(3) K-3 Illustrated by Gwen Millward. Charming and amusing lyrical poems reveal the personalities of the bug residents of an abandoned garden. Ladybug loves to make mud angels, Horsefly pretends he is a real horse, and Bee wants to "just be." Sometimes alone, sometimes together, they play, work, and enjoy their garden home. The whimsical creatures are portrayed sweetly in the pencil, ink, and watercolor illustrations.

Reviewer: Grace Worcester Greene

(3) PS Illustrated by Gwen Millward. "Can you hug some billy goats? / Entice them with a bag of oats!" Well-metered verse describes the conundrum of one brave boy who, after watching his friends hug horses, cows, bunnies, pigs, yaks, and a host of other animals, figures out the best way to hug a porcupine: "carefully!" Finely detailed watercolors suggest the delicacy required for this potentially prickly pursuit.

Reviewer: Rebecca Reed Whidden

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Gwen Millward. Two girls capture a Bog Baby--a fanciful, funny-looking blue creature--and keep him secretly as a pet. But when the winged, frog-sized little guy falls ill, the girls realize that if they love the Bog Baby, they must return him to his pond. Delicate, imaginative illustrations in blues, greens, and pinks help deliver the story's message with a light touch.

Reviewer: Martha Sibert

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Gwen Millward. This version of a child-finds-a-stray story is narrated by a dragon who comes across a boy ("It's called a Benjamin"). After taking him to his lair, the dragon realizes Benjamin is homesick and helps this strange creature get back to his parents. Watercolor and pencil illustrations are packed with details silly (a volcano named Smoky) and poignant (Benjamin's tiny single tear).

Reviewer: Rebecca Reed Whidden