(3) PS Illustrated by Lydia Monks. A ladybug who "never said a word" overhears robbers plotting to steal the farmer's prize cow. She saves the day by speaking up to tell the animals how they can foil the plan. Donaldson's rhyming text is full of kid-friendly language ("the farmer woke and said, 'Golly gosh!'") and is well matched with Monks's vibrant collage illustrations.

Reviewer: Maeve Visser Knoth

(3) 4-6 Illustrated by Lydia Monks. Precocious Indie Kidd, back for her fourth installment, is determined to cheer up her friend Fee whose fierce but precious cat has been run over. Fee's sadness and Indie's confusion and missteps while trying to help are accurately portrayed; playful black-and-white illustrations help diffuse the situation. Indie and her friends' numerous "Cheer-Up-Fee" plans are funny and inventive.

Reviewer: Betsy Murray

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Lydia Monks. An impatient prince tries everything to wake Sleeping Beauty, including yelling, jumping on her bed, and shooting her out of a cannon. When the fairies can get a word in edgewise, he finally gets it right. The mix-up goes on too long, but the energetic mixed-media illustrations play up the rhyming text's humor, and the unexpected ending packs a wallop.

Reviewer: Kitty Flynn

(3) 4-6 Illustrated by Lydia Monks. If only Indie were a grown-up! She could take care of herself and not be treated like a kid. When her mom starts acting weird, Indie grows to realize that the adults in her life have troubles of their own. Indie's bubbly narrative and precocious spirit bring humor and an authentic voice to the story. Amusing black-and-white drawings illustrate the action.

Reviewer: Betsy Murray

(3) 4-6 Illustrated by Lydia Monks. Indie Kidd means well and is only trying to help (finding a dog a home in Good and turning her stepbrother cool in Friends), but things don't work out as she planned. Indie's Briticisms may confound some readers, though most will likely be able to figure out meaning from context. Playful black-and-white illustrations add to the fun. Review covers these titles: Indie Kidd: How to be Good(ish) and Indie Kidd: Oops, I Lost My Best(est) Friends.

Reviewer: Elizabeth Shaver

(3) 4-6 Illustrated by Lydia Monks. Indie Kidd means well and is only trying to help (finding a dog a home in Good and turning her stepbrother cool in Friends), but things don't work out as she planned. Indie's Briticisms may confound some readers, though most will likely be able to figure out meaning from context. Playful black-and-white illustrations add to the fun. Review covers these titles: Indie Kidd: How to be Good(ish) and Indie Kidd: Oops, I Lost My Best(est) Friends.

Reviewer: Elizabeth Shaver

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Lydia Monks. High-maintenance Rapunzel, up in her comfortably furnished tower room, keeps mishearing Prince Charming's overtures, throwing down, not her hair, but underwear, dirty socks, and a cantaloupe (among other things). This irreverent spoof plays with words, rhyme, and fairy-tale conventions with obvious delight. The bright and lively mixed-media illustrations are equally imaginative and extend the text's infectious humor.

Reviewer: Kitty Flynn | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2003

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Lydia Monks. A boy tries various schemes to escape the scary dog next door, including walking on stilts, sailing by with an umbrella, and using a cat for bait (humorous in context). Luckily, the cat makes friends with Mad Dog, leading the boy to try the friendly approach, too. Whimsical collage illustrations accompany the snappy first-person narrative.

Reviewer: Martha Sibert

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Lydia Monks. Dolores, a pig, has an important job and a penthouse apartment, but life feels empty. Upon driving to the country, she encounters other pigs for the first time. She quits her job (via cell phone) and never returns to the city. The perhaps-unintentional message--individuals should stick with their own--is unfortunate, but the busy illustrations, which enlist fabric scraps and printed text, are entertaining.

Reviewer: Nell Beram