(2) PS Illustrated by Marla Frazee. The stage is set, the circus curtains part, and out walks the short, bald, and unassuming Great Zapfino, who will leap from death-defying heights onto a tiny trampoline. Barnett plays up the drama from the story's breathtaking launch, as the ringmaster promises: "Zapfino will dodge peril and brave calamity in an impossible feat of derring-do!" But after climbing a towering ladder, the performer looks down, glances at readers, and then disappears. In the following wordless scenes, we see him hop on a plane to a sunny seaside town and, fittingly, take a job as an elevator operator in a high rise. This quiet new life is good until he inadvertently starts a fire with his toaster. It is finally in this moment that, in order to save his own life, the man triumphantly leaps from the top floor ("Behold!") onto a trampoline held by firefighters. Readers can interpret the story in more than one way: does Zapfino overcome a fear of heights in a moment of crisis? Had he merely been tired of the pressure to perform? Perhaps he wants to accomplish the leap all on his own, without a showy cape and the probing eyes of an audience. Most of the story plays out wordlessly in Frazee's animated grayscale pencil ­illustrations. With its expert pacing and delightful details, this is a splendid collaboration between two picture-book greats.

Reviewer: Julie Danielson | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2022

(3) 4-6 Illustrated by Marla Frazee. Eleven-year-old Waylon struggles with what to do when every family member has an important event on the same day he's supposed to present his science project--and maybe meet his scientist idol. The third entry in this heartfelt, humorous, character-driven series (a spinoff of the Clementine books) delivers lots of warm emotion, perfectly augmented by Frazee's expressive spot illustrations.

Reviewer: Amy Seto Forrester

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Marla Frazee. A group of children sees the potential of a hill with a lone tree; the kids discuss their idea with parents, who in turn bring it to others. After the community pitches in on construction, a beautiful playground--with the pink-blossomed tree at its center--is the result. Frazee's vignette-style pencil and watercolor art shapes Clinton's spare text into an inspirational full story.

Reviewer: Bridget McCaffrey

(2) 4-6 Illustrated by Marla Frazee. In this standalone second book, fourth grader Waylon (Waylon!: One Awesome Thing) and classmate Baxter scheme to protect Dumpster Eddy, a stray dog they both love but can't take home. Side story lines involving collaboration at school and at home bring more nuance and meaning to Waylon's dilemmas. Frazee's illustrations deftly capture the story's humor and meaningful moments.

Reviewer: Julie Roach | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2017

(4) PS Illustrated by Marla Frazee. Ray's quiet, friendly narrative begins and ends with stars in the night sky, in between musing about stars cut out of paper and those in nature (snowflakes, dandelion seeds). Frazee's signature spot-art vignettes alternate with full- and double-page spreads, which are still effective in this smaller board-book edition. The concept is probably beyond the board-book audience, but this is a sturdy alternative to the picture book.

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

(2) 4-6 Illustrated by Marla Frazee. The boys in Waylon's fourth-grade class are being divided into two teams by king-bee Arlo. Waylon is relieved to be selected for Arlo's team but worries what will happen if he is kicked off. Using heart and brain, aspiring scientist Waylon tries to make sense of the situation while staying true to himself. This Clementine series spinoff features another likable kid with lots of heart.

Reviewer: Monica Edinger | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2016

(4) PS Illustrated by Marla Frazee. Six cartoonish kids are asked to choose between opposites to describe their mommies. "Is mommy nice... / or mean?" Each kid gleefully picks the negative attribute; in the end, all proclaim to love their "short, ugly, mean, boring, old, messy momm[ies]." Frazee's lively illustrations carry much of the story and help to soften the text, which strives for humor but may confound listeners.

Reviewer: Miriam Steinberg-Egeth

(2) 1-3 Illustrated by Marla Frazee. In this series-ender, third grade is almost over, but Clementine isn't ready to say goodbye. Meanwhile, she's not speaking to her father, her new baby sibling is due any day, and her friend Margaret's mother is getting married. All this change is handled with the series' signature light touch. Breezy pen-and-ink illustrations capture Clementine's goofy panache. A bittersweet sendoff for a beloved literary friend.

Reviewer: Claire E. Gross | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2015

(2) 1-3 Illustrated by Marla Frazee. In her sixth book, changes continue for Clementine: her mother's belly is growing bigger, neighbor Margaret's mother is getting married again, and new girl Olive is stealing some of our heroine's thunder. Add to that the mystery of the ungodly stench on Bus 7 and we have classic Clementine.

