(1) K-3 Illustrated by Carol Thompson. A girl lies underneath a tree as her brother dabbles his feet in the pond and Mom fans herself with her hat--but soon the atmosphere changes. This satisfying book captures all the drama of a summer storm even as it rewards readers with a small-scale, homey story. The mixed-media illustrations feature luscious color and details brought out in scratchy black ink.

Reviewer: Susan Dove Lempke | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 2009

(2) PS Illustrated by Carol Thompson. Two inviting board books from Heather Has Two Mommies author Newman present warm, matter-of-fact depictions of same-sex parents doting on their child (of indeterminate gender in both books). Jaunty rhyming couplets in the high-spirited child's voice take the smiling families through a day of exuberant fun, shown in bright, smudgy pen and watercolor illustrations. Review covers these titles: Daddy, Papa, and Me and Mommy, Mama, and Me.

Reviewer: Claire E. Gross | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2009

(2) PS Illustrated by Carol Thompson. Two inviting board books from Heather Has Two Mommies author Newman present warm, matter-of-fact depictions of same-sex parents doting on their child (of indeterminate gender in both books). Jaunty rhyming couplets in the high-spirited child's voice take the smiling families through a day of exuberant fun, shown in bright, smudgy pen and watercolor illustrations. Review covers these titles: Daddy, Papa, and Me and Mommy, Mama, and Me.

Reviewer: Claire E. Gross | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2009

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Carol Thompson. Molly's dad lives "a whole plane ride away" and has been out of the picture for a long time. Father and daughter get reacquainted when Dad comes to look after Molly for a week. The book sensitively examines the aftermath of parental separation. Readers will appreciate the accessibility of Molly's emotions in both text and scribbly childlike drawings.

Reviewer: Nell Beram

(4) PS Illustrated by Carol Thompson. A preschooler describes the anticipation of his trucker dad's arrival: "I love to ride in Daddy's truck. / He picks me up from school. / Then I have Dad to myself. / We think that's sooo cool!" The rhymes are unimaginative and rhythmically challenged, but the art, featuring a sweetheart of a tattooed, rough-and-tumble dad, is colorful and entertaining.

Reviewer: Nell Beram

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Carol Thompson. Inviting cartoons illustrate a young girl's month-by-month account of her mother's pregnancy, including a frank answer to "How do Dad's sperm and your egg get together?" Accessible vivid descriptions, such as when the girl compares the embryo's size to her "bottom front tooth," and watercolor images of the baby in utero give a clear picture of gestation and birth.

Reviewer: Christine M. Heppermann

(4) 1-3 Illustrated by Carol Thompson. Four of Cleary's picture books about twins Janet and Jimmy have been re-illustrated and bound together into one chapter book. Cleary's clear grasp of four-year-old humor turns shoe shopping, playing in the yard, and collecting into entertaining adventures. Younger readers, however, aren't going to have much interest in preschool antics.

Reviewer: Hilary Breed Van Dusen

(3) PS Illustrated by Carol Thompson. A little boy describes his first day of school, which proves remarkably similar to his mother's day at the office: e.g., the image supporting "I...tried hard to do my very best writing" shows the boy working to master the alphabet, while on the facing page his mom types at her computer. The loose, bustling watercolors depicting their parallel experiences are engaging and reassuring.

Reviewer: Nell Beram

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Carol Thompson. This picture-book anecdote relates how soccer player extraordinaire Mia Hamm learned that playing is more important than winning--but her "don't quit" message comes through a little too loud and clear. Energetic illustrations show a spunky young Mia wearing cleats and sporting a ponytail. The final pages include photographs of Mia playing soccer as a child and as a professional athlete.

Reviewer: Tanya D. Auger

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Carol Thompson. After Baby Henry's mother acquires an old baby stroller at a yard sale, "Old Blue Buggy" is used for carrying the baby, doing errands, and, as Henry gets older, imaginative pretend play. When the buggy finally gets put out on the curb with the trash, someone finds a new way to make use of it. Small boxed art is paired with specific incidents in the text, while full-page spreads of the pleasantly messy illustrations convey action.

Reviewer: Beth L. Meister

(4) PS Illustrated by Carol Thompson. Four stories and one poem are collected in this omnibus edition. The stories include "But Not Billy," "Big Brother," and "Timothy Too!" and each focuses on an important family relationship: between a mother and child, a father and his daughter, and the sometimes rocky, sometimes loving relationship between siblings. Zolotow's soft, rhythmic prose is more successful than Thompson's less distinctive, somewhat bland watercolors.

Reviewer: Maeve Visser Knoth

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Carol Thompson. This cheery British import, a collection of brief rhyming poems, takes as its subject the routines of a child's day from morning to night. Loosely organized into categories such as "Time to Get Up," "Time for Play," and "Time for Tea," the poems are illustrated with bright and bouncy artwork that captures the many moods of a child's busy day. Ind.

Reviewer: Carolyn Shute

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Carol Thompson. When Grandpa's dog, his most favorite thing, gets sick and must stay overnight at the vet's, Katie gives Rabbit, her most favorite thing, to Grandpa to keep him company. Although Katie misses her stuffed animal, she knows he is looking after Grandpa until his dog comes home. The lively illustrations bring the special bond between Katie and Grandpa to life.

Reviewer: Patricia Riley

(4) PS DK Toddler Story Book series. Illustrated by Carol Thompson. A toddler makes all his growing-up transitions in what appears to be just one morning--going from bottle to cup, booties to shoes, diaper to potty. The subject is one of interest to toddlers and the art is full of movement and enthusiasm, but the story line is unrealistic and the ending awkward.

Reviewer: Maeve Visser Knoth

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Carol Thompson. With the aid of his understanding mother, a young boy adapts to a new home. William picks out wallpaper for his new room and finds a friend next door. Dad is only shown in a family photo--a mystery cleared up at the end when William's mom assures him that he'll be able to choose paper for his room at his dad's new house, too. Splashy mixed-media illustrations accompany the reassuring story.

Reviewer: Sara Pearce

(3) PS Illustrated by Carol Thompson. Daniel is the only one in his family who is able to comfort his baby sister--a trick he works with nonsense words. Thompson's illustrations are cheerful and humorous and the story is a universal one, but libraries with the original edition, illustrated by Suçie Stevenson, need not replace it.

Reviewer: Maeve Visser Knoth | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 1990

(3) PS A breezy cast of watercolor characters play up the nonsense and fun of this lighthearted collection from Britain, which includes poems by Carolyn Graham, Eric Finney, Tony Mitton, and Clive Webster. The verses are somewhat arbitrarily placed in four sections--"Counting Rhymes," "Finger Rhymes," "Chanting Rhymes," and "Action Rhymes." Ind.

Reviewer: The Horn Book, Inc.