(3) K-3 Illustrated by Pam Paparone. Teaching children to look at seeds in a new way, this simple introduction to seed dispersal provides poetic descriptions of the process ("Maple seeds whirl and twirl in the breeze"; "Even a raindrop can wash tiny seeds away. Splash! Swish! Splatter! Scatter!"). Cleanly composed, botanically accurate acrylic paintings illustrate the lyrical text.

Reviewer: Miriam Lang Budin

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Pam Paparone. Snail Langley's Father's Day presents have been duds. He's stumped again until he notices the natural elements (leaves, rocks) around him, then realizes the best gift is a day together. Though parts are clever, the message-y text ends with a whimper. Unfussy pen-and-ink and watercolor illustrations use heavy black outlines and bright primary colors to make the snail family stand out.

Reviewer: Miriam Lang Budin

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Pam Paparone. It's hard for Wembly, a young pig, to put up with little brother William's constant tattling, and it gets to the point where the two aren't speaking. But when neighborhood daredevil Iggy gets Wembly into a scary spot, it's William who saves the day. Siblings will be able to relate to the familiar relationship, illustrated with amusing details (picture pigs in tighty whities).

Reviewer: Susan Halperin

(3) K-3 Let's-Read-and-Find-Out Science series. Illustrated by Pam Paparone. Sklansky takes young readers on a classic tour of the twenty-one-day chicken reproductive cycle, from fertilization through hatching. The story moves neatly between embryo development in the egg and the behavior of the mother chicken as she tends her nest. The friendly illustrations portray an idealized barnyard life as well as details of chicken anatomy. Reading list.

Reviewer: Danielle J. Ford

(3) PS Illustrated by Pam Paparone. "One little raindrop, dark, dark sky. Two little raindrops, clouds go by." Counting from one to ten, a little girl sporting rain gear explores the elements. When the rain gets too heavy, she heads in to "Ten little toes in a nice warm tub" and so on down to one, at which point the rain stops. The rhymes have a steady gait, and the bright, attentive images make the rainy day seem almost thrilling.

Reviewer: Hilary Breed Van Dusen

(3) PS Illustrated by Pam Paparone. "I like things that come nice and low / Falling leaves and falling snow." The rhyming text (a poem from Merriam's 1962 anthology There Is No Rhyme for Silver) lists things that, like preschoolers, are close to the ground. Colorful paintings with just the right amount of detail illustrate the poetic list that quietly winds down to bedtime with "Hushaby tunes / And little new moons."

Reviewer: Jennifer M. Brabander

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Pam Paparone. At bedtime, Julia plays with her three stuffed animals and her cat. In the imaginary world of Husher Town, a microdrama unfolds when Bear becomes the mailman but has no mail. All is resolved when Julia provides a sackful of "letters" (her homework papers) and packages for the animals. The rich, brushy acrylic paintings add zest to the slow-moving, quiet story.

Reviewer: Liza Woodruff