(4) K-3 Illustrated by Barbara Johansen Newman. When Farmer Max leaves for a Purim play, his barnyard animals have their own show. After director Chicken assigns the parts, the play begins, though an unexpected visit from a fox--a real-life evil Haman--threatens the production. This slight story, accompanied by spirited illustrations, does little to educate readers about Purim, though they'll get a sense of the characters' personalities.

Reviewer: Rachel L. Smith

(3) K-3 Viking Easy-to-Read series. Illustrated by Barbara Johansen Newman. At FunLand, Grandpa wins a teddy bear at the Basketball Shoot but loses the roller coaster tickets. It's up to boy detective Jeffrey Bones to track them down. Divided into five chapters, Adler's easy reader mystery has just the right dose of humor (Jeffrey decides not to ride the big roller coaster because it's "too scary for Teddy"), and Newman's illustrations reinforce the text nicely.

Reviewer: Tanya D. Auger

(3) K-3 Viking Easy-to-Read series. Illustrated by Barbara Johansen Newman. Solving mysteries--not addition problems--is Jeffrey Bones's forte. When the young detective's math test goes missing, he starts searching for clues right away to avoid taking the test all over again. Adler's easy-to-read story has plenty of humor (beginning readers will giggle over Not-Me Amy, a classmate who always says, "Not me"). Newman's cheerful half-page illustrations nicely reinforce the text.

Reviewer: Tanya D. Auger

(3) K-3 Viking Easy-to-Read series. Illustrated by Barbara Johansen Newman. "Bones, Detective Jeffrey Bones" discovers he's the chief suspect in the disappearance of his grandfather's birthday card--a card that includes a present for Grandpa and for the young sleuth himself. Jeffrey cracks the case before the cake is cut. Adler's cleverly terse text (picture hard-boiled-mystery/easy-reader offspring) is smoothly reinforced by Newman's brightly patterned illustrations.

Reviewer: Tanya D. Auger

(3) K-3 Viking Easy-to-Read series. Illustrated by Barbara Johansen Newman. When Not-Me Amy opens her lunch at school, her spinach noodle cupcake has disappeared, and it's up to Jeffrey Bones, detective, to solve the mystery. Using "detective powder" and logic, Jeffrey examines the clues and, after a wrong turn, comes up with the answer. Jeffrey's sense of humor, the simple text, and colorful illustrations make this an enjoyable read.

Reviewer: Patricia Riley

(3) K-3 Viking Easy-to-Read series. Illustrated by Barbara Johansen Newman. Jeffrey Bones finds clues and solves mysteries. In Yellow he helps a bus driver find his missing bus at a shopping mall, and in Dog he finds his Grandpa's lost dog. The brightly patterned illustrations help make these two beginning readers enjoyable. The solutions involve simple logic so readers can figure them out along with Jeffrey. Review covers these Viking Easy-to-Read titles: Bones and the Big Yellow Mystery and Bones and the Dog Gone Mystery.

Reviewer: Patricia Riley

(3) K-3 Viking Easy-to-Read series. Illustrated by Barbara Johansen Newman. Jeffrey Bones finds clues and solves mysteries. In Yellow he helps a bus driver find his missing bus at a shopping mall, and in Dog he finds his Grandpa's lost dog. The brightly patterned illustrations help make these two beginning readers enjoyable. The solutions involve simple logic so readers can figure them out along with Jeffrey. Review covers these Viking Easy-to-Read titles: Bones and the Big Yellow Mystery and Bones and the Dog Gone Mystery.

Reviewer: Patricia Riley

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Barbara Johansen Newman. Professor Flugel enjoys watching the birds at his new bird feeder until wily Gray Squirrel chases the birds away and eats all the seeds. The professor comes up with "brilliant" ideas for thwarting the rodent, such as an alligator-filled moat, but Gray Squirrel continuously outsmarts him until they reach a win-win solution. Humorous acrylic gouache art accompanies the silly story.

Reviewer: Bridget McCaffrey

(4) 1-3 Doyle and Fossey, Science Detectives series. Illustrated by Barbara Johansen Newman & Barbara Johansen Newman. Drake Doyle and Nell Fossey, fifth-grade science sleuths, return to solve new mysteries. While the characters are two-dimensional and the cases solved with implausible speed, scientific concepts, such as bacterial growth and the science of pulleys, are clearly explained and cleverly woven into humorous vignettes. Expressive black-and-white line drawings and science activities and experiments are included.

Reviewer: Karyn Ginsburg

(4) 1-3 Doyle and Fossey, Science Detectives series. Illustrated by Barbara Johansen Newman. Young detectives Drake and Nell use their scientific acumen to solve several mysteries. First using carbon-dioxide gas to free a girl trapped in a clothes chute, the pair also demonstrate how capillary action caused some roses at a flower show to change color. The characterizations are clichéd and the dialogue is affected, but the activities and experiments will please budding scientists.

Reviewer: Peter D. Sieruta

(4) 1-3 Doyle and Fossey, Science Detectives series. Illustrated by Barbara Johansen Newman. Fifth-graders Drake Doyle and Nell Fossey use their science know-how to solve four mysteries. The treatment of science is simplistic (principles of static electricity, buoyancy, and ultraviolet light are defined rather than explored), but the conversational, humorous writing has appeal. Cartoon-style illustrations and instructions for related experiments are included.

Reviewer: Tanya D. Auger

(3) 1-3 Doyle and Fossey, Science Detectives series. Illustrated by Barbara Johansen Newman. Using scientific principles, young detectives Drake Doyle and Nell Fossey solve four mysteries: gasping garbage, endangered frogs, a stuck truck, and an anonymous love letter. Lighthearted but not silly, the book models good problem-solving and concludes with suggested activities for the reader's own science lab. Black-and-white artwork and creative use of fonts enliven the presentation.

Reviewer: Frieda F. Bostian