(2) K-3 Illustrated by Henry Cole. In this folktale retelling, Pepe the parrot doesn't know what he's getting himself into when he invites his crush, Carina Felina, over for some homemade Cuban crackers. Carina, a fluffy aqua-colored feline with a Cheshire Cat grin, immediately polishes off all one hundred crackers. When Pepe protests, she proclaims, "Why, I'm Carina Felina! / I do what I like and / I eat what I wish. / Step out of my way, / or be my next dish!" and snarfs him down too. Carina then struts through town, eating anyone who doesn't heed her warning. She grows comically larger with every meal, and the cartoonlike illustrations show the people and animals inside her belly. The mayhem finally stops when two cangrejos--crabs who have been watching the whole time--goad her into eating them. In her stomach they declare, "!Basta! Enough!" They snip themselves and everyone else free, and Carina is left to stitch herself up. Deedy's catchy text is clever through the final playfully gruesome scene. Cole emphasizes the humor in the tale with pencil and digital illustrations that feature expressive townsfolk and animals. Storytime listeners will be chanting along with Carina's refrain by her second snack and will enjoy going back to search for the two cangrejos in each encounter. Back matter includes information about the folktale (told in many cultures), a glossary of Spanish words, and a recipe for Cuban crackers--bake at your own risk. Will be published in a Spanish paperback edition in September 2023 as El cuento de Carina Felina.

Reviewer: | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2023

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Henry Cole. Room 2-D just got a class pet: an adorable, tiny hamster named Fluffity. When the students illicitly take her out of the cage, they learn that appearances can deceive; unleashed, Fluffity is a "brute," and mayhem ensues. Cole's loose, comic watercolors complement the rhyming romp, together creating a playful story perfect for a high-energy read-aloud.

Reviewer: Dorrie Karlin

(4) K-3 Ready-to-Read series. Illustrated by Henry Cole. Wearing a tutu, boa, and "sparkly crown," Katy Duck dresses for success when she goes to work with Mr. Duck. Katy "works" hard, but Mr. Duck has to rein in his new hire: dancing and piles of paper don't mix. Cole's lively illustrations put a spring in the slight story's step. New readers will appreciate the large type and wide leading.

Reviewer: Kitty Flynn

(4) K-3 Ready-to-Read series. Illustrated by Henry Cole. Katy Duck is thrilled with her homemade dancing unicorn Halloween costume...until she sees Alice Duck's glimmery, shimmery mer-duck costume: "Tra-la-la. Boohoo!" Alice, however, admires Katy's creation, and dancing unicorn and mer-duck shimmer, glimmer, gallop, and twirl happily together. The simple story is slight but welcomes new readers with its large type and sprightly illustrations.

Reviewer: Kitty Flynn

(3) K-3 Ready-to-Read series. Illustrated by Henry Cole. Biscuit's little girl points to all the wonderful things in her garden. The puppy, however, is more interested in the birds. When he jumps on and spills the bag of birdseed, the garden is suddenly filled with far more than just pretty flowers. The pleasant pictures of the lovable pup carry the simple, amusing story.

Reviewer: Julie Bartynski-Fenner

(3) K-3 Ready-to-Read series. Illustrated by Henry Cole. Katy Duck is excited to be the flower girl in her aunt Ella's wedding. But she is disappointed to discover this means tossing flowers, not dressing like one. Her aunt solves the dilemma by encouraging Katy to dance like a flower down the aisle. Cole's brightly saturated illustrations are cheery, and beginning readers will take to the simple, upbeat sentences.

Reviewer: Julie Bartynski-Fenner

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Henry Cole. When red-haired Nelly May heads up the hill in search of employment with Lord Pinkwinkle, the requirements of the job are to memorize his eccentric names for things: water is "rivertrickle," boots are "stompinwhackers," etc. DeFelice and Cole do a fine job of amending an absurdist English folktale; Cole's illustrations don't try to be too clever, and forefronted action makes it perfect for storytime.

Reviewer: Sarah Ellis | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2013

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Henry Cole. In this spin on the classic tale, featherbrained prairie chicken Mary McBlicken hears "a rumbling and a grumbling and a tumbling"; she takes this to mean that "a stampede's a comin'!" and sets out to tell Cowboy Stan. It's an energetic retelling made all the more swift (and funny) by the illustrations of pop-eyed prairie animals in a Mary-induced panic.

Reviewer: Nell Beram

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Henry Cole. Lost yet unflappably happy pup Vinnie forms a friendship with Bogart, an indifferent-bordering-on-irritated rhinoceros in a nature preserve. Media attention to their interspecies relationship reunites Vinnie with his human family who, unwilling to break them up, take both dog and rhino home. Though young audiences may miss the intended satire, humorous speech bubbles and expressive illustrations are enjoyable enough.

