(2) 1-3 Illustrated by Kady MacDonald Denton. Billy, a goat, and Rose, a pig, are friends who live on neighboring farms. In four short stories, the two work their way through small conflicts in satisfying ways. Rose needs to do laundry; Billy needs to practice the cello. Both have been putting off these "very big chores." Happily, they encourage each other: Rose scrubs and hangs wash on the line to the sound of Billy's cello. The friends play catch, more or less successfully, amidst the falling leaves. They set up an ice-cream stand on a snowy winter day and are surprised to attract no customers. Come spring, they struggle to plan a sleepover that meets both their wishes. The cozy words and pictures have an old-fashioned sensibility. Hest's focus is the friendship between two neighbors who enjoy each other's company. Denton's lively watercolor and ink illustrations are filled with movement, and the characters' exuberance bursts off the page. With generous white space, wide margins, and plentiful art, this short chapter book has a friendly, approachable design for new readers.

Reviewer: Maeve Visser Knoth | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2022

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Kady MacDonald Denton. Although he's decked the halls, Bear is bah-humbug on presents. Mouse brightly persists; Bear stubbornly resists; and so it goes until Bear begins reciting "A Visit from St. Nicholas." The stockings are hung by the chimney with care--proof that the Scrooge routine is (mostly) an act. This odd couple's banter is evergreen in their sixth book. Cozy illustrations are full of good cheer.

Reviewer: Kitty Flynn | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2017

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Kady MacDonald Denton. Reclusive Bear reluctantly accompanies extrovert Mouse on a library visit. Mouse's reminders about using one's "library voice" go unheeded, and Bear is hushed by another patron. He prepares to leave, but he's stopped in his huffy tracks when he overhears a librarian reading a story. The hooray-for-books message is served subtly. Bear's grouchiness and Mouse's joie de vivre come through in Denton's expressive lines.

Reviewer: Kitty Flynn | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2014

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Kady MacDonald Denton. Posy is feeling the moving blues. Lamenting her near departure, Posy and her two best friends decide to make a pie amidst the packed boxes. Inspired by their "hot, sweet, good pie" they elect to throw a "good-pie party" rather than a "good-bye" one. Soft, emotionally detailed ink and watercolor illustrations lighten up the stressful subject and capture the warmth of childhood friendship.

Reviewer: Sophie Williamson

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Kady MacDonald Denton. Bear insists it's not his birthday, but Mouse has an invitation that says differently. Denton's friendly ink and watercolor pictures effectively convey the tone and emotion of the witty back-and-forth between sparring partners (A Visitor for Bear). Originally published as an early reader, this picture book edition has been redesigned and re-illustrated and includes minor changes to the text.

Reviewer: Kitty Flynn | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2009

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Kady MacDonald Denton. In this fourth Mouse and Bear book, Bear doesn't feel well. Mouse tries reading him a story, singing him a song, and playing the banjo; finally Mouse helps his melodramatic friend write his will. This comedic duo's exaggerated repartee continues to be funny; the soothing washes of color in Denton's delicately lined illustrations temper Bear's hysteria and Mouse's enthusiasm.

Reviewer: Kitty Flynn | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2011

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Kady MacDonald Denton. Digging in the make-believe basket, Rose emerges as the queen of France. She confronts a royal gardener (her mother) then seeks the royal physician (her father). Through witty dialogue, Wadham relates the message that it's fun to dress up, but it's also fun to be yourself. Denton's watercolor illustrations have dainty soft hues, but her characters are sturdy and vigorous.

Reviewer: Christine M. Heppermann | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2011

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Kady MacDonald Denton. Sisters Carly and Sandy love playing pretend. New neighbor Lily Jean loves acting out roles, too, always as the boss. When Carly gets tired of her lesser parts, she turns the game on its head in a creative and humorous way. Big-sis Sandy's selflessness, while a little bit idealized, is also rewarding. Denton's pencil and watercolor illustrations represent the girls' imaginings well.

Reviewer: Brittany Schlorff

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Kady MacDonald Denton. Mouse sleeps over at Bear's house. The evening passes pleasantly, but when it's time for bed, Mouse's presence sets Bear's nerves on edge ("'Remember, I must have absolute quiet,' reminded Bear. 'Oh, indeed,' said Mouse"). When Bear hears a worrisome "rustly, moany sort of thing," though, he wakes Mouse up for company. Denton's nimble line bolsters the humor of the friends' well-choreographed routine.

