(4) K-3 I Can Read Book series. Illustrated by Tim Bowers. In his easy-reader debuts, Rappy the rapping velociraptor averts multiple disasters on a trip to the supermarket and goes on a class field trip to a library. The books lack much of a story and rely on an inconsistent pseudo-rap rhyme scheme. Bowers's customary cartoonish illustrations showcase a wacky cast of Flintstones contemporaries and capture Rappy's exuberance. Review covers these I Can Read Book titles: Rappy Goes to the Library and Rappy Goes to the Supermarket.

Reviewer: Cynthia K. Ritter

(4) K-3 I Can Read Book series. Illustrated by Tim Bowers. In his easy-reader debuts, Rappy the rapping velociraptor averts multiple disasters on a trip to the supermarket and goes on a class field trip to a library. The books lack much of a story and rely on an inconsistent pseudo-rap rhyme scheme. Bowers's customary cartoonish illustrations showcase a wacky cast of Flintstones contemporaries and capture Rappy's exuberance. Review covers these I Can Read Book titles: Rappy Goes to the Library and Rappy Goes to the Supermarket.

Reviewer: Cynthia K. Ritter

(4) PS Illustrated by Tim Bowers. Buddy wants to stay awake and play robot, so his parents humor him until "Ro-Buddy" tires himself through pre-bedtime activities and "powers down" for sleep; a brief nighttime waking ("ALERT! Ro-Buddy is out of his cuddle pod!") shakes up the ending slightly. The colorful art provides a cozy atmosphere, but the cutesy story doesn't stand out much in the crowded field of bedtime books.

Reviewer: Russell Perry

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Tim Bowers. "Wilbur's Pet Shop is closed today. Good." So begins ornery pet-shop parrot Brock's fifteen days of diary-like observations. After a guy purchases him, there's tension at home until the pair survives a near disaster together. Brock's subversion of parrot clichés ("'Polly want a cracker?' That is terrible grammar") is wryly amusing, while the cartoony art handles the more obvious laughs.

Reviewer: Nell Beram

(4) PS Illustrated by Tim Bowers. After "swab[bing] the deck" and "batten[ing] down the hatches" (cleaning his room), young pirate Ned mutinies against bedtime by losing "Captain Teddy," climbing the mast, and demanding a drink and a "yarn" from Papa Pirate. The illustrations are soft and dreamy, encouraging readers to follow Ned and Papa to bed, but the pirate conceit wears thin and the text's meter wobbles at times.

Reviewer: Kari Allen

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Tim Bowers. Klutzy ball Ned constantly wobbles into things. On his first day of school, the dreaded Foul Ball Gang quickly dubs him Knucklehead Ned. However, Sammy Softball and Connie Curveball think Ned's moves are cool, and when the unique skills aid a playground rescue, he's aptly named Knuckleball Ned. Endearing baseball-headed characters in light color washes are the perfect pitch for this amusing tale.

Reviewer: Carrie Harasimowicz Sullivan

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Tim Bowers. "Christmas Eve, 9:45 PM / Two hours until launch on Christmas Eve." This elf's account of the night before Christmas is rife with humor ("I feel so good I snap an elfie") and "little known facts" ("We don't even bring the Naughty list with us"). There's tastefully cartoonish art and a turn involving a stowaway dog--what's not to celebrate?

Reviewer: Nell Beram

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Tim Bowers. Dragon Crispin turns seven but instead of breathing fire, as expected, he breathes whipped cream...then Band-Aids, marshmallows, and more. The hackneyed plot, of a character who's different from his peers, ends predictably: after a heroic move, everyone understands that Crispin's abnormality makes him "special." Bowers's cartoonish acrylic illustrations feature wide-eyed, friendly looking dragons in an array of colors.

Reviewer: Maeve Visser Knoth

(3) PS Illustrated by Tim Bowers. Tinka the dog is described in a variety of inventive rhymes as the story of her lost-and-found adventure in the snow unfolds. Bowers tempers the cartoonish quality of his illustrations with scratched lines that simulate the texture of old paintings, echoing the rhyming text's combination of modernity and sentiment.

