(4) K-3 Illustrated by John Kanzler. Three puppies abandoned by the roadside worry about their fate even after being put in a rescue shelter. Will all of the dogs find homes in time for Christmas? The bright illustrations don't do much more than reflect what's already in the sweet but simplistic text, though they do succeed in capturing the pups' liveliness and their emotions.

Reviewer: Brittany Schlorff

(4) K-3 Step into Reading series. Illustrated by John Kanzler. Paul Bunyan himself narrates his larger-than-life adventures with Babe the blue ox. Colorful, imaginative illustrations complement this easy-to-read tall tale's exaggerations, such as a soup pot so enormous the cook needs a rowboat to stir it. The story's spell is broken, however, when Paul stops to explain the tale's origins--information better left to an author's note.

Reviewer: Laura A. Woollett

(3) K-3 Illustrated by John Kanzler. Storyteller MacDonald offers an enjoyable version of this cumulative tale, in which an old woman can't return to her little boy because her pig refuses to cross a bridge on the way home from the market. Two brief songs (music is included) encourage listener participation. Lively illustrations provide humorous portrayals of the story's stubborn animal characters.

Reviewer: Martha Sibert

(4) K-3 Illustrated by John Kanzler. A kind Italian merchant traveling in the Orient is thanked royally after solving the kingdom's rat problem. A greedy trader expecting the same treatment gets his comeuppance after the king rewards him with a kitten. There's a lot of set-up and the subsequent pacing is off. Textured gold-toned paintings are appropriately sumptuous and also include humorous details.

Reviewer: Melinda Greenblatt

(4) 1-3 Class Pets series. Illustrated by John Kanzler. Sister and brother mice settle into new surroundings at an elementary school. Cheerful Molly makes friends with the class pets, especially two lovebirds and the ghost of a hamster. Jake winds up having an adventure of his own with a cat. Second in a series, this chapter book is likable and fast paced, but the combination of realism, animal fantasy, and ghost story doesn't quite jell.

Reviewer: Susan Dove Lempke

(3) 1-3 Class Pets series. Illustrated by John Kanzler. Jake and Molly (two mice who live at P.S. 42) show the new class pet, a gerbil named Dexter, how to survive outside his cage. After being caught in a mousetrap, the trio gets separated; Molly is captured by the janitor, while Jake and Dexter are flushed down the toilet, threatened by sewer rats, and attacked by a vengeful cat. Asch's story is filled with suspense and movement. Black-and-white drawings accompany the simple text.

Reviewer: Mark Adam