghouse rocket ship. These pint-sized heroes turn bullies into florists, befriend giant sea serpents, and chase away the Mopey Smokes. An epic showdown between the Rocket Puppies and McBummerpants leads to the villain's first-ever laugh and a complete about-face. The surreal narrative possesses an uninhibited stream-of-consciousness quality; however, the highly rendered illustrations appear carefully planned and precise. The book follows a general layout of an all-white page featuring a sentence or two of text (with the occasional spot illustration) accompanied across the gutter by a full-page illustration. A brisk rhythm keeps the purposely nonsensical plot moving, yet lingering on or returning to each illustration greatly develops the overall narrative. Joyce's inclusion of numerous breeds of dogs, individualized jetpacks for each Rocket Puppy, and fairly obscure (for young readers) pop-culture references (e.g., Laurel and Hardy) provide much to appreciate and discover. A puppy-powered romp.

Reviewer: Patrick Gall | Horn Book Magazine Issue: January, 2025

(4) 4-6 Guardians series. In this conclusion to the epic saga, Jack Frost--once an immortal Guardian named Nightlight, now a half-human residing on Earth in 1933--leads the Guardians in a final battle against the evil Pitch. However, readers must wade through various characters' lengthy backstories before they can engage with Jack's own origin story or the current conflict. As in previous books, copious black-and-white drawings enhance the creative world-building.

Reviewer: Rita Soltan

(3) 1-3 In this nostalgic story about enlivened toys, embittered carnival-game clown Zozo, who nurses a vendetta against toys that are their owners' favorites, orchestrates the kidnapping of six-year-old Billy's beloved plush toy, Ollie; an epic, child-pleasing rescue ensues. This hefty, large-format book features Joyce's precisely rendered, full-page multimedia illustrations, by turns tenderhearted and creepy to reflect the warring toys.

Reviewer: Carolyn Shute

(3) K-3 Creative, strange, energetic Billy (a young Joyce) finds an outlet for his imagination when he enters a school contest for the best kids' book. He's devastated to not win--until he discovers his entry (included as a book within this book) is the most circulated entry at the library. Budding writers and illustrators will find reassurance and inspiration, plus plenty of chuckles.

Reviewer: Pam Yosca

(4) K-3 Guardians of Childhood series. Illustrated by William Joyce & Andrew Theophilopoulos. Formerly known as Nightlight, Jack Frost got his new name when he fell to Earth after saving the Man in the Moon from Pitch, the Nightmare King. Jack's role as a Guardian of Childhood is ill-defined and the story is undeveloped, but the draw of the series has always been the lush romanticism of the mixed-media illustrations, here credited to Joyce and Andrew Theophilopoulos.

Reviewer: Roger Sutton

(3) K-3 Illustrated by William Joyce & Kenny Callicutt. The story of "Jack and the Beanstalk" gets a quirky update in this hefty picture book, wherein Jack traces a drought in the kingdom to a young giant's prolonged bath time. Joyce's rhythmic cadence is perfectly complemented by epic multimedia art, which combines realistically rendered backgrounds and objects with doll-like characters to create an inviting fairy-tale world.

Reviewer: Hannah Rodgers Barnaby

(3) K-3 In a land with only numbers and no letters, five friends decide to make a change. Rube Goldberg–like devices help them invent the alphabet, which also happens to change their world from monochromatic to colorful. Following Joyce's Numberlys app and animated short film, the book retains the original Metropolis-inspired setting while adding interest with both vertical and horizontal layouts.

Reviewer: Lolly Robinson

(4) K-3 Dr. Zooper's book answers all your questions about what happens to the missing "car keys! The TV remote!!! One sock," and more. Apparently, little creatures eat your homework, make boogers hang from your nose, and cause blisters, bad smells, and itches. Joyce's illustrations of these mischief-makers--part human, part robot, part who-knows-what--will intrigue kids along with the humorous, if lengthy, descriptions.

Reviewer: Jennifer M. Brabander

(3) 4-6 Guardians series. The Guardians face their biggest challenge yet, rescuing Katherine from Pitch the Nightmare King, who escaped via Mother Nature's mysterious force. Their only hope may be to recruit the Sandman, Sanderson Mansnoozie, for his abilities to make wishes come true in the dark. The old-fashioned, whimsical charm continues in the series featuring rethought characterizations from childhood folklore. Black-and-white illustrations lend atmosphere.

