(3) PS Illustrated by Hiroe Nakata. Bouncy rhyming couplets describe five ducklings and their bicycle expedition to an apple tree: "Wind-swept ducklings coast to a stop / At a rock by a tree with a snack on top." Standing on tippy toes, they gather apples, cycle home, and make a delicious pie. Loose watercolor and ink illustrations lend an appropriately spontaneous air to the lighthearted outing.

Reviewer: Martha Sibert

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Hiroe Nakata. "We're packing snow and smacking, / we're dodging and we're whacking. / Snowballs fly and we're-- / Snow Happy!" An active day playing in the snow ends with hot chocolate and a warm fire. This rhythmic paean to winter is told in lilting rhymes. Childlike ink, watercolor, and gouache illustrations feature lots of smiling kids and plenty of snowy white space.

Reviewer: Amy Kellman

(3) PS Illustrated by Hiroe Nakata. Jaunty rhymes describe a child's typical day at preschool. First things first: "Hi to teacher, / Coat on hook. / Run to shelf / And find a book." Later: "Find my mat / And make a nest. / Shhhh! I need to / Take a rest." Strauss's economical text is age appropriate, and Nakata's colorful, blocky illustrations give kids lots to look at.

Reviewer: Elissa Gershowitz

(3) PS Illustrated by Hiroe Nakata. This book's plump, adorable protagonist explores her world as Adler's bouncy, rhythmic text sings the baby's praises, from "round as pies eyes" to "teeny-tiny treat toes." Nakata's watercolor and gouache illustrations depict a rosy-cheeked, button-cute little girl shown in alternating full-page pictures, vignettes, and double-page spreads patterned to match the text's refrain. New parents and grandparents will eat it up.

Reviewer: Hannah Rodgers Barnaby

(3) PS Illustrated by Hiroe Nakata. The five little ducks from Duck Skates and Duck Dunks head out for a backyard camping trip. After the ducks spend a busy day fishing and toasting marshmallows, nighttime noises send them huddling together in one tent where, cozy, they all fall asleep. The rhymed text has a soothing rhythm. Cheery watercolor and ink illustrations, loosely drawn, display the ducks' gentle adventure.

Reviewer: Amy Kellman

(3) PS Illustrated by Hiroe Nakata. In this cheerful follow-up to Duck Skates, five ducks spend the day at the beach, where the feathered friends split up in various permutations ("Four ducks spy one bright red crab. / Three ducks shout. Two ducks grab"). The sunny illustrations, in which the sea breeze and sand-spattered fun are almost palpable, give readers the opportunity to double-check the head counts.

Reviewer: Nell Beram

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Hiroe Nakata. "Oh, wouldn't I look grand, / the fairest in the land, / waltzing to the band, / in sandals never meant / for sand!" A host of poems with varying structures explore the endless array of choices facing one young shoe shopper: Mary Janes, clogs, galoshes, etc. Lively illustrations in rainbow hues playfully capture the whimsical "personality" of each desired pair.

Reviewer: Carrie Harasimowicz Sullivan

(3) PS Illustrated by Hiroe Nakata. "Lift me up! / A flying feeling. / I can almost / touch the ceiling." A toddler describes her day spent in the arms (or within easy reach) of her loving father. The book will have great appeal for the littlest readers, who will enjoy its rhythms, energy, and spring-hued watercolors. Readers-aloud will appreciate its merciful brevity.

Reviewer: Nell Beram

(3) PS Illustrated by Hiroe Nakata. When you're a pajama aficionado, every month offers extra opportunities to don your favorite sleepwear. "If January's snow / Closes school for the day / Or my February cold / Keeps me sofa'd from play / Time for pajamas, my jamas, mine-o." The sprightly illustrations for this exuberant rhyme portray a tousle-headed child with an enviable collection of pajamas.

Reviewer: Martha Sibert

(4) PS Illustrated by Hiroe Nakata. The positive impact an individual can have on the world--"Because of you, there is one more person who will grow and learn, and one more person who can teach others"--is conveyed to preschoolers in liltingly repetitive but bland text. Cheerful watercolors of children drawing a picture or helping a friend ice skate, etc., illustrate the text's abstract terms.

