(4) 4-6 Mabel Jones series. Illustrated by Ross Collins. Mabel (The Unlikely Adventures of Mabel Jones) searches the Noo World for her baby sister, who's been abducted by an evil jungle sorceress. Teaming up with two explorers and some old friends, she journeys to the Forbidden City. Wordiness and backstory slow the action in places, but fans won't be disappointed with this second wild romp, illustrated with plentiful line drawings.

Reviewer: Nancy Sheridan

(3) 4-6 Mabel Jones series. Illustrated by Ross Collins. Pulled into an animal-populated "footure without hoomans," spunky, nose-picking swashbuckler Mabel Jones and friends race against a master spy to find the Doomsday Book and the reason for "hoomankind"'s extinction. Chock-full of nonstop action, zany characters, and exuberant typefaces and line drawings, the third book will have readers guffawing--and awaiting Mabel's next adventure.

Reviewer: Nancy Sheridan

(4) 4-6 Mabel Jones series. Illustrated by Ross Collins. Mabel picks her nose, eats it, and consequently finds herself a prisoner among pirates who like a good pun; unless she helps them find the X, she'll never get home to London. Absurdity prevails in this whimsical voyage light on substance and rife with bad spelling, which seems to be the point. Varying typefaces and Collins's playful line illustrations amplify the zaniness.

Reviewer: Lauren Rizzuto

(4) 4-6 S.W.I.T.C.H. series. Illustrated by Ross Collins. Eight-year-old twins Josh and Danny continue their adventures as test subjects in their neighbor's mad experiment. Miss Potts has developed S.W.I.T.C.H. spray, which temporarily changes people into insects and animals. These undemanding books rely on humor and suspense to capture readers' attention. The black-and-white drawings help bring the preposterous plots to life. There are four other spring 2014 books in this series. Reading list, websites. Glos. Review covers these S.W.I.T.C.H. titles: Alligator Action, Anaconda Adventure, Chameleon Chaos, Frog Freakout, Gecko Gladiator, Lizard Looppy, Newt Nemesis, and Turtle Terror.

Reviewer: Kitty Flynn

(4) 4-6 S.W.I.T.C.H. series. Illustrated by Ross Collins. Eight-year-old twins Josh and Danny continue their adventures as test subjects in their neighbor's mad experiment. Miss Potts has developed S.W.I.T.C.H. spray, which temporarily changes people into insects and animals. These undemanding books rely on humor and suspense to capture readers' attention. The black-and-white drawings help bring the preposterous plots to life. There are four other spring 2014 books in this series. Reading list, websites. Glos. Review covers these S.W.I.T.C.H. titles: Alligator Action, Anaconda Adventure, Chameleon Chaos, Frog Freakout, Gecko Gladiator, Lizard Looppy, Newt Nemesis, and Turtle Terror.

Reviewer: Kitty Flynn

(4) 4-6 S.W.I.T.C.H. series. Illustrated by Ross Collins. Eight-year-old twins Josh and Danny continue their adventures as test subjects in their neighbor's mad experiment. Miss Potts has developed S.W.I.T.C.H. spray, which temporarily changes people into insects and animals. These undemanding books rely on humor and suspense to capture readers' attention. The black-and-white drawings help bring the preposterous plots to life. There are four other spring 2014 books in this series. Reading list, websites. Glos. Review covers these S.W.I.T.C.H. titles: Alligator Action, Anaconda Adventure, Chameleon Chaos, Frog Freakout, Gecko Gladiator, Lizard Looppy, Newt Nemesis, and Turtle Terror.

Reviewer: Kitty Flynn

(4) 4-6 S.W.I.T.C.H. series. Illustrated by Ross Collins. Eight-year-old twins Josh and Danny continue their adventures as test subjects in their neighbor's mad experiment. Miss Potts has developed S.W.I.T.C.H. spray, which temporarily changes people into insects and animals. These undemanding books rely on humor and suspense to capture readers' attention. The black-and-white drawings help bring the preposterous plots to life. There are four other spring 2014 books in this series. Reading list, websites. Glos. Review covers these S.W.I.T.C.H. titles: Alligator Action, Anaconda Adventure, Chameleon Chaos, Frog Freakout, Gecko Gladiator, Lizard Looppy, Newt Nemesis, and Turtle Terror.

Reviewer: Kitty Flynn

(3) 4-6 Illustrated by Ross Collins. The adventures of Trueheart Gracie Gillypot continue. In this installment, Gracie and friends are called upon to save the inept Prince Albion from the machinations of an aspiring musician who happens to be a zombie. French adds new characters to the perennially entertaining series, and Collins's absurdly funny line drawings are a delight. Fans of Gracie and company won't be disappointed.

Reviewer: Hannah Rodgers Barnaby

(4) 4-6 S.W.I.T.C.H. series. Illustrated by Ross Collins. Eight-year-old twins Josh and Danny accidentally stumble into their neighbor's secret lab and become test subjects in a mad experiment. Miss Potts has developed S.W.I.T.C.H. spray, which temporarily changes people into insects and spiders. These undemanding books rely on humor and suspense to capture readers' attention. The black-and-white drawings help bring the preposterous plots to life. Reading list, websites. Glos. Review covers these S.W.I.T.C.H. titles: Ant Attack, Fly Frenzy, Grasshopper Glitch, and Spider Stampede.

