(2) K-3 Illustrated by Bonnie Lui. Timid Chinese American ghost Mimi wishes she looked like all the other ghosts. On the first day haunting a new school, she is ridiculed by the popular ghouls because of the "old-fashioned," traditional Chinese garb her relatives insist she wear. But when clique leader Lisette steals Mimi's look, Mimi stops being a "good Chinese girl ghost" and behaves like a very scary ghoul indeed--all ending with an apology from Lisette that leads to new friendships. The text of this caught-between-two-cultures ghost story contains much wordplay ("It isn't long before Mimi and her ghoulmates model all kinds of haunt couture"), and the illustrations capture Mimi's early misery and later empowerment.

Reviewer: Martha V. Parravano | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2022

(3) 4-6 Illustrated by Bonnie Timmons. As verse in an informal typeface poses kid-like questions related to human skin (Why do I sweat?; What causes warts?), a reply in regular type provides rhymed, scientific answers. Occasional "Cool Facts About..." prose sections break from the poetic Q-and-A format and provide more substantial information. Witty digital spot art appears on each thick, glossy page. Reading list, websites. Glos., ind.

Reviewer: Gail Hedges

(4) PS Illustrated by Bonnie Adamson. This gentle picture book depicts an everyday ritual of a mother and her son. The expressive young boy calls "Rutabaga" as a request for attention and comfort; his mother never fails to reply "Boo!" The text is comprised (almost entirely) of this simple exchange; it's slight but affectionate and pairs well with Adamson's tender, slice-of-life illustrations, softly rendered in pencil and watercolor.

Reviewer: Jessica Tackett MacDonald

(4) K-3 Prayer Monsters series. Illustrated by Bonnie Pang. R. J., an orange monster girl, appears to be afraid of nothing. In reality, she fears spiders, dogs, and the dark. Her younger sister realizes that R. J. is hiding something and teaches her about the power of prayer. Written for young Christians (a New Testament quotation ends the book), this didactic text with brightly colored cartoon illustrations may be useful in religious settings.

Reviewer: Melinda Greenblatt

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Bonnie Leick. On his first day of school, Little Monster is guided through his day by kind teacher Mr. Drool and new friend Fang. Eventually, the worried-looking little creature becomes eager for another day. Leick's watercolors--with gobs of not-too-gruesome monster-ish details (rats, cobwebs, creepy-crawlies, drool, etc.)--add originality to the oft-told first-day-of-school drama recounted in the singsongy rhymes.

Reviewer: Rebecca Reed Whidden

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Bonnie Christensen. Ruthie's grandmother is laid up with pneumonia. Unsatisfied by hospital food, she sends Ruthie home to prepare borscht. Luckily (or is it?) Grandma's neighbors offer their culinary expertise. Schubert's characters and their interactions feel entirely authentic. Christensen's illustrations, with sketchlike dark lines and subdued hues enhanced by beet-colored accents, reflect the comfortable disarray of Ruthie's family life. A recipe is included.

Reviewer: Elissa Gershowitz | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2011

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Bonnie Adamson. Young Paul doesn't want to go to bed, so much so that he sprouts an (imaginary) tail and becomes a terrifying monster. After some soothing by his parents, he settles down for sleep. The story is slim in both English and Spanish; the conflict is resolved without much happening. However, the childlike pictures are eye-pleasing. Review covers these titles: Bedtime Monster and Bedtime Monster / ¡A dormír, pequeño monstruo!.

Reviewer: Tim Wadham

(3) PS Illustrated by Bonnie Leick. A soothing rhyme describes a doe-eyed little monster's familiar (mostly) bedtime routine: "Bathtime, Little Monster / Scrub every scale. / Remember to wash / your plump, pointy tail." Mom even gives a peek under the bed, showing that there are "no scary children"--just a bat, spider, and rat. Engaging up-close watercolor illustrations enhance the story's monster-centric details in this loving bedtime tale.

Reviewer: Carrie Harasimowicz Sullivan

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Bonnie Adamson. In Strong, Willie envies the strength of his friend Manuel who, in Tall, wants Willie's height. Eventually, both boys realize they're okay just the way they are. The illustrations, though dated-looking, add gentle humor to the purposeful texts. Review covers these titles: I Wish I Was Strong like Manuel and I Wish I Was Tall like Willie.

Reviewer: Antonio Trujillo

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Bonnie Adamson. In Strong, Willie envies the strength of his friend Manuel who, in Tall, wants Willie's height. Eventually, both boys realize they're okay just the way they are. The illustrations, though dated-looking, add gentle humor to the purposeful texts. Review covers these titles: I Wish I Was Strong like Manuel and I Wish I Was Tall like Willie.

Reviewer: Antonio Trujillo

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Bonnie Leick. A girl hopes for "a day that never ends," and the moon grants her wish. She eventually realizes, "Nighttime is the time for rest, / a time to gain energy for a new day." The Spanish translation isn't an exact match for the English text; though lyrical, both are awkward in places. The soothing pastoral illustrations resemble greeting-card art.

Reviewer: Tim Wadham

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Bonnie Leick. After two weeks at Wolf Camp, Maddie acts in a most peculiar manner--howling at fire trucks, sniffing and snarling at the family dog, and even eating a grasshopper. Eventually she gets back to (almost) normal, just in time for Bear Camp the next summer. McKy's deadpan delivery and the illustrations of Maddie's wolflike behavior make for an amusing, offbeat book.

Reviewer: Martha Sibert

(4) 4-6 Illustrated by Bonnie Leick. A failing jazz club's impending foreclosure threatens a cockroach colony that lives in the shabby building. One of the bugs, Impetuous Roach (a.k.a. Impy), embarks on a plan to save both the club and the entire colony. Though the story lacks real suspense, the insect main characters make for a unique point of view.

Reviewer: Bethany Templeton Klem

(4) K-3 Translated by Eida de la Vega. Illustrated by Bonnie Adamson. In Strong, Willie envies the strength of his friend Manuel, who, in Tall, wants Willie's height. Eventually, both boys realize they're okay just the way they are. The illustrations, though dated-looking, add gentle humor. The bilingual texts are uneven; some of the vocabulary words are more difficult than others. Glos. Review covers these titles: I Wish I Was Strong like Manuel and I Wish I Was Tall like Willie.

Reviewer: Antonio Trujillo

(4) K-3 Translated by Eida de la Vega. Illustrated by Bonnie Adamson. In Strong, Willie envies the strength of his friend Manuel, who, in Tall, wants Willie's height. Eventually, both boys realize they're okay just the way they are. The illustrations, though dated-looking, add gentle humor. The bilingual texts are uneven; some of the vocabulary words are more difficult than others. Glos. Review covers these titles: I Wish I Was Strong like Manuel and I Wish I Was Tall like Willie.

Reviewer: Antonio Trujillo

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Bonnie Christensen. This picture book biography presents, for a younger audience, an understandable and compelling picture of a remarkable woman. Though the subject is exciting, Myers's tone is fairly sedate, but, set in red type, quotes from Wells and others add energy. Christensen's ink and watercolor pictures do a good job of capturing the time and place through clothing and other details. Timeline.

Reviewer: Susan Dove Lempke | Horn Book Magazine Issue: January, 2009

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Bonnie Timmons. This amusing companion to Truss's popular Eats, Shoots & Leaves and The Girl's Like Spaghetti demonstrates what can happen when one sentence is punctuated in two different ways. (For example: "How many shoes do you need!/?") Timmons's colorful, loose-handed illustrations highlight the comical results. The actual grammatical rules in play are explained at the back of the book.

Reviewer: Thom Barthelmess

(4) K-3 Translated by Eida de la Vega. Illustrated by Bonnie Adamson. Freckle-faced Abby wants to wear glasses like Rosa while Rosa wishes for freckles. The girls improvise (e.g., Rosa dots her cheeks with makeup; Abby wears her granny's reading glasses), but they realize their efforts aren't worth the hassle. Pencil and watercolor illustrations add gentle humor. The bilingual text is uneven; some of the Spanish includes difficult or incorrect vocabulary words. Glos. Review covers these titles: I Wish I Had Freckles like Abby and I Wish I Had Glasses like Rosa.

Reviewer: Alissa C. Salamone

(4) K-3 Translated by Eida de la Vega. Illustrated by Bonnie Adamson. Freckle-faced Abby wants to wear glasses like Rosa while Rosa wishes for freckles. The girls improvise (e.g., Rosa dots her cheeks with makeup; Abby wears her granny's reading glasses), but they realize their efforts aren't worth the hassle. Pencil and watercolor illustrations add gentle humor. The bilingual text is uneven; some of the Spanish includes difficult or incorrect vocabulary words. Glos. Review covers these titles: I Wish I Had Freckles like Abby and I Wish I Had Glasses like Rosa.

Reviewer: Alissa C. Salamone

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Bonnie Christensen. As a young apprentice in a medieval monastery's scriptorium, Simon yearns to add his own pictures to the margins of books. Father Anselm gives him a puzzle that both challenges his wit and polishes his artistic skills. Though Christensen's large panel illustrations look awkward and blockish, the authentic egg tempera colors and quill pen techniques work well in the delicate details.

Reviewer: Megan Lynn Isaac