Reviewer: Christine M. Heppermann

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Hiroe Nakata. In a basic but effective introduction to animal babies in a marine environment, this book contrasts traits of different species, for example, "Some change homes like you change clothes." A picture glossary provides details about the general statements made in the body of the book. Text and art synchronize well, although some of the watercolors are too impressionistic to be helpful.

Reviewer: Hilary Breed Van Dusen

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Hiroe Nakata. Franny receives two dolls for her birthday: Rose, a fancy, frilly new doll who sings the same song over and over; and Suzie, a well-loved old rag doll. Rose's charms begin to fade when it's time for bed, while Suzie proves soft and cuddly--and a friend. The simple, old-fashioned story is rewarding, and the illustrations, in which pinks predominate, are sure to please certain little girls.

Reviewer: Martha V. Parravano

(4) PS Illustrated by Hiroe Nakata. One little girl spices up her "summertime blues" by dancing with Grandpa through breakfast, down hot streets, at the zoo--all through their day together. The bright, jovial illustrations are full of movement and do more to convey the sense of dance than the occasionally awkward text.

Reviewer: Rebecca Reed Whidden

(3) PS Illustrated by Hiroe Nakata. What happens to a rubber ball left outside alone? Caterpillar crawls by it. Bumblebee buzzes it. Woodpecker pecks it. Everyone seems to reject it until a playful dog finds it and takes "it home to keep." The short sentences have fun rhythms and sounds, and the loose watercolor illustrations show what is happening in the yard behind the ball.

Reviewer: Patricia Riley

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Hiroe Nakata. A girl asks her mother to tell her the story of her birth, which, based on her interjections ("And then there was a snowstorm"), she has clearly heard before. Illustrated in a muted palette, the book is notable for the specifity of Mama's account and for the final revelation that Mama is pregnant: as Mama notes, the baby will have "its own story."

Reviewer: Nell Beram

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Hiroe Nakata. When a young city boy visits his grandparents in the country, he helps them make breakfast, water the flowers, etc. Returning home, he has a new sense of maturity. Although the boy's narrative sounds too mature for a child delighted to be called a "big boy," the theme of self-actualization and the stylized watercolors are appealing.

Reviewer: Patricia Riley

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Hiroe Nakata. In this group of haiku, the world of nature is observed from a child's perspective. Rain, clouds, cats, bugs, and birds all make appearances in poems that are sprightly and charming if somewhat trite. Whimsical watercolor and ink illustrations accompany the text.

Reviewer: Jim St. Claire

(3) PS Illustrated by Hiroe Nakata. This well-designed book offers young readers both an example of simple prayer and an opportunity for deeper contemplation. On each left-hand page, a prayer of gratitude to God--"Thank you for good things to eat"--appears in a giant font, followed by a related request--"Help me remember those who are hungry"--in smaller typeface. The text is paired with watercolors featuring joyful kids at play.

Reviewer: Anne St. John

(1) K-3 Viking Easy-to-Read series. Illustrated by Hiroe Nakata. This book shares the necessary qualities of a beginning reader--simplicity, repetition, predictability, and pictorial cues--with those of a successful picture book. The rhyming verse narrates a cycle of growing pumpkins, carried out entirely by happy, industrious children in the softly colored pictures. The depiction of the autonomous growers gives due respect to the burgeoning independence of young gardeners and readers alike.

Reviewer: Lauren Adams | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 2001

(3) PS Illustrated by Hiroe Nakata. "My favorite person in the world is coming for a visit. . . . We love hot chocolate, with as many marshmallows as we want!" Grandfather and grandson share the same likes (peanut butter) and dislikes (dress-up clothes). A pleasant surprise on the final page reveals that it's the grandfather who has been the book's enthusiastic narrator. The lighthearted artwork has a contemporary flair.

Reviewer: Sheila M. Geraty