(4) K-3 Illustrated by Deborah Allwright. Sure, Martha may look cute and seem sweet, but her adventurous nature keeps driving away her nannies, including the new hire introduced here. Some adults may find the denouement judgmental--Martha is overjoyed by her mom's decision to take care of her herself--but no one can deny Hardy's flair for rhyme and Allwright's command of this giddy-making material.

Reviewer: Nell Beram

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Deborah Allwright. Running from a "fox in the dark," Rabbit sprints home and slams the door. Suddenly, there's a knock. One by one, other animals afraid of the fox seek shelter with Rabbit. Finally, "rat-a-tat-tat"; a fox cub is outside, crying for Mom...who shows up looking for her baby. Soft, appropriately dark illustrations give life to the animals in this rhyming tale.

Reviewer: Patricia Riley

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Deborah Allwright. In this fractured fairy tale, a headstrong king demands a new tale from his author while admonishing readers to "go away" until the story is written. When the storywriter discovers his lost notes, Little Red Riding Hood and other fairy-tale characters help complete "The Princess and the Pea." Frenetic mixed-media illustrations are well matched to the tale’s ruckus and confusion.

Reviewer: Sheila M. Geraty

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Deborah Allwright. A girl asks her mom if she can have a pet; her mom's response: "We'll see." So whatever the girl sees--rock, glove, candy wrapper, balloon--becomes her pet "for a day or two." The stylish cartoon illustrations give the girl's inanimate pets personality in this creative celebration of imagination. The wish-fulfillment ending (she gets a kitten) will delight fellow hopeful pet owners.

Reviewer: Kitty Flynn

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Deborah Allwright. An affable boy offers the right amount of comfort and encouragement to a dinosaur who's concerned about starting school. The boy logically explains, "Otherwise, how would dinosaurs grow up to be so smart?" Winsome illustrations capture the dinosaur's apprehension and his friend's thoughtfulness.

Reviewer: Carrie Harasimowicz Sullivan

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Deborah Allwright. Told in the familiar song's bouncy rhythm, the story heralds the arrival of a spunky cowgirl in pink pajamas. The lively illustrations are painted in a turquoise, purple, green, and orange palette. Wild West motifs abound; two fold-out pages that look like saloon doors open wide to welcome the heroine. Endnotes suggest hand motions for the song. Music is included.

Reviewer: Sheila M. Geraty

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Deborah Allwright. Young Prudence always does everything better than everyone else. In this tongue-in-cheek tale, she is assigned every responsibility in the school play, from starring to working the lights. All that annoying perfection backfires in a funny, unpredictable turn that ends the story a bit too abruptly. The unrefined cartoony illustrations are a good match for the book's exaggerated humor.

Reviewer: Susan Dove Lempke

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Deborah Allwright. Fed up, the farmyard animals give an obnoxious pig his comeuppance on his birthday: a stick of dynamite that sends him flying into space in a double-page spread pop-up. Although somewhat manipulative, the book is a fresh alternative to the sentimental change-of-heart bully story. While unoriginal, the jokes and sight-gags (nose-picking, gas, etc.) will provoke laughs, as will the descriptions of mean Grunter in the text and art.

Reviewer: Jennifer M. Brabander