Reviewer: Kitty Flynn

(4) 4-6 S.W.I.T.C.H. series. Illustrated by Ross Collins. Eight-year-old twins Josh and Danny accidentally stumble into their neighbor's secret lab and become test subjects in a mad experiment. Miss Potts has developed S.W.I.T.C.H. spray, which temporarily changes people into insects and spiders. These undemanding books rely on humor and suspense to capture readers' attention. The black-and-white drawings help bring the preposterous plots to life. Reading list, websites. Glos. Review covers these S.W.I.T.C.H. titles: Ant Attack, Fly Frenzy, Grasshopper Glitch, and Spider Stampede.

Reviewer: Kitty Flynn

(4) 4-6 S.W.I.T.C.H. series. Illustrated by Ross Collins. Eight-year-old twins Josh and Danny accidentally stumble into their neighbor's secret lab and become test subjects in a mad experiment. Miss Potts has developed S.W.I.T.C.H. spray, which temporarily changes people into insects and spiders. These undemanding books rely on humor and suspense to capture readers' attention. The black-and-white drawings help bring the preposterous plots to life. Reading list, websites. Glos. Review covers these S.W.I.T.C.H. titles: Ant Attack, Fly Frenzy, Grasshopper Glitch, and Spider Stampede.

Reviewer: Kitty Flynn

(4) 4-6 S.W.I.T.C.H. series. Illustrated by Ross Collins. Eight-year-old twins Josh and Danny accidentally stumble into their neighbor's secret lab and become test subjects in a mad experiment. Miss Potts has developed S.W.I.T.C.H. spray, which temporarily changes people into insects and spiders. These undemanding books rely on humor and suspense to capture readers' attention. The black-and-white drawings help bring the preposterous plots to life. Reading list, websites. Glos. Review covers these S.W.I.T.C.H. titles: Ant Attack, Fly Frenzy, Grasshopper Glitch, and Spider Stampede.

Reviewer: Kitty Flynn

(3) 4-6 Illustrated by Ross Collins. Emily and Jackson's second comic Wild West adventure (Emily's Fortune) continues with more ridiculous disguises and tomfoolery. Although the kids are happily settled in with Aunt Hilda in Redbud, Uncle Victor is still sniffing around for Emily's fortune. Fans of the first book will want to know: "What in the dabble dooby" are Emily and Jackson going to do about it?

Reviewer: Lisa Catherine Findlay

(3) 4-6 Illustrated by Ross Collins. In their fourth adventure, Gracie Gillypot and friends face ancient Granpappy Canker, who plans to reverse his banishment through trickery and hypnotic cooking. As usual, humor and hilarity abound. French's light prose is buoyed by Collins's black-and-white sketches, which capture the absurd characters at just the right moments.

Reviewer: Hannah Rodgers Barnaby

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Ross Collins. Imaginative rhymed text and energetic mixed-media illustrations depict a day in the life of a boy who changes into whatever creature or thing best represents his mood: a lazy hippo who won't get out of bed; a monkey who's cheeky at school. The tables are turned when his parents make a transformation of their own: dragons. Satisfying silliness.

Reviewer: Lana Barnes

(3) 4-6 Illustrated by Ross Collins. This follow-up to The Robe of Skulls and The Bag of Bones finds Gracie Gillypot trapped underground in the world of dwarfs and trolls. Talking bats, ogres, and other fantastical creatures also come into play as heroic Prince Marcus tries to save Gracie and restore order. As usual for this series, exciting action and entertaining humor abound.

Reviewer: Hannah Rodgers Barnaby

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Ross Collins. A girl challenges her belief in magic, wondering about the existence of mermaids, whether kissing frogs actually works, and "where giants hide." Worried that magic has "all leaked away," she soon realizes that she "can dream it alive"--a very adult-sounding shift in philosophy. Lighthearted illustrations in bold hues show fairies, unicorns, and trolls trailing the oblivious girl.

Reviewer: Carrie Harasimowicz Sullivan

(3) 4-6 Illustrated by Ross Collins. After her mother's death, Emily musters up the courage to make the stagecoach trip to her Aunt Hilda's, dodging an evil uncle and the Catchum Child Catching Services along the way. Written in a comically overblown style, this tale will keep readers turning pages to find out, "How in flippin' flapjacks will Emily outsmart Uncle Victor?"

Reviewer: Lisa Catherine Findlay

(3) 4-6 Illustrated by Ross Collins. In this sequel to The Robe of Skulls, orphans, trolls, witches, and other classic characters again come together in humorous fashion, as the ill-intentioned Truda Hangnail threatens the kingdom with banned Deep Magic. Characters with names such as Gubble, Doily, and Mrs. Cringe populate the pages of French's tale, in which the laughs are plentiful and the ending is, of course, happy.

Reviewer: Hannah Rodgers Barnaby

(2) 4-6 Illustrated by Ross Collins. An evil (and broke) sorceress wants a gown "beyond all compare." She devises a scheme to turn princes into frogs, then ransom them to their parents. French sends a host of characters tromping about, all vying for treasure. Here's a romp filled with language play and just plain nonsense; an adventure where everyone gets his, her, or its due.

Reviewer: Betty Carter | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 2008