(4) K-3 Illustrated by Kathi Ember. Unlike the other animals, Violet, a snake, doesn't know what to prepare for the perfect Mother’s Day gift. After some thought and much practice, she twists herself into a heart shape to show her mother how she feels. The story is bland and has a slow start, but the acrylic illustrations of forest animals are mildly amusing.

Reviewer: Rebecca Reed Whidden

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Kathi Ember. As Squirrel tries to think of her own New Year's resolution, she runs into others who need help with theirs. Having lent a hand to so many friends, she unwittingly makes her decision: to help someone every day. Bland acrylics show anthropomorphic woodland creatures. The borderline preachy plot is nevertheless a decent introduction to the New Year's tradition.

Reviewer: Rebecca Reed Whidden

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Kathi Ember. Harvey the bear struggles to come up with a Father's Day gift for his dad, especially since his siblings have already taken the best ideas (a tie, nails, golf balls). There's nothing new about this drawn-out story's best-gifts-come-from-the-heart message, but the art is cheerful and the drawing Harvey eventually makes may inspire similarly stymied gift-givers.

Reviewer: Miriam Lang Budin

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Kathi Ember. When Groundhog gets the flu the day before Groundhog's Day, he has to find a substitute. The book's illustrations are bright and cheery, and children are likely to enjoy the story in spite of some minor logical inconsistencies (for instance, the substitute audition process seems much more arduous than popping out of a hole to forecast the weather).

Reviewer: Jeannine M. Chapman