(3) PS My First Experience Book series. Illustrated by Lizzy Rockwell. A young black girl narrates the story of a fall day spent hiking with her mother and father. Detailed watercolor illustrations show the family packing supplies, checking a trail map, and enjoying the wildlife on the way to the top of a hill near home. The simple, engaging text makes hiking seem accessible--and like lots of fun.

Reviewer: Renée Wheeler

(3) PS My First Experience Book series. Illustrated by Lizzy Rockwell. A young brown-skinned boy narrates the story of his day at the zoo with his mom, dad, and little sister. Each spread focuses on a single animal exhibit and the children's reactions to it. The day wraps up with lunch and a souvenir balloon. Tidy watercolors and straightforward text provide preschoolers with a realistic, no-big-surprises preview of a first zoo visit.

Reviewer: Janet Dawson

(4) PS Illustrated by Lizzy Rockwell. A small, blond boy spends Saturday at the public library with his father. He reads magazines and books, attends story hour, notices older children using computers, and gets his first library card. This is a useful, if tepid, introduction to public library services. Lizzy Rockwell continues her mother's work with simple illustrations featuring clean outlines and round-headed, rosy-cheeked children.

Reviewer: Maeve Visser Knoth

(3) PS Illustrated by Harlow Rockwell & Lizzy Rockwell. The pigtailed girl from Apples and Pumpkins, At the Beach, and The First Snowfall concludes her seasonal adventures in this redesigned volume. As she looks for a robin, she sees signs of spring all around her: insects, flowers, tree blossoms, fiddleheads, and rain. A simple text, large type, and bright pencil and watercolor illustrations draw readers into the joys of the season.

Reviewer: Kitty Flynn

(3) PS Illustrated by Lizzy Rockwell. A girl visits Comstock Farm with her parents to pick a bushel of apples and cut a pumpkin from the vine. At home they carve a jack-o'-lantern, then the girl goes trick-or-treating. The simple sentences and friendly art in this perennial preschool favorite translate well to the board-book format.

Reviewer: Bridget McCaffrey | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 1989

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Lizzy Rockwell. These children aren't preparing for their first day of school ever but rather for the beginning of a new school year. The kids reminisce about the previous year's first day, compare how they're getting ready for the upcoming day, and look forward to a new year. Both the text and illustrations are somewhat bland, but that may reassure some anxious students.

Reviewer: Miriam Lang Budin

(2) PS Illustrated by Lizzy Rockwell. A girl visits Comstock Farm with her parents to pick a bushel of apples and cut a pumpkin from the vine. At home they carve a jack-o'-lantern, then the girl goes trick-or-treating. Simple sentences and friendly art make this a perennial preschool favorite. This new edition sports a fresh cover and reset type.

Reviewer: Bridget McCaffrey | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 1989

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Lizzy Rockwell. On St. Patrick's Day, Evan and his classmates (all dressed in green, of course) present reports on the history and legends of St. Patrick. When Evan goes home, his Irish American mother bakes soda bread that they share with their neighbors. The pedestrian story and cheerful illustrations provide a serviceable introduction to Irish American customs.

Reviewer: Patricia Riley

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Lizzy Rockwell. The kids in Mrs. Madoff's class are excited to celebrate Presidents' Day. Focusing on the Mount Rushmore figures, the kids pay tribute to our forefathers' contributions by creating art projects, performing a play, and holding a class election. Unfussy illustrations depict an ethnically diverse classroom of polite and happy children.

Reviewer: Sheila M. Geraty

(4) K-3 Step into Reading series. Illustrated by Lizzy Rockwell. As Mary Clare evenly divides snacks to share with friends, readers are introduced to basic fractions: "She picks one pear / for two to share. / One-half a pear / for each is fair." The rhyming text and cheerful illustrations don't break any new ground in the math-in-literature genre, but the simple themes--friendship and fairness--will resonate with kids.

Reviewer: Tanya D. Auger

(3) K-3 Let's-Read-and-Find-Out Science series. Illustrated by Lizzy Rockwell. Rockwell situates her description of the alligator habitat and life cycle in a discussion of the alligator's special status as a "keystone species." She emphasizes the importance of the alligator's mud holes to the richly diverse Everglades ecosystem, and the danger to this unique Florida environment from encroaching human development. Attractive color illustrations focus up-close on the alligators and their environment.

Reviewer: Danielle J. Ford

(4) PS Illustrated by Lizzy Rockwell. The kids in Mrs. Madoff's class take turns describing how they will celebrate Mother's Day: Eveline will make beignets for her maman; Sarah, whose mother is dead, will celebrate with her grandmother; etc. The children all sound the same, but the up-with-difference message, reinforced by the cheerful and tidy candy-colored illustrations, is welcome in a book about a day known to inspire cookie-cutter sentiments.

Reviewer: Nell Beram

(3) PS Illustrated by Lizzy Rockwell. This rhyming countdown to bedtime finds ten lambs fighting tiredness by performing music, making a chorus line, etc., until they have, one by one, dropped off, the last after counting sheep. What makes this bedtime book unique is its realistically frustrated Mama and the funny double-page spreads featuring her uninhibited brood to each of whom Rockwell has given a unique look.

Reviewer: Nell Beram

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Lizzy Rockwell. Each day, a different student puts a penny in a class jar, and after every ten days a classmate brings in a collection of items (ten balloons, twenty matchbox cars, etc.) to celebrate. The class sends their pennies to someone in need. Clear, colorful artwork and a simple story provide a gentle slice of school life, with counting, a long-term project, and sharing on many levels.

Reviewer: Hilary Breed Van Dusen

(3) PS Illustrated by Lizzy Rockwell. Both young students and their teachers introduce special guests on Career Day. One by one, the reader meets parents and friends representing a wide range of occupations: bulldozer operator, musician, veterinarian, garbage collector, paleontologist, and more. The illustrations offer a helpful glimpse of the workers engaged in their professions.

Reviewer: Sheila M. Geraty

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Lizzy Rockwell. Mrs. Madoff's students are making valentines for "a special friend." Each child makes a valentine that reflects his or her connection to the intended recipient, whose identity the text reveals in the end. Observant readers will note, however, that there is a common component to every cheery illustration: former classmate Michiko is featured in each. Pupil Sam's unobtrusive narration keeps the story grounded in classroom activities.

Reviewer: Martha V. Parravano | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2001