(4) K-3 Illustrated by Nancy Hayashi. Roxie is excited about camp but worried the other pups will discover her security blankie. Most of her fellow campers are friendly, but poodle Lacy ruins everything with her bullying and mean-spirited remarks. However, as is usually the case with this sort of story, Lacy has an embarassing (and unoriginal) secret of her own. Watercolor, pen, and colored-pencil illustrations perfectly capture the pups' personalities.

Reviewer: Cindy Lombardo

(4) PS Illustrated by Nancy Hayashi. Emily Pearl insists she's a big girl who doesn't need any help--that is, until "bedtime when shadows creep over the wall, / Emily Pearl feels a teeny bit small." Independent-minded readers will identify with Emily Pearl (though adults may find the repeated refrain, "I can do it myself!" to be grating). Soft-hued watercolor, pen, and colored-pencil illustrations highlight the gentle humor.

Reviewer: Amy Kellman

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Nancy Hayashi. Squirrel Raymond and rabbit Nelda are best friends--until he laughs at the wrong time. Nelda misinterprets each of Raymond's olive-branch notes, but their letter carrier helps broker a truce. There's something pleasingly old-fashioned about a story devoted to a topic as unglitzy but universal as hurt feelings, and Hayashi's world of anthropomorphized animals is inviting.

Reviewer: Nell Beram

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Nancy Hayashi. In a simple rhyming text, a young girl describes the changes indoors and out, at home and at school, that tell her it's fall. Detailed but uncluttered art captures the seasonal activities; the illustrations, which show the girl and her brother as biracial, with a white mom and Asian dad, will please those looking for picture books featuring interracial families.

Reviewer: Jennifer M. Brabander

(4) PS Illustrated by Nancy Hayashi. "I wagged my tail and broke a cup. / I tumbled with a neighbor's pup." As a young farm boy tends to his chores, several animals answer the title question with a brief rhyme. At the end, the boy adds his own account of his day. While the text seems forced, more a recitation of the obvious than a celebration of simple pleasures, the watercolor and pencil illustrations reinforce the text's cheery intentions.

Reviewer: Amanda Sullivan

(2) PS Illustrated by Nancy Hayashi. When Wanda suspects a monster is in her closet, Mom and Dad search the closet and come to the same conclusion: "No monster in there." Only Granny admits: "There could be a monster." Spinelli takes one small childhood crisis and treats it respectfully and without hysteria. The illustrations follow the action amid a background of household clutter and activity. This quiet story politely deals with Wanda's fears.

Reviewer: Betty Carter | Horn Book Magazine Issue: January, 2003

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Nancy Hayashi. One of Lily's grandmothers lives on a farm, and the other lives in an apartment building. When Lily visits, each grandmother introduces her to different activities and family traditions, inspiring Lily to create a new tradition that all three of them can share together. Cartoon-style watercolor illustrations convey the humor and warmth of the story.

Reviewer: Amy Kellman

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Nancy Hayashi. A bunny family makes a little bungalow "all their own," painting it "green as grass," carving a carrot-shaped weather vane, and generally settling in. Rylant's effortlessly rhyming text is matched nicely by Hayashi's gently muted illustrations in this idyllic portrayal of a happy family home.

Reviewer: Susan Halperin