(3) 4-6 Illustrated by Omar Rayyan. Eleven-year-old P (short for Princess) lives on a ranch in Oklahoma. After rescuing an orphaned opossum, the strong-willed girl brings it home, despite the rule her father (who's serving in Iraq) has against pets. P's plan to return her pet to the wild leads to a dramatic confrontation. Animal-loving readers will sympathize with P throughout this well-paced coming-of-age story.

Reviewer: Juliet S. King

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Omar Rayyan. Kimmel adapts a Yemenite story to the traditional Arabic "Joha" motif concerning a wise fool. Joha finds a wishing stick on his way to Baghdad. Unfortunately, it works by contraries. Kimmel narrates with his usual wit and panache, nicely extended in Rayyan's watercolor illustrations, where humorously exaggerated characters are realized in tastefully muted colors while the action bursts energetically from elegant frames.

Reviewer: Joanna Rudge Long | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2010

(3) 4-6 Illustrated by Omar Rayyan. In Waggit's third tale, park clean-up and improvements force the white dog and his friends to leave their home. Relying on city-smart canine friends beyond the park gates, they travel at night through dark alleys while parked cars and soggy appliance boxes shield them from the eyes of Uprights (humans). Fans of the first two books will enjoy Waggit's continuing adventures.

Reviewer: Nancy Hull

(4) 4-6 Tails of Frederick and Ishbu series. Illustrated by Omar Rayyan. Rat brothers Frederick and Ishbu, who spend most of their time as classroom pets, are off on another adventure, this time in search of their friend Natasha's missing father. Frederick's store of useful facts comes in handy for solving the mystery. Though the story is again all over the place, the animal adventure aspect will satisfy the rats' fans.

Reviewer: Beth L. Meister

(3) 4-6 Illustrated by Omar Rayyan. This sequel to Waggit's Tale follows the white dog's escape from a country farm. An Upright (human) with a gift for understanding Dog helps Waggit in his quest to find his old gang in Central Park; conflict between two groups leads to a sad moment. This otherwise fairly tame adventure will appeal to young Uprights who love pups.

Reviewer: Nancy Hull

(3) 4-6 Illustrated by Omar Rayyan. Abandoned pup Waggit finds a family with other strays, each of whom has a distinctive voice. Scrounging for food and keeping away from the Uprights (humans) who want to carry them off to the Great Unknown (the dog pound), they hide in a city park and try to avoid an enemy pack. Dog fans will enjoy this tame adventure.

Reviewer: Nancy Hull

(4) 4-6 Mistmantle Chronicles series. Illustrated by Omar Rayyan. The always-good animals of Mistmantle eagerly help their neighbors. However, this brings Mistmantle to the attention of evil ravens who plan an attack against them. Sooner or later, our spunky and intrepid heroes will realize that the protective island-guarding mists nobody can cross get crossed in every single book, but series fans don't seem to mind this logical slip.

Reviewer: Dorrie Karlin

(3) 4-6 Mistmantle Chronicles series. Illustrated by Omar Rayyan. The fuzzy-animal kingdom of Mistmantle is beleaguered once again. This time the enemy is no evil creature, but the convergence of plague, an accidentally kidnapped princess, and the suspicions of an uneducated populace. Simple but endearing, this adventure tugs on all the right heartstrings as the squirrel Juniper and his friends come of age in trying times.

Reviewer: Dorrie Karlin

(4) 4-6 Mistmantle Chronicles series. Illustrated by Omar Rayyan. In Urchin of the Riding Stars, spunky squirrel page Urchin fulfills (maybe) a prophecy that he would unseat a great ruler. In this predictable but sweet second adventure, Urchin is kidnapped by mad King Silverbirch, and the always-good, always-cuddly squirrel rescues Silverbirch's subjects (more small, furry animals) from the greedy usurper's enslavement.

Reviewer: Dorrie Karlin

(4) 1-3 Unicorn's Secret series. Illustrated by Omar Rayyan & Omar Rayyan. Heart Avamir continues her quest to protect her unicorn friends and find them sanctuary in Castle Avamir; in Journey Home she finds her family and uncovers the unicorn's secret. The familiar plot lines are brought to a satisfying conclusion, but the books aren't self-contained and may perplex new readers. Occasional out-of-proportion black-and-white sketches illustrate the stories. [Review covers these Unicorn's Secret titles: Castle Avamir and The Journey Home.]

Reviewer: Anita L. Burkam

(3) 1-3 Unicorn's Secret series. Illustrated by Omar Rayyan. With the fifth and sixth books, the fantasy series finally hits its stride; Heart's quest to rescue her unicorn friends and find her family takes a few interesting turns, and she makes a friend of a former enemy. Accompanied by a few black-and-white sketches, the short chapter books raise questions that will encourage readers to continue with the series. Reading like a novel divided into smaller segments, the books don't stand alone. [Review covers these Unicorn's Secret titles: The Sunset Gates and True Heart.]

Reviewer: Anne St. John

(4) 1-3 Unicorn's Secret series. Illustrated by Omar Rayyan. Heart Avamir continues her quest to protect her unicorn friends and find them sanctuary in Castle Avamir; in Journey Home she finds her family and uncovers the unicorn's secret. The familiar plot lines are brought to a satisfying conclusion, but the books aren't self-contained and may perplex new readers. Occasional out-of-proportion black-and-white sketches illustrate the stories. [Review covers these Unicorn's Secret titles: Castle Avamir and The Journey Home.]

Reviewer: Anita L. Burkam

(4) 1-3 Unicorn's Secret series. Illustrated by Omar Rayyan. Picking up where the previous book left off, this chapter book will be best appreciated by readers familiar with the series. When her hiding place is discovered by gypsies, Heart, along with her dog and the two unicorns that she is protecting, decides to travel and perform with her new friends. A lot of questions are left unanswered, but the compelling plot and likable heroine will draw readers in. Black-and-white drawings accompany the text.

Reviewer: Anne St. John

(3) 1-3 Unicorn's Secret series. Illustrated by Omar Rayyan. With the fifth and sixth books, the fantasy series finally hits its stride; Heart's quest to rescue her unicorn friends and find her family takes a few interesting turns, and she makes a friend of a former enemy. Accompanied by a few black-and-white sketches, the short chapter books raise questions that will encourage readers to continue with the series. Reading like a novel divided into smaller segments, the books don't stand alone. [Review covers these Unicorn's Secret titles: The Sunset Gates and True Heart.]

Reviewer: Anne St. John

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Omar Rayyan. In this comic retelling, King Midas is a bored, greedy, middle-aged man who receives the golden touch from a mysterious stranger only to regret it even before he eats breakfast, having turned the food, and his daughter, into gold. Whimsical gold-washed watercolors crammed with mythological creatures play up the humor in Stewig's interpretation of the Greek myth.

Reviewer: Pamela McCuen