(3) PS Illustrated by Jimmy Pickering. "What color is Halloween?" Each page offers an answer (e.g., "Halloween is white") and a brief rhyming verse: "Cobwebs clinging, / Misty trail, / A skull, a spook, / A face gone pale..." A tongue-twisting string of descriptive words ("stony-bony, pearly-swirly, mostly ghostly / Wisp of white") and hip, eye-popping illustrations feature lots of (not too) spooky details. A frightfully good read-aloud.

Reviewer: Kari Allen

(2) 4-6 Illustrated by Jimmy Pickering. Prelutsky takes readers to planets they've never heard of--and wouldn't want to visit (e.g., Swole, where you can't stop crying; Skreber, where you can't stop laughing). This macabre journey isn't for the faint of heart or lazy of mind; Prelutsky's meter rewards careful ears while trusting readers to figure out words like cataclysmic and unconscionably. Pickering's comically creepy illustrations enhance the strangeness.

Reviewer: Shoshana Flax | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2009

(3) 4-6 Araminta Spookie series. Illustrated by Jimmy Pickering. With her aunt and uncle out of town, Araminta Spookie is delighted to have her cool cousin Mathilda as a baby-sitter--until two teenage poltergeists try to ruin everything. Like the others in the series, this fifth story about Araminta is fast-paced, the writing is smooth, and the atmosphere's cheerful, as shown in the funny, varied black-and-white cartoon illustrations.

Reviewer: Thom Barthelmess

(3) 4-6 Araminta Spookie series. Illustrated by Jimmy Pickering. Missing frogs and an annoying cousin are two disruptions Araminta is determined to solve, but her wild conspiracy theories don’t always lead her in the right direction in these smoothly written Addams Family–esque detective stories. Though readers might need some familiarity with the series to follow the action, they'll enjoy the humorous juxtaposition of modern language and vintage writing. Review covers these Araminta Spookie titles: Frognapped and Vampire Brat.

Reviewer: Thom Barthelmess

(3) 4-6 Araminta Spookie series. Illustrated by Jimmy Pickering. Missing frogs and an annoying cousin are two disruptions Araminta is determined to solve, but her wild conspiracy theories don’t always lead her in the right direction in these smoothly written Addams Family–esque detective stories. Though readers might need some familiarity with the series to follow the action, they'll enjoy the humorous juxtaposition of modern language and vintage writing. Review covers these Araminta Spookie titles: Frognapped and Vampire Brat.

Reviewer: Thom Barthelmess

(3) 4-6 Araminta Spookie series. Illustrated by Jimmy Pickering. Two books centering on young Araminta's life in her quirky haunted house are just right for younger intermediate readers, with roomy layouts, plentiful illustrations, breezy tone, and mild subject matter (the ghosts are benevolent rather than scary). For those not yet ready for Eva Ibbotson (Dial-a-Ghost) or Harry Potter, these first two series entries are easily digested, enjoyable fare. Review covers these Araminta Spookie titles: My Haunted House and The Sword in the Grotto.

Reviewer: Martha V. Parravano

(3) 4-6 Araminta Spookie series. Illustrated by Jimmy Pickering. Two books centering on young Araminta's life in her quirky haunted house are just right for younger intermediate readers, with roomy layouts, plentiful illustrations, breezy tone, and mild subject matter (the ghosts are benevolent rather than scary). For those not yet ready for Eva Ibbotson (Dial-a-Ghost) or Harry Potter, these first two series entries are easily digested, enjoyable fare. Review covers these Araminta Spookie titles: My Haunted House and The Sword in the Grotto.

Reviewer: Martha V. Parravano

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Jimmy Pickering. In cheery doggerel, a wide-eyed narrator reports on the late-night bash her clothing enjoys in her bedroom. Did her nightie really cha-cha-cha or is our narrator just making excuses for a messy room? The illustrations are energetic, with rounded figures, muted hues, and slightly askew perspectives, but the brief text is prone to tripping over its metric feet.

Reviewer: Gay Pampalone

(4) K-3 Ready-to-Read series. Illustrated by Jimmy Pickering. In a slight story, bubbles journey from a little boy's bathtub out into the world. There they meet clouds, squirrels, and cupcake frosting. Once the sun warms them up, the bubbles all burst. Word repetition, large type, and few words per page make this accessible to the most inexperienced readers. The illustrations are lively but ultimately contribute little.

Reviewer: Maeve Visser Knoth