(3) PS Illustrated by Reg Cartwright. "At the edge of the woods, the grass grows tall, / the daisies dance, and the blackbirds call." These woods are teeming with animals, counted from one to ten in a rhyming, hypnotic refrain. In a humorous final spread, all the animals quickly hide when a sleepy bear lumbers into their midst. Preschoolers can easily count the friendly looking stylized animals in the large, bold illustrations.

Reviewer: Amanda Sullivan

(4) PS Illustrated by Reg Cartwright. The boy narrator in this "House That Jack Built" cumulative tale describes the construction of a building in an empty lot in his neighborhood. Construction vehicles, workers, and materials are featured in the generally smooth text, which becomes a bit confusing toward the end of the book. Bold, clear illustrations show different aspects of the building process. A picture glossary sums up the trucks and workers mentioned.

Reviewer: Jim St. Claire

(3) PS Illustrated by Reg Cartwright. In rhyming verse, two children explore the various sounds animals make--"Ducks quack. Cows moo. / Chickens cluck. Doves coo"--wondering in a repeated refrain, "But what does the rabbit say?" The children conclude that they love their pet, even though he doesn't make a sound. Simple, folk-art-style paintings rendered in rich, dark tones give this common theme a fresh presentation.

Reviewer: Emma Loy-Santelli

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Reg Cartwright. In this adaptation of a Spanish tale, Matías rescues a mother and her daughters, who have been transformed into a tree bearing three oranges. The fairly lengthy text ends with an unusual twist: Matías marries one daughter, but the remaining two reject his selfish brothers. Tones of orange, gold, and brown unify the distinctive oil paintings, which feature sturdy, simplified figures.

Reviewer: Martha Sibert