Reviewer: Rita Soltan

(3) 4-6 Guardians series. In this sequel (Nicholas St. North and the Battle of the Nightmare King), villainous Pitch has the children of Santoff Claussen village in his underground lair. With the help of E. Aster Bunnymund, "a robe-wearing Rabbit Man who time travels and likes eggs," North and Katherine execute an adventurous rescue. Russian motifs in the black-and-white drawings add atmosphere to this quirky fantasy.

Reviewer: Rita Soltan

(3) 4-6 Guardians series. The Guardians continue their quest to save childhood from evil Nightmare King Pitch. The newest heroic icon, the Tooth Fairy, is in possession of all happy childhood memories held within the teeth she collects, and Katherine hopes Toothiana can help her remember her parents. The good-against-evil theme continues amid the fantastical backdrop; ethereal black-and-white drawings enliven the story.

Reviewer: Rita Soltan

(4) K-3 Guardians of Childhood series. This sequel to The Man in the Moon tells the origin story of the Man's earthly helper, the Sandman, "Lord High Protector of Sleep and Dreams." Faux-archaic language and resplendent Golden Age illustrations make the book seem more substantial than it actually is.

Reviewer: Roger Sutton

(3) K-3 In this affectionate love letter, a lady propelled by "flying books" tosses one to Morris Lessmore, which leads him to an enticing library. Years pass as he takes care of the animated volumes; finally the aged Morris flies away on the wings of books, his place taken by a girl. The multimedia illustrations are rendered in Joyce's Hopperesque style and luminescent colors.

Reviewer: Joanna Rudge Long

(4) K-3 Guardians of Childhood series. An arduously constructed creation story for Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny, etc., posits that the Man in the Moon (whose own biography takes up most of this volume) enlisted them to make life better for Earth's children. The neo-retro art is as extravagant as the text is belabored, but its sentimental lushness will appeal to Joyce's many fans.

Reviewer: Roger Sutton

(3) 4-6 Guardians series. Illustrated by William Joyce. Pitch, King of Nightmares, escapes imprisonment. It falls to wizard Ombric and Russian bandit Nicholas St. North to protect the world's children from nightmares wielded by Pitch and his evil troops of Fearlings. A familiar figure is entertainingly redrawn in this fantasy adventure that supposes a disreputable past for jolly St. Nick. Atmospheric black-and-white drawings illustrate key scenes.

Reviewer: Rita Soltan

(3) K-3 The young narrator visits his friend Wilbur's house, a surreal dwelling full of strange inventions (e.g., a robot, a brain augmentor, an antigravity device) and even stranger relations. For this edition--and in anticipation of the movie version (Meet the Robinsons)--the quirky story is extended with four new spreads, introducing a few more oddball characters, and some design tweaks.

Reviewer: Maeve Visser Knoth | Horn Book Magazine Issue: January, 1991

(2) K-3 A mysterious box from "S.C." holds a machine that flies Art Aimesworth, his Comanche pal, and his little sister Esther to the North Pole, where Santa sends Art on a mission to rescue Esther when she is kidnapped by the Dark Elves. The book, save Esther's surprise twist at the end, is vintage fifties boys' adventure, while the gallant art, some of it new for this edition, has Victorian echoes.

Reviewer: Anita L. Burkam | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 1993

(3) K-3 Rolie Polie Olie, who himself resembles a snowman with spherical head, body, and feet, builds a snowman with his friends. When it begins to melt, they travel to Chillsville, meet Klanky Klaus, and leave the snowman in the company of a chorus line of identical snow figures. Joyce's dynamically composed digital illustrations are well suited to the breezy, offbeat text.

Reviewer: Lolly Robinson

(4) PS George has actually grown, not shrunk, in this much-larger edition. The art now fills the pages (there are borders in the original), and in some cases the edges of the illustrations have been cut to make them fit the new format. New jacket art aside, there is no reason for libraries with the original still intact to buy this edition.

Reviewer: Maeve Visser Knoth | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 1985

(3) K-3 An infectiously rhythmic text describes twenty-four hours in the life of the Rolie Polie family--creatures with spherical heads and bodies, and limbs seemingly made from electrical conduit. The sensibility is truly original, at first resembling Teletubbies, but quickly turning the corner to sharper Joycian wackiness. The illustrations appear to have been created with a computer equipped with 3-D imaging.

Reviewer: Lolly Robinson