Reviewer: Kitty Flynn | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2010

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Kady MacDonald Denton. Though Bear insists it's not his birthday, Mouse has an invitation that says differently. The witty back-and-forth between the sparring partners from the picture book A Visitor for Bear is similar here, but the easy reader format is an even better choice for a fifty-six-page illustrated story. Denton's friendly ink and watercolor pictures effectively convey tone and emotion.

Reviewer: Kitty Flynn | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2009

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Kady MacDonald Denton. "No visitors allowed." The sign on Bear's door is clear, but one mouse is undeterred. He pops in, only to be thrown out. Denton's warm, inviting illustrations belie Bear's inhospitable behavior, and Becker's energetic narrative zips along. At story's end, Bear entreats the mouse to stay. By a friend's presence, Bear is transformed; text and art handle the shift with aplomb.

Reviewer: Kitty Flynn | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2008

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Kady MacDonald Denton. A boy in his backyard wishes "so hard / To sail the sea / That the sea / Sailed right to me!" He and his dog set off, running into rogue waves, pirates, mermaids, and other exotic creatures. The lilting, rhythmic text is reminiscent of lyric ballads, while watery gouache illustrations conjure up the magic of an ocean adventure.

Reviewer: Rebecca Reed Whidden

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Kady MacDonald Denton. Using child-friendly analogies, Hutchins moves from seconds through larger units of time. The lilting text is affectionate and upbeat. Denton's watercolors show children passing time both quietly and actively. A soothing, lyrical text, many small details in the art, and a final picture showing three friends tucked into their beds make this book a perfect way to end the day.

Reviewer: Susan P. Bloom | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2007

(4) PS Illustrated by Kady MacDonald Denton. The miniature edition of a book published as In the Light of the Moon contains eight original stories. The tales, featuring a tooth fairy, a wily fox, and others, read aloud well, and Denton's illustrations are expressive and often funny. Ultimately, the book fails because the small art and print are not appropriate for the preschool audience that would most enjoy the stories.

Reviewer: Maeve Visser Knoth

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Kady MacDonald Denton. Pilling retells the best-known stories from the Old and New Testaments (including "Cain and Abel," "David and Goliath," and "The Sermon on the Mount") with respect and reverence. Each adaptation includes a notation of chapter and verse, and she includes quotations from both the King James and New International versions of the Bible. Denton's pastel-colored illustrations contribute to the beauty of the stories.

Reviewer: Maeve Visser Knoth

(3) PS Illustrated by Kady MacDonald Denton. Alex offers an intimate tour of his two homes, leaving the reader to assume, though it's never stated, that his parents are divorced. The simple first-person narrative keenly highlights those details important to children of Alex's age, while Denton's warm watercolor illustrations, familiar and rich in detail, extend the reassuring tone.

Reviewer: Tamara DePasquale

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Kady MacDonald Denton. Alternating with twenty-one stories from the Old and New Testaments, thirty-seven poems and prayers (some from the Bible, some traditional, and a few written by Pilling) encourage the reader to pause and reflect on a theme related to the preceding passage. Denton's simple watercolors help create a gentle tone for this unusual and effective marriage of Bible stories and poetry.

Reviewer: Anne St. John

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Kady MacDonald Denton. When a young girl wishes for a unicorn, one miraculously appears in her back yard. Although he's a bit scruffy and behaves more like her dog, the unicorn leads the girl through an enchanted wood to a castle replete with dragons and wizards to conquer. Gouache illustrations add humorous details to the girl's fantasy adventure, which is told in a singsongy rhyme.

Reviewer: Patricia Riley

(3) PS Illustrated by Kady MacDonald Denton. A boy tells his father what he would do if he were the father, and a girl tells her mother what she would do as mother. Lively illustrations, reminiscent of Sendak's early work, alternate between the real world, in which the parent is caring for the child, and the child's imaginings. Although not entirely original, the books neatly capture the things that matter to young children.

Reviewer: Maeve Visser Knoth

(3) PS Illustrated by Kady MacDonald Denton. A boy tells his father what he would do if he were the father, and a girl tells her mother what she would do as mother. Lively illustrations, reminiscent of Sendak's early work, alternate between the real world, in which the parent is caring for the child, and the child's imaginings. Although not entirely original, the books neatly capture the things that matter to young children.

Reviewer: Maeve Visser Knoth