Reviewer: Robin L. Smith | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 2013

(3) 4-6 Illustrated by Marla Frazee. This abridged and somewhat revised version of God Went to Beauty School keeps the previous book's humorous yet insightful spirit intact. Sixteen of the original twenty-three poems are presented in a slightly different order; a few terms have been modernized (e.g., some He's are now She's); and a full-page illustration accompanies each poem. This is a welcome addition for contemplative readers.

Reviewer: Cynthia K. Ritter | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 2003

(2) 1-3 Illustrated by Marla Frazee. Clementine knows that a family meeting means trouble. She's unprepared for her parents' bombshell--a new baby--and her reaction is less than enthusiastic ("Four is the perfect number for a family!"). Clementine is becoming a more complex character, and fans of this fine series will enjoy the nuanced way she has become more trustworthy and grown-up while staying true to herself.

Reviewer: Robin L. Smith | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2011

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Marla Frazee. Ray's quiet, friendly narrative begins and ends with stars in the night sky. In between are musings about other kinds of stars: the ones you cut out of shiny paper and those found in nature (snowflakes, dandelion seeds), for example. Frazee's illustrations feature her signature spot-art vignettes that alternate with expansive full- and double-page spreads. A contemplative and lovely book.

Reviewer: Jennifer M. Brabander | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2011

(2) 1-3 Illustrated by Marla Frazee. Third-grader Clementine is gearing up to be Friend of the Week, the class's all-around helper (being Clementine, this includes drawing free-of-charge tattoos). Her campaign comes to a halt when her beloved kitten, Moisturizer, goes missing. Readers will empathize with Clementine's emotional response to her missing cat and will cheer as she learns some things about herself and her friends.

Reviewer: Robin L. Smith | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2010

(1) K-3 Illustrated by Marla Frazee. A family visits the beach, a farmers' market, and a park, then hosts a gathering of friends and family. Scanlon's rhyming text has a child-friendly simplicity around which Frazee's illustrations build a satisfying narrative. The West Coast seaside setting showcases not only Frazee's affectionate mix of people but also her familiar skyscapes, glowing with color and shaded with horizontal lines.

Reviewer: Jennifer M. Brabander | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2009

(2) 1-3 Illustrated by Marla Frazee. Just as Clementine's getting the hang of third grade, she learns her teacher may go study in Egypt. Clementine tries sabotage, but she redeems herself at the end. This may be the best series entry so far, as Pennypacker continues to develop her ingenious but impulsive character. Frazee's black-and-white drawings show Clementine's highly charged emotions and her capacity for creating chaos.

Reviewer: Susan Dove Lempke | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 2008

(2) 1-3 Illustrated by Marla Frazee. Clementine isn't happy about being in the school talent show. On the night of the dreaded Talent-Palooza, Clementine finds her true skill: paying attention, in her own particular way. Readers of the eponymous first book will be happy to meet the same funny, empathetic girl they loved, now a bit more grown-up. Frazee's energetic dip pen and ink drawings capture Clementine's joys, worries, and earnestness.

Reviewer: Robin L. Smith | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2007

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Marla Frazee. Mrs. Biddlebox starts her day "in a dreary little funk." So, the small, round, black-clad woman grabs her broom, sweeps up shadows and gloom, and makes a cake that turns out, despite its bleak ingredients, to be delicious. Smith's verse skips along with good-humored determination, and Frazee depicts the feisty lady's energetic transformation from grouch to jubilant cook with all the vigor it deserves.

Reviewer: Joanna Rudge Long | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2002

(2) 1-3 Illustrated by Marla Frazee. Third-grader Clementine feels lucky that spectacular ideas (like cutting her friend's hair) are continually "sproinging up" in her brain, but her parents and other adults don't feel the same way. Clementine's first-person narration is fresh and winsome, and the episodic plot is layered yet accessible. Frazee's pen-and-ink illustrations bounce along the pages with the same energy as the story.

Reviewer: Maeve Visser Knoth | Horn Book Magazine Issue: January, 2007

(2) PS Illustrated by Marla Frazee. Guthrie's folksong is buoyant but disjointed; Frazee turns it into a coherent, child-appealing picture book. A boy with a guitar boards the new baby train, accompanying some dozen infants heading for their new homes. The babies are nicely differentiated--by skin color, hairstyle, and a cap or two. All receive the same joyous welcome from their new families at journey's end. The 1930s Dust Bowl setting is striking.

Reviewer: Martha V. Parravano | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2004

(3) PS Illustrated by Marla Frazee. This board book edition contains the entire text and all the art from the original picture book. Though much reduced in size, the illustrations--finely detailed, amusing, and animated, with lots of white space around them--still manage to be appealing. While the book's best audience is too old for board books, caregivers may appreciate having a smaller, cheaper version around.

Reviewer: Jennifer M. Brabander