Reviewer: Rebecca Reed Whidden

(3) K-3 Ready-to-Read series. Illustrated by Henry Cole. Katy Duck meets her new neighbor, dog Ralph, and is disappointed that he likes cars and airplanes and "things that go fast" more than dancing. Together the new friends discover that their passions are even more fun when combined. Lively characters and bright color-washed backgrounds make Cole's illustrations a perfect match for Capucilli's bouncy, easy-to-read text.

Reviewer: Julie Bartynski

(3) K-3 Ready-to-Read series. Illustrated by Henry Cole. In Tip-Top Tap, Katy helps new duck Alice transition from tap shoes to ballet slippers in dance class. In Babysitter, Katy is disappointed to be left with a babysitter, but Mrs. Duncan makes the evening one to remember. Lively characters and bright color-washed backgrounds make Cole's illustrations a perfect match for Capucilli's bouncy, easy-to-read texts.

Reviewer: Julie Bartynski-Fenner

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Henry Cole. When her surfing-star dad agrees to teach Chick how to ride the waves, she is stoked. She gets off to a rough start with a "colossal wipeout," but copying her dad's moves gives her confidence to hang ten and then some. Incorporating gnarly surfer lingo, the rhyming text is evenly metered and well matched to Cole's humorously expressive colored-pencil and acrylic illustrations of chickens catching the waves.

Reviewer: Rebecca Reed Whidden

(3) 1-3 Illustrated by Henry Cole. In the series finale, adventurous cat Bo outwits hijackers in the Mediterranean and returns to England, where she meets the Queen of England and is reunited with her brother Maximillian and her parents. The pacing perfectly mirrors a cat's activity: bursts of action followed by more leisurely stretches. Full-page and spot illustrations show boat scenes, London landmarks, and playful cats.

Reviewer: Tanya D. Auger

(4) PS Illustrated by Henry Cole. Based on the nursery rhyme "Over in the Meadow," this picture book celebrates twins. Rabbits, monkeys, bats, etc., all come in pairs. "'Hop!' said the brother. / 'We hop,' said the two. / So they hopped and they flopped where the flowers grew and grew." Although the energetic illustrations show appealing frolicking animals, the rhythm isn't always consistent and the pattern is limiting.

Reviewer: Patricia Riley

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Henry Cole. An energetic pig loose at the fair makes a colorful mess of himself, rolling around in everything from brown mud to pink cotton candy to green grass. Fashioned after "I Know an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly," the cumulative rhyming tale is as exhausting as the pig's adventure, which is ably depicted in Cole's bright acrylic and colored-pencil pictures.

Reviewer: Rebecca Reed Whidden

(4) K-3 Ready-to-Read series. Illustrated by Henry Cole. Katy Duck is thrilled to dance in the class show. But when the curtain goes up, Katy feels shy and has to gather her courage to perform. The art is bright and lively (though Katy occasionally falls into the gutter). The text is revised from Katy Duck, Center Stage, and the illustrations come from several other Katy Duck stories.

Reviewer: Julie Bartynski-Fenner

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Henry Cole. The hens throw a fit about the farm's preening newcomer: "That lazy peacock gets all the attention and we do all the work!" When Dog suggests the hens try being the flashy ones, they (and the peacock) all end up with a greater appreciation for one other. Cole's illustrations depicting the deluded hens in their farm finery rule the roost.

Reviewer: Nell Beram

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Henry Cole. The potty humor continues in this sequel to Chicken Butt! The protagonist acquiesces to Mom's warning: "No more 'Chicken Butt!' my dear..." However, he grabs the reins and takes off with such homophone hijinks as "Deer Butt" and "Witch Butt." The text (like the boy) sometimes gets ahead of itself, but Cole's exuberant cartoons enhance the silliness.

Reviewer: Carrie Harasimowicz Sullivan

(4) PS Illustrated by Henry Cole. Little Bear is worried because Mama Bear has to spend some time away from him. The two bears exchange boxes full of imaginary kisses as a reminder of how much they love each other. The ending may be a bit drawn-out, but the warm sentiments and clever resolution are reassuring. Expressive illustrations show the bears going about their daily activities.

Reviewer: Martha Sibert

(3) PS Illustrated by Henry Cole. Cole's chubby puppies bounce through Chall's cheery rhyming text: "4 pups drink. / 5 puppies huddle. / 6 puppies piddle / in the middle of the muddle." The book counts from one to ten as the dogs wake, play, and eat; then back down as they fall asleep. Preschoolers will have lots of fun keeping pace with the pups.

Reviewer: Jennifer M. Brabander