(3) K-3 Illustrated by Anna Raff. Light, energy, color, shadows, and reflection are all covered in this engaging, information-packed picture book. Simple activities with household objects (spoons, drinking straws, etc.) demonstrate the properties of light, such as how it travels in a straight line or how light waves can be bent. The illustrations, featuring a smiling boy and girl and (oddly) their cow professor, support the information in the text. Glos.

Reviewer: Janet Dawson

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Anna Raff. This informative, interactive exploration of magnets and magnetism encourages readers to track down materials and investigate on their own. Each physics concept is carefully explained at just the right level and anchored in visible phenomena. Adler addresses common misconceptions or skillfully constructs lines of reasoning that prevent them from developing. Illustrations provide a friendly and helpful guide to the activities described in the text. Glos., ind.

Reviewer: Danielle J. Ford | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2017

(4) PS Illustrated by Anna Raff. A human mother narrator imagines the bedtime routines of animals for her child. Simply composed illustrations in a cool color palette depict smiling parent-and-child animal pairs engaging in affectionate interactions, with two lilting rhyming couplets accompanying each spread. It's a pleasant but otherwise unremarkable bedtime story. Appended "Sleepy Animal Notes" expand on the sleep habits of the represented species.

Reviewer: Jessica Tackett MacDonald

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Anna Raff. Lucy's bad day begins when she can only find one bunny slipper, and worsens as an assortment of unhelpful animals (a cuddly porcupine, flatulent penguins, etc.) parade through her day, making every task more difficult (and absurd). The cumulative text and ink-wash illustrations humorously escalate a relatable experience and offer a positive message about how to turn gray skies blue.

Reviewer: Rebecca Reed Whidden

(4) PS Illustrated by Anna Raff. "I am a cat. Meow," says a duck. But a cat isn't having it: "You are a duck. Quack, quack." This not-quite-battle of wills--the duck seems too dim to have one--is rousing, although the ending doesn't provide the impact the story deserves. Colorful mixed-media art shows the expressive pair humorously debating an underlying serious subject: the right to define oneself.

Reviewer: Nell Beram

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Anna Raff. Little Card and Long Card wonder what their grown-up jobs will entail. After a mix-up, each finds the perfect profession: library card and birthday card, respectively. The original premise is visually well realized in cheery illustrations that incorporate ink washes, stamps, and digital textures. The celebratory tale breathes new life into the theme of paper in the digital age.

Reviewer: Sheila M. Geraty

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Anna Raff. "A gear is a wheel with teeth. Gears can change the speed, power, and direction of a machine's work." With the help of a seen-but-not-heard cat and a collection of children, this book gives accessible examples of the simple machines of the title, such as seesaws, faucets, and construction cranes. Pastel illustrations are lively and friendly, with just enough detail.

Reviewer: Frieda F. Bostian

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Anna Raff. Adler expertly teaches the concept of density, moving beyond the classic floating and sinking experiments to a carefully constructed lesson that helps young thinkers appreciate both scientific explanations and practices. The concepts are kept simple and age appropriate, without shying away from the more abstract dimensions of science. Cartoonlike illustrations portray two children and their curious dog happily doing science.

Reviewer: Danielle J. Ford | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2013

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Anna Raff. Twenty-two obscure but entertaining holidays get their own poems, each one funny, playful, and even instructive. The poems vary in length and style, with a concrete poem in the shape of a flamingo for Pink Flamingo Day and five limericks in honor of May 12, Limerick Day. Raff’s ink washes and drawings feature animals with lots of personality.

Reviewer: Susan Dove Lempke | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2013