Reviewer: Hannah Rodgers Barnaby

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Tim Bowers. Seymour the hamster's life is perfect until he's lured out from his cozy, safe cage by a conniving cat promising Seymour coveted yogurt drops. He spends a harrowing few nights hiding under the sofa and narrowly escapes a monster (the vacuum). This close-up portrait of hamster life, narrated with dry humor by Seymour himself, is illustrated with verve.

Reviewer: Rebecca Reed Whidden

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Tim Bowers. Stu loves the chorus of sounds he hears emanating nightly from the zoo. When a developer threatens to tear it down, Stu conducts an emergency plan to save it: a concert performed by the zoo's residents. Expressive paintings outshine the text, which is a vehicle for a stream of idioms that do little to enhance the story. An "understanding idioms" guide is appended.

Reviewer: Rebecca Reed Whidden

(3) PS Illustrated by Tim Bowers. While shopping in a grocery store, a girl meets a friendly dinosaur. What should she say? "Hello. I’m pleased to meet you." And if her cart bumps the dinosaur, how should she respond? "I’m sorry." The jaunty rhyme describing the silly situations requiring polite answers and the amusing acrylic illustrations keep the lessons lighthearted.

Reviewer: Patricia Riley

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Tim Bowers. Ice-skating pig Poppy is nervous to participate in the World Games, but her parents and friends remind her that "everyone smiles in the same language." Evidently they all speak English, too--she makes friends with animal athletes from different countries and relates to each one. The story is bland, but the cartoony illustrations of the international animals are lively and animated.

Reviewer: Amy Kellman

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Tim Bowers. A bass-guitar-strumming rooster dreams that he'll win the annual Barnyard Talent Show; his jazz-playing bandmates and competitors include Thelonius Monkey, Mules Davis, Duck Ellington, and Ella Finchgerald. The hokey story and middling rhymes, accompanied by rambunctious art, are informed by a mind that knows this subject cold, as evidenced by Alexander's back-of-book jazz timeline, bios, and glossary.

Reviewer: Nell Beram

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Tim Bowers. A boy imagines what fun he and his dog Oscar would have if Oscar could talk. The pup could go with the boy to school, help out on the soccer field, even be on a quiz show. Orloff's rhymes are tight and jaunty; most verses end with the refrain, "...talk, Oscar--please." Bowers's cheerful illustrations of boy and dog are humorous and warm-hearted.

Reviewer: Patricia Riley

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Tim Bowers. Olympic figure skater Yamaguchi tells of a pig named Poppy who "dreamed big." Although ballet dancing, singing, and modeling don't work out, Poppy, with the encouragement of her family and best friend, perseveres and becomes an ice skater. Message is foremost in this unsurprising story. Some humorous piggy wordplay ("New Pork City") and cheery pink-hued cartoon illustrations may engage readers.

Reviewer: Amy Kellman

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Tim Bowers. In this companion to First Dog, the president's pooch prepares for the White House Christmas Gala. Doggy guests arrive from around the world, bringing holiday gifts from their countries, e.g., a Bûche de Noël from the French poodle, a glass pickle ornament from the German Affenpinscher. Playful illustrations of the amiable pup in his presidential surroundings enhance the slight story.

Reviewer: Carrie Harasimowicz Sullivan

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Tim Bowers. The story of Mooch, a stray who finds a new home then nearly loses it, is told exclusively in haiku ("Chew on dirty socks. / Roll around in week-old trash. / Ahhh...that's much better"). The haiku are funny, pensive, and affecting--sometimes all at once--and the oil paintings are just as thoughtfully executed. This paper-over-board edition is notable for its bargain price.

Reviewer: Nell Beram

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Tim Bowers. Pup Tinka (Fun Dog, Sun Dog) is lonely when her boy starts school. She causes a ruckus when she decides to join him. While waiting for someone to retrieve Tinka, the children come up with a way (not entirely believable) to incorporate her into the classroom. Heiligman's rhyming text is catchy but becomes a bit repetitive. Bowers's acrylic-on-board illustrations are energetic.

Reviewer: Rebecca Reed Whidden

(4) K-3 Step into Reading series. Illustrated by Tim Bowers. It's pet picture day. The groomers have their hands full as a pack of feisty pups (and a few trouble-making kittens) get ready to look their best for the camera. Though the events can be a little hard to follow, the goofy illustrations and upbeat rhyming text will elicit laughter.

Reviewer: Norah Piehl