(3) K-3 Illustrated by Debbie Tilley. Ideas about the workings of our bodies, from health to the effects of disease, show how scientific concepts have changed over time. Kudlinski explains these advances, emphasizing in particular the imaging technologies that have contributed to the field. The explanations underscore the key scientific practice of revision. Humorous cartoon illustrations contribute to the light tone. Timeline, websites.

Reviewer: Danielle J. Ford

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Debbie Tilley. A new baby is a major event, not least of all for older siblings. Danzig's no-nonsense tone will reassure readers, as she explains everything from how babies grow to why they pull hair. Tilley's cartoons bring humor to the many unfamiliar aspects of life with a newborn. Appended tips for parents provide further assistance in preparing big kids for little ones.

Reviewer: Hannah Rodgers Barnaby

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Debbie Tilley. Frederick, who never wins any contests at the fair because he's so infernally loud, finally finds his voice after entering the "Mom-Hollering Contest." The somewhat formulaic plotting and rather pat "be yourself" message are forgivable because of the great particularity of the dialogue and the pen-and-ink and watercolor art (check out Frederick's hand-sewn masterpiece, which wins first prize for "loudest shirt").

Reviewer: Nell Beram

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Debbie Tilley. Olive heads to her friend Lizard's house for her first-ever sleepover. The girls make dinner (and a mess) and tell ghost stories, but when bedtime comes, Olive must conquer her fear of the dark. The meandering story will leave readers in no suspense about the outcome, but vibrant watercolor and ink illustrations add levity to this story of overcoming fears.

Reviewer:

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Debbie Tilley. On the first day of school, Lizard Walinsky (a dinosaur-loving tomboy) is devastated when she discovers that her new best friend Spider (a dinosaur/insect lover) attends a different school. But she soon befriends classmate Samantha who complements her and Spider's sensibility. Despite awkward pacing, Baker's story has personality and charm, as do Tilley's colorful illustrations.

Reviewer: Mark Adam

(3) 1-3 Illustrated by Debbie Tilley. The Zoo School's principal, Ms. Font, believes in the motto "Let the animals be your textbook"--and so the school's students share a classroom with animals: squids one day, bats another. The appealing premise is carried out in a light, genuinely funny narrative that includes excerpts from newspapers and letters and, at the end, a surprise twist. Illustrations not seen.

Reviewer: Susan Dove Lempke

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Debbie Tilley. Jacques, the braver of two sock brothers, comforts Spock during soccer games or when they're in the dark hamper. When Jacques is accidentally bleached white and discarded, he is delighted by his new freedom. Soon, however, he misses Spock and schemes to be reunited. The silly story uses wordplay and humor, and the illustrations provide the brothers with lots of personality.

Reviewer: Patricia Riley

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Debbie Tilley. This Spanish edition of Hey, Little Ant, which features a clever conversation between a boy and an ant, manages to maintain not only the rhyme scheme of the English original, but also the essential spirit of this delightful tale.

Reviewer: Tim Wadham

(2) 1-3 Illustrated by Debbie Tilley. Cozily bookended with episodes about Elisa, now seven, and her grandmother in Florida, these chapters in the lives of the Michaels family are easygoing and easy reading. There's one about a new babysitter, another where Elisa decides to eat nothing but chocolate all day long (she barely makes it past lunch). Hurwitz knows kids, and while she writes like everyone's favorite aunt, she's nobody's fool.

Reviewer: Roger Sutton | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2003

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Debbie Tilley. Lauren McGill is crazy about pickles, "absolutely wild about" every kind. After a class trip to a pickle factory, however, pickles become popular with all the students and Lauren's fondness for the food turns sour. While this tale is amusing, it goes on for too long. The watercolor illustrations, featuring a variety of green shades and pickle shapes, get into the flavor of the story.

Reviewer: Andie Wurster

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Debbie Tilley. Olive's exuberant individuality gets her into trouble, especially when she decides to "redecorate" the school principal's gloomy office by painting a rainforest scene on his desk. Outraged at first, he agrees to keep the desk if Olive promises to get permission before doing anything "different" in the future. Although the text is preachy, the illustrations are amusing and detailed and reflect Olive's energy.

Reviewer: Martha Sibert

(2) 4-6 Illustrated by Debbie Tilley. This accessible collection traces a girl's journey through the first year of middle school. In short poems in a variety of forms, the girl faces the challenges of making friends, figuring out the mysteries of her locker and the "endless corridor[s]," getting dressed in the un-privacy of the locker room. Though the too-young illustrations don't help, the poems are unpretentious and down-to-earth; the voice is believably that of a twelve-year-old.

Reviewer: Martha V. Parravano | Horn Book Magazine Issue: January, 2003

(4) 4-6 Illustrated by Debbie Tilley. Ms. Snickle has just one classroom rule: no telling secrets. But Lacey breaks it--blabbing that Dennis's mother is the tooth fairy, Eva used to be a swan, and Hayley is allergic to secrets. After a slow start, the whimsical story picks up speed (a comical who-has-the-grossest-sibling contest helps) and concludes with the unexpected and rather simplistic message that secrets are best forgotten. Gouache and pen-and-ink illustrations mirror key scenes from the story.

Reviewer: Tanya D. Auger

(3) PS Illustrated by Debbie Tilley. In this comical rhyming tale, a mouse challenges a woman to a game of hide-and-seek; that is, he believes it's a game, but she may think otherwise. He says, "Just once, I peek. / You leap! / I shriek!" The uncluttered illustrations, including plenty of close-ups from a mouse's perspective, play an important role in telling the story.

Reviewer: Martha Sibert

(3) 4-6 Illustrated by Debbie Tilley. Rabbi Gellman and Monsignor Hartman address all kinds of loss--from the loss of a game to the loss of a parent through divorce--although half the book covers loss through death. In this accessible, useful book, they talk directly and casually to the reader and explain their respective faiths without expecting that