(3) PS Illustrated by Ethan Long. Dogs Miles and Spike embark on a hike in the woods, carelessly cutting down trees, picking flowers, and gathering provisions as they toss out cavalier goodbyes ("Stay loose, Moose!") to the (very perturbed) animals. The friends finally realize their errors and set out to make things right. This story, told entirely in simple rhyming dialogue and giggle-worthy cartoons, treads lightly with its eco-message about, well, treading lightly.

Reviewer: Renée Wheeler

(4) 4-6 Illustrated by Ethan Long. When Alexander shares a secret notebook with his classmates that claims their teacher is a vampire, the notebook becomes a crowd-sourced chronicle of everyone's curiosity and concern, recorded alongside typical elementary-school kerfuffles. The silly premise turns heartfelt when the class learns the truth behind their teacher's behavior. Though the frequent shifts in perspective can be dizzying, the narrative voices are impressively distinct.

Reviewer: Rebecca Kirshenbaum

(3) 4-6 Illustrated by Ethan Long. Stick Dog and his fellow-stray friends are hot dogs--it's a sweltering day. They set out in search of cooling relief, encountering a strange "water attacking machine" (sprinkler), then puzzle over an ice cream truck and its mysterious neither-solid-nor-liquid treat; an appropriately goofy heist ensues. Simple, comic black-and-white illustrations add to the trademark silliness Stick Dog's fans came for.

Reviewer: Pam Yosca

(3) 4-6 Illustrated by Ethan Long. The goofy gang of strays returns, and their hunger has not waned. Here the pooches want to poach a pizza, and their preposterous ideas will not disappoint fans. As a character, Stick Dog is a model of patience and empathy, and all five dogs display deep loyalty to one another, despite their faults. Another pleasing, slapstick meta-journal-style story with simple black-and-white illustrations.

Reviewer: Pam Yosca

(3) 4-6 Illustrated by Ethan Long. Eleven-year-old Andy Whiffler, known to his friends as Schnoz, discovers that his gigantic nose allows him to fly--and a superhero is born. Super Schnoz uses his sensitive olfactory glands to sniff out the truth behind a conspiracy that threatens to destroy their town. This hilarious superhero tale will delight fans who have outgrown Captain Underpants and similar fare.

Reviewer: Barratt Miller

(3) 4-6 Illustrated by Ethan Long. Stick Dog and his fellow stray friends take turns devising ridiculous plans to snatch freshly grilled hamburgers from a picnicking family. In this meta-journal-style story illustrated with black-and-white cartoons, each dog's personality is well defined; the humor is slapstick silly but not crude; and the resolution is sweetly satisfying. Readers will be eager for the next installment.

Reviewer: Pam Yosca

(3) 4-6 Illustrated by Ethan Long. In this sequel to Stick Dog, the pooch and his goofy gang of fellow strays are hungry, so they run through a series of preposterous plans to free frankfurters from a vendor's cart. The meta-journal-style notebook pages are illustrated with simple, silly black-and-white illustrations which bring out the dogs' personalities. It's hard not to root for Stick Dog and company.

Reviewer: Pam Yosca

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Ethan Long. "Happy as a clam at high water"; "Red as a gobbler's snout in spring." Twenty-six regional similes, one for each letter of the alphabet, are accompanied by lively cartoon interpretations. Some of the expressions are a bit baffling ("Yellow as a flitter tree that grows beside a honey pond"); luckily, an author's note provides explanations. Bib.

Reviewer: Beth L. Meister

(3) 1-3 Illustrated by Ethan Long. Rambunctious, fun-loving brothers Orville and Wilbur meet their match in cousin Amelia, who loves rubber snakes, secret missions, and crazy games as much as they do. Three stories introduce separate adventures: a mystery, a museum trip, and a water park outing. Each is full of activity, Riot Brother rules, and improvised songs. The kids remain kooky, with cartoon illustrations to match.

Reviewer: Susan Halperin

(4) 4-6 Illustrated by Ethan Long. These one-hundred eighty poems cover everything from school librarians to the tooth fairy to holidays across the religious spectrum. Though the bold line drawings are purely humorous, some of the limericks, cinquains, and acrostics include musings about loneliness, Hurricane Katrina, and other serious subjects. Verses ranging from effectively pithy to undistinguished give a broad picture of what poetry can be.

Reviewer: Shoshana Flax

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Ethan Long. From a boy who's disappointed with his pet banana to a fisherman who goes home to his wife after a fish grants his wish--for a wife--these poems, with strong rhythms and clever rhymes, are fun to read aloud. Long's black-and-white drawings match the tone, but the pages without art are too dull. Nesbitt reads some of his poems on an accompanying CD.

Reviewer: Patricia Riley

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Ethan Long. Tortuga carries "ensalada, tamales, and flan" to his abuela, while his three salivating amigos follow. When gullible Tortuga comes upon Coyote disguised as the tortoise's grandmother ("The bigger my dientes, the better to EAT you with"), the amigos save the day. Long's creatures, with their huge, egg-shaped eyes, are endearingly expressive, a fine complement to a lively tale. Glos.

Reviewer: Joanna Rudge Long | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2009

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Ethan Long. Rejected by his peers, fandango-dancing goat Fritz sets out to find a new herd. He's joined by a yodeling sheep and a glockenspiel-playing dog, and the three end up finding a sense of belonging with one another. Musical onomatopoeia and playful language make for a spirited read-aloud. Bright, energetic green, purple, and blue-tinged pictures illustrate this quirky tale of individuality and friendship.

Reviewer: Sethany Rancier Alongi

(4) PS Illustrated by Ethan Long. Each double-page spread shows one cartoony zoo animal telling another how they're different. Concrete concepts ("I'm big. / You're little") work better than more abstract ones ("I'm on. / You're off").

Reviewer: Frieda F. Bostian

(4) 1-3 Illustrated by Ethan Long. Rabbits from outer space enlist the help of an ordinary boy named Hercules Smith to prevent an evil space bunny from turning people into giant carrots. Loaded down with puns and jokes, the scattered plot meanders; silly footnotes (some of which are funny) appear throughout. Black-and-white cartoon illustrations share in the zany adventure.

Reviewer: David Elzey

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Ethan Long. Iguana stubbed her toe and is in too much pain to bake dulces. Culebra, with help from friends--and various kitchen utensils (e.g., un rolling pin, cuatro pots)--tries to cure Iguana. The nonsensical text is mainly in English; only about a third of the book deals with counting in Spanish. Bright, overly exaggerated gouache and colored-pencil paintings illustrate the misadventure. Glos.

Reviewer: Antonio Trujillo

(4) 1-3 Illustrated by Ethan Long. In the tradition of Captain Underpants come more adventures of Orville and Wilbur Riot. The brothers continue to add to their lists of Riot Brothers rules, sayings, and games as they try to trick their mom on April Fool's Day, cook macaroni in their mouths, and expand their repertoire of sock games. Goofy cartoons echo the relentless chaos.

Reviewer: Susan Halperin

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Ethan Long. Cartoon punctuation marks arrive at Hiring Hall, eager to get their assignments. Everyone wants to be helpful except Greedy Apostrophe, who mischievously inserts himself into plurals where he doesn't belong. Eventually he learns to behave. A "When Do You Use an Apostrophe?" page may help clarify the rules, but readers looking for anything other than a refresher will likely be confused.

Reviewer: Paula M. Cairo

(4) PS Illustrated by Ethan Long. An increasing number of chickens demonstrate dance moves in a playful but choppy rhyming text. Some phrases don't fit for young listeners ("bump and grind," "a beat that's hot and Latin"), and some lines ("make your own music / with wax paper and a comb") are random. Digital art featuring lively wide-eyed chickens will give kids a giggle.

Reviewer: Sethany Rancier Alongi

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Ethan Long. A rhyming text describes the monsters who patronize the title café, as discovered by the wide-eyed narrator and his dog. Silly-scary digitally colored ink-pen illustrations add humor to the grossness ("flesh wound on toast," anyone?). Each page's text ends with the name of the café (some rhymes more forced than others), and story-hour audiences will be eager to chime in.

Reviewer: Beth L. Meister