(4) K-3 Illustrated by Caroline Jayne Church. Cowboy Coyote is lost and lonesome. Advice from the moon, a snake, and a bird leaves him a little worse off each time. Finally, a toad tells him to stay put and howl loudly, and "I'm sure you will be found." And he is. Church's textured illustrations give the lightweight story some heft.

Reviewer: Kari Allen

(4) PS Illustrated by Caroline Jayne Church. All of Baby's "firsts"--tooth, word, step, etc.--are chronicled here in lively verse. Though some of the rhymes are a stretch ("...a little grin... / It opens up a Baby mile. / See happy Baby's / very first... / ...SMILE!"), the story sweetly honors Baby's first-year achievements. Collage and ink illustrations, full of warmth and affection, feature simple patterns and thickly outlined characters.

Reviewer: Tanya D. Auger

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Caroline Jayne Church. When autumn arrives, Pip, a baffled young squirrel, tries to return his tree's leaves to their branches. Thanks to Mom's explanation, Pip is reassured that the leaves will grow again. The story provides a child-friendly introduction to fall. Collage illustrations (some are a little blurry) featuring cute-as-can-be squirrels and warm blends of autumn colors play with a variety of textures.

Reviewer: Sethany Rancier Alongi

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Caroline Jayne Church. A hedgehog's feelings are hurt when the dancing butterflies won't let her join in. Friends rally 'round, and they all "Twist and turn and skip and hop. / This way and that way. / That way and this way. Spin around until you stop!" Church's cleanly composed collages display Harriet's emotions, from hope to disappointment to unabashed joy.

Reviewer: Amy Kellman

(4) PS Illustrated by Caroline Jayne Church. A song-lyric text lists different actions a girl takes in response to her feelings. For example, she cries when she feels sad, "And it makes me feel better / You know I feel better / after I cry." The popular kids' tune makes a better song than book, but the joyous collage illustrations have lots of energy. A CD is included.

Reviewer: Patricia Riley

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Caroline Jayne Church. Rabbits Teeny and Tino tack their winter wish lists to a log. When the lists get torn up, friendly mice salvage the pieces, rearrange the words, and spell out a new list, wishing the rabbits "heaps of love." Illustrated with amiable collages, the story can be hard to follow, and its resolution, though cleverly shown, is saccharine.

Reviewer: Martha Sibert

(4) PS This interpretation of the children's folksong features two apparently love-struck puppies. While the long-eared dogs and their antics are mildly amusing, they add little dimension to the well-known text. The "fun foldout surprise" advertised on the cover is disappointing, but finger-play instructions are included at the back.

Reviewer: CHristine Sarrazin

(3) PS Illustrated by Caroline Jayne Church. A "very hungry little hen" eats and eats and grows and grows. A fox who has his eye on her convinces himself to be patient, because every day that he waits, the hen gets bigger and bigger. Large, bold illustrations outlined in black suit the simple tale; the artwork clearly shows the hen growing and the fox shrinking until both are about the same size, foreshadowing the comical surprise ending.

Reviewer: Jennifer M. Brabander