(3) K-3 Illustrated by Ben Hodson. On his second metafictive outing (Fun with Ed and Fred), Fred once again clashes with the offstage narrator. While Ed obediently bikes and jumps on command, Fred refuses to cooperate. So the narrator summons "hungry tigers" and "angry gorillas" to make Fred comply. Kid-friendly slapstick abounds in this comic book/easy reader hybrid that introduces key visual literacy techniques along with fifty-nine sight words.

Reviewer: Rebecca Fox

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Ben Hodson. While Ed runs, jumps, and swims at the beach, "Fred is not at the beach." Talking back directly to the narrator, Fred demands a turn at the fun. Metafiction, slapstick shenanigans, and high-energy cartoon-style illustrations merge seamlessly in this entertaining story that emphasizes fifty-three sight words and highlights the ways in which subtle variations in word choice and sequence can drastically alter meaning.

Reviewer: Rebecca Fox

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Ben Hodson. Animals, ghosts, and dudes introduce long vowel sounds with short rhyming phrases: "Cave Bear. / Wave Bear. / Lazy Bear. / Crazy Bear." Rather than introducing its section where it might be most helpful, the relevant reading tip ("Long vowels say their own names") follows the content. Busy cartoon illustrations extend the limited text and help lessen the book's purposeful intent.

Reviewer: Rebecca Reed Whidden

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Ben Hodson. In this useful and lively primer, riotous, colorful cartoons bounce somewhat chaotically across pages devoted to helping readers recognize and practice pronunciation of short vowel sounds. Each of the five short vowels is arranged in a brief story. "Gran on a Fan" encourages recognizing and reading words with short a's; "Pets in Jets" provides practice for the short e. A review is appended.

Reviewer: Amy Lois Cohn

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Ben Hodson. A bouncy, rhythmic text relates the tale of young Richard, whose incessant nose-picking leads to trouble. When his finger gets stuck too far up his schnoz, Richard essentially turns himself inside-out. While a sneeze saves Richard, no one can escape the disgusting gook. Comical illustrations are filled with the green "ooey gluey goobery glob." Entertaining for fans of gross-out humor; gag-worthy for others.

Reviewer: Carrie Harasimowicz Sullivan

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Ben Hodson. While doing his homework, Jeffrey doodles a sloth. The creature comes to life and criticizes Jeffrey's writing to deter him from creating a tale in which a lazy sloth must exert some energy. The book's message about the power of words is cleverly (if a tad heavy-handedly) communicated. The acrylic and pencil illustrations, though carefully executed, occasionally strain to be funny.

Reviewer: Nell Beram