(4) K-3 Illustrated by Margie Moore. A young squirrel eagerly waits for his father to come home. He passes the time by making a special blue-ribbon award for Dad. Junior also recounts (in rhymes and meter that occasionally stumble) all the special things they do together. The black-pen and watercolor illustrations are full of cozy tones. A punch-out ribbon is the gimmick for Father's Day sales.

Reviewer: Rebecca Reed Whidden

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Margie Moore. Anxious about her first day of school, pup Annie Claire poses a series of what-if questions to her mother: "What if I spill my milk / All over the floor?" Mom's calm voice and reassuring answers, related in singsongy rhymes, help allay the little dog's fears. Black-pen and watercolor illustrations showcase Annie Claire's mishaps, misgivings, and ultimate success in her new classroom.

Reviewer: Cindy Lombardo

(4) PS Illustrated by Margie Moore. Little Bunny senses something special in the air. His animal friends tell him it's called Easter. At first he doesn't understand what that means, but he eventually finds his own (secular) answer when he notices the joys of spring. Soft pastel-hued watercolors display a pastoral world of animal friends (though Beaver and Woodchuck are indistinguishable but for their tails).

Reviewer: Gail Hedges

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Margie Moore. Colonial Williamsburg provides the historic setting for this story of a community coming together to help retrieve Garrick the gardener's horse, Lancer. Rhyming text describes the merry chase the villagers (all are animals) make through town, shown in lively black-pen and watercolor illustrations. The troubles end at the blacksmith shop where Lancer finds a new friend. Glos.

Reviewer: Cindy Lombardo

(3) K-3 I Can Read Book series. Illustrated by Margie Moore. In the latest Ruby Raccoon book, Ruby wakes up expecting to have a perfect day, but one by one her friends say they're too busy to hang out with her. Ultimately, it is a perfect day--"for being all by myself!" This tribute to self-reliance has substance beneath its deceptively simple sentences. The art is sweet and delicate without being too precious.

Reviewer: Nell Beram

(4) K-3 I Can Read Book series. Illustrated by Margie Moore. Raccoon Ruby's animal friends complain that she hasn't captured their best features in her painting. But after a thoughtful look, Fox, Bunny, Duck, and Crow agree that she has "painted the very best part of [them]": their happy, smiling faces. Despite the story's sappy message, beginning readers will easily master the repetitive text and will appreciate the amiable illustrations.

Reviewer: Rebecca Reed Whidden

(2) PS Illustrated by Margie Moore. As a little bear and his father spend a playful day together, Papa Brown Bear tells Little Brown Bear to do (not just recite) his ABCs. The letters can be for nouns, verbs, even adjectives, but each one fits eventfully into the story, which models an effective interactive style of preschool learning. The humorous illustrations show the love between father and son.

Reviewer: Susan Dove Lempke | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2005

(3) K-3 I Can Read Book series. Illustrated by Margie Moore. When Ruby Raccoon asks her friends how to bake a cake, each animal suggests a favorite ingredient, including snails and worms. Ruby takes all their suggestions, with unfortunate results. Nevertheless, her true-blue friends all find something to compliment--such as the cake's shape, color, and juiciness. Ruby's unappetizing creation is amusing, and the soft, amiable illustrations add to the friendly mood.

Reviewer: Martha Sibert

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Margie Moore. After being invited by an angel "to the stable," Bartholomew Mouse follows the other animals toward the new star in the sky. The writing is a bit precious, but the religious aspects of this Nativity story never overwhelm the text, and readers will be drawn to the delicate illustrations and to Bartholomew's struggle to carry his small gifts for the Prince through the snow.

Reviewer: Bridget McCaffrey