(3) PS Illustrated by Alison Brown. Little Owl is crestfallen when he sees Mommy Owl's new egg: "I'm your baby owl. You don't need a new one." They imagine what's inside the egg--a penguin? an elephant?--until Little Owl concedes that another owl would indeed be best. The sweet and silly text combines well with soft acrylic-paint and colored-pencil illustrations to create a reassuring new-sibling story.

Reviewer: Rachel L. Smith

(4) PS Illustrated by Alison Brown. A mouse parent and child go through their day discussing how their love will last "from sunrise to sunset" and "a much longer time." Simple, sometimes uneven rhymes extol the pair's affection, which is reflected in the warm illustrations. The inviting nature scenes, filled with animal friends, conclude with the moon rising as the little family settles down to sleep.

Reviewer: Miriam Steinberg-Egeth

(4) PS Illustrated by Alison Brown. Unable to find refuge in other animals' already-crowded homes, a lone little bear wandering in the cold wintery night finds comfort and companionship inside a cozy farmhouse. In the acrylic and colored-pencil illustrations, windy blues abruptly change to glowing firelight reds as a lonely little girl welcomes the bear into her home, reinforcing the singsongy rhyming text's emphasis on warmth, kindness, and friendship.

Reviewer: Rebecca Reed Whidden

(4) PS Illustrated by Alison Brown. "I love you most, I love you best, / Much, much more than all the rest." The rhymed, sentimental tribute celebrates varied expressions of love. A purple bear and turquoise bunny enjoy their many activities together: holding hands, reminiscing over photographs, lounging on a hillside. The unremarkable, saccharine text of this British import detracts from Brown's rich-hued illustrations, which are more subtly tender.

Reviewer: Sheila M. Geraty