(2) PS Illustrated by Neal Layton. Danny decides to drink the sea--and that's only the beginning. The little redhead's exploits escalate from goofy to tall tale–like to absurdist at just the right pace. The rhymes roll along in nonstop dactyls, and Danny just keeps getting more and more gleeful. Preschoolers will relate to the glorious pleasure of being bad and the outlandish humor of the mixed-media illustrations.

Reviewer: Sarah Ellis | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2017

(2) 4-6 Illustrated by Neal Layton. No punches are pulled here--this is gory-but-fascinating information about predators and prey and the adaptations that assist in their survival. Davies commendably balances spectacle and science with rich factual detail and admiration for the diversity and realities of life. Layton's cartoon illustrations skillfully lighten the tone, as animals in the throes of death or dismemberment often provide humorous asides and jokes.

Reviewer: Devon Johnson | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2013

(2) 4-6 Illustrated by Neal Layton. Davies presents the ways in which animals communicate through the use of color and pattern recognition, smells, sounds, and chemical exchanges; she also discusses how humans are researching all this. Her friendly tone makes the complex ideas remarkably clear and understandable, and Layton’s cartoon illustrations, complete with humorous communications from the anthropomorphized creatures, neatly underscore the important scientific messages.

Reviewer: Danielle J. Ford | Horn Book Magazine Issue: January, 2012

(2) 4-6 Illustrated by Neal Layton. Davies considers the physics of anatomical structures, comparing humans' capabilities to those of smaller animals such as flies and geckos; the discussion then turns to what happens on the cellular level. Layton's cartoon illustrations are an excellent complement to the text, assisting in the visualization of the mathematical relationships and also adding humor with anthropomorphized animals and cells. Glos., ind.

Reviewer: Danielle J. Ford | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2009

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Neal Layton. A queen makes repeated attempts to trade valuables for a girl's stuffed-animal rabbit, Stanley. The story's matter-of-fact telling is hilariously undercut by Monty Python-esque absurdity ("One day, Emily Brown and Stanley were launching themselves into outer space...when there was a rat-a-tat-tat! at the kitchen door"), and the mixed-media art is favorably reminiscent of Lauren Child's surrealistic tableaux.

Reviewer: Nell Beram

(2) 4-6 Illustrated by Neal Layton. Davies states, "there are more than 430 different kinds of parasites that can live on a human body...or in one," then presents examples. What makes the often-gory details easier to stomach are Davies's accessible, pun-filled explanations of the science and Layton's cartoon illustrations, which use anthropomorphism to great effect. Even readers who are a mite squeamish may be sucked in. Glos., ind.

Reviewer: Elissa Gershowitz | Horn Book Magazine Issue: January, 2008

(1) K-3 Illustrated by Neal Layton. This entertaining book explores the adaptations of some remarkable organisms. What makes it a standout is the integration of very funny humor, gross guts-and-gore, and riveting scientific information. The explanations help kids think about how adaptation is critical for survival, putting what humans consider "normal" and "extreme" into perspective. Layton's cartoon illustrations complement the text, using anthropomorphism for humor. Glos., ind.

Reviewer: Danielle J. Ford | Horn Book Magazine Issue: January, 2007

(3) 4-6 Illustrated by Neal Layton. This collection of humorous poems will entertain readers while providing examples of different poetic forms, including the villanelle, concrete poetry, and haiku, as well as of different types of rhyme and meter, and of poetic techniques such as personification and alliteration. Annotations explain literary terms. Cartoon illustrations are in keeping with the light, playful tone. Ind.

Reviewer: Pamela McCuen

(2) 4-6 Illustrated by Neal Layton. Davies explores poop--what it is, how it is different from animal to animal, and why it has varying consistencies. She tells how animals use poop, how naturalists study poop, and how paleontologists analyze fossilized poop. Layton's cartoon illustrations with conversational balloons comically translate the text into everyday language and situations. Glos., ind.

Reviewer: Betty Carter | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2004

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Neal Layton. Rover's canine narrator returns, this time to describe his difficulty coping with the small, noisy new human, a.k.a. Howler, who has taken up residence in the house he shares with Howler's sister, Rover. The large-scale, childlike illustrations have the studied naiveté of the highly amusing text (e.g., the narrating dog calls the car the "family box").

Reviewer: Nell Beram

(3) PS Illustrated by Neal Layton. The reason why Mucky Duck is sometimes white but "mostly she wasn't" is because she enthusiastically joins in when Oliver, a boy, cooks, plays soccer, paints, and gardens. The book's refrain is "Oh you Mucky Duck," but the sure-to-please visual joke is that the boy is, of course, every bit as mucky as the duck. Ebulliently mess-spattered pictures capture the joy of working and playing hard with a friend.

Reviewer: Susan Dove Lempke

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Neal Layton. When Jennifer Jones says she loves him, the narrator wishes she'd move far away so his schoolmates will stop teasing him. One day she does move, and the boy finds he misses her more than he expected. He's overjoyed when she writes and says she'll be back. The lively rhyme and energetic childlike drawings make this an entertaining read-aloud.

Reviewer: Patricia Riley

(4) 1-3 Illustrated by Neal Layton. Zartog, an alien who lands on Earth, loses his spaceship's remote control. When Rachel finds it, she pushes the channel change button and things change from one thing to another--very useful for dealing with bullies. Zartog, however, needs his remote to get home. The cartoon-style line drawings are, at times, unappealing, but the fast-paced story is full of silly puns and ridiculous situations.

Reviewer: Patricia Riley

(4) PS Share-a-Story series. Illustrated by Neal Layton. Neil comes to appreciate numbers when he receives a watch that magically makes all numbers disappear. When they return after a numberless day, however, Neil's sudden grasp of all things mathematical is a bit too abrupt to be believable. The illustrations extend the concept with clever labels for un-numbered items like measuring cups ("full," "empty") or shoe sizes ("very long"). Tips for parents and activities end the book.

Reviewer: CHristine Sarrazin

(4) PS Illustrated by Neal Layton. Best friends Lucy and Lenny call themselves the Fearless Two. "Nothing and no one scares us," they sing--that is, until a TV show gives Lucy nightmares. She worries that Lenny will laugh at her, but when his own fear of spiders comes to light, it's easier for Lucy to speak up. This predictable look at fear and friendship is accompanied by brightly colored, manic illustrations.

Reviewer: Susan Halperin

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Neal Layton. Humans have some odd traits--fur only on their heads, a tendency to spend hours "watching a loud, colored box"--but when one dog's small pet human, whom he has named Rover, wanders down the beach and gets lost, he goes after her. Sly humor and exuberant, childlike artwork expose the canine perspective on humankind.

Reviewer: Christine M. Heppermann