(3) PS Illustrated by Laura Rankin. Promising to show them something special, a bear leads a parade of animals through the countryside. "Tiptoe, tiptoe, quiet please. / Tiptoe underneath the trees." When they reach his den, he proudly reveals two new bear cubs. Exuberant illustrations with amusing sound effects express the animals' anticipation and complement the bouncy rhyme, making the whole package a good choice for storytime.

Reviewer: Martha Sibert

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Laura Rankin. Young porcupine Isabel is peeved: the other animals in her graduating class get balloons, while she is slated for a boring bookmark because her teacher believes that "balloons are not safe for porcupines." The wonderful denouement exposes the humanness of even stubborn grownups. The art is hilarious, especially vignettes showing an increasingly miffed Isabel receiving bookmarks at previous school celebrations.

Reviewer: Nell Beram

(3) K-3 I Can Read Book series. Illustrated by Laura Rankin. Little brothers will respond to the humor in this guide to pestering an older sister. The silly tricks (pretending to have lost a non-existent snake, running hot water when she's in the shower, etc.), straightforward storytelling, and funny cartoon illustrations support a title that will surely grab reluctant readers before they even open the book.

Reviewer: Barbara Barstow

(4) PS Illustrated by Laura Rankin. Hopscotch is a very brave bunny--most of the time. When his parents go out one night and Mrs. Honeybunch comes to baby-sit, he isn't at all sure that being left alone with her is a good idea. The story verges on saccharine, but the acrylic and pen-and-ink illustrations effectively trace Hopscotch's transformation from anxious bunny to reassured rabbit.

Reviewer: Cindy Lombardo

(3) 4-6 Illustrated by Laura Rankin. In "The Perfect Hamburger," Joe helps save a local institution when he discovers the key ingredient for exceptional hamburgers. Nicky and John help their vegetable-loving aunt find happiness in "The Spaghetti Tangle." In "The Doughnut Ring," Jim starts an e-mail chain resulting in millions of doughnuts. McCall Smith's over-the-top humor is tempered by Rankin's relatively restrained black-and-white illustrations.

Reviewer: Patricia Riley

(4) 1-3 Illustrated by Laura Rankin. When Harriet's five detective aunts invite her to accompany them to the American Wild West, she learns that she has yet another aunt who runs a cattle ranch. Unfortunately, rustlers are roaming the plains. Will Harriet and her aunts be able to save Aunt Formica's cattle? This tongue-in-cheek mystery is fast-paced but assumes a certain naiveté on the part of the reader.

Reviewer: Patricia Riley