(4) PS Illustrated by Jane Massey. A pigtailed, rosy-cheeked narrator expresses her devotion to a beloved doll in this picture book. The repeated comforts expressed in singsongy rhyme ("What if you're scared to slide and climb? / I'll catch you, baby. Every time") seem more like an adult's reassurances than a child's sentiments. Nevertheless, the appealing candy-colored illustrations of the pair's tender interactions capture the pleasures of independent, imaginative play.

Reviewer: Jessica Tackett MacDonald

(3) PS Illustrated by Jane Massey. Fingers features several toddlers playing and eating cake, exploring--and counting--what they can achieve with their hands. Toes follows more tykes, this time highlighting what little feet do during the day. The consonant-laden, rhythmic texts ("Ten toes curl, ten toes tap. / Ten toes peek out from a nap") make for good read-alouds; the warm illustrations feature diverse groups of tots.

Reviewer: Rachel L. Smith

(3) PS Illustrated by Jane Massey. Fingers features several toddlers playing and eating cake, exploring--and counting--what they can achieve with their hands. Toes follows more tykes, this time highlighting what little feet do during the day. The consonant-laden, rhythmic texts ("Ten toes curl, ten toes tap. / Ten toes peek out from a nap") make for good read-alouds; the warm illustrations feature diverse groups of tots.

Reviewer: Rachel L. Smith

(3) PS Illustrated by Jane Massey. A new baby matter-of-factly describes his or her "rigorous schedule," also summarized in the title. With each meal, nap, and dirty diaper, the baby grows into an active toddler. Both text and soft-hued illustrations are relatable and warm, with plenty of humor tired parents will appreciate (e.g., "Some days are harder than others. And I have to cut back... / on the sleep").

Reviewer: Rachel L. Smith

(3) PS Illustrated by Jane Massey. Fred, a bear cub, thinks an acorn is an egg and decides to hatch it. His friends protest that bears don't hatch eggs. Nothing, however, deters him, until it's time for bed. Mother explains that acorns grow into trees and must be planted. Fred's behavior is very toddlerlike, and the gentle illustrations create a warm environment for him.

Reviewer: Patricia Riley

(4) PS Illustrated by Jane Massey. A simple text is directed at preschoolers with new baby siblings at home: "Babies need to sleep a lot. You sometimes have to be quiet when a baby is sleeping." Siblings will identify less with the book's ideas of love, caring, and sharing than with the pastel colored illustrations, as where a baby happily sleeps while a boy sits unhappily NOT playing his drum.

Reviewer: Bridget McCaffrey

(4) PS Illustrated by Jane Massey & Jane Massey. Young Harry's big sister Laura cheats him every time their mother bakes treats. Laura gives Harry a larger number of treats--but in small, broken pieces. Eventually their mother helps Harry cheat Laura back. The illustrations include warm, homey details, but the tone of the book is subverted by the general mean-spiritedness.

Reviewer: Susan Dove Lempke

(3) PS Illustrated by Jane Massey. This newly illustrated story is adapted from Lipniacka's It's Mine! When Mom asks appealingly drawn bunny siblings Jack and Georgina why they can't learn to share, they begin to share, all right--Georgina shares her worm with Jack by putting it down his pants, and Jack shares his mud pie by dumping it on his sister's head. They finish the day "sharing" a case of the chicken pox, and a cuddle with Mom. Refreshingly, there's no lesson to be learned here other than wordplay.

Reviewer: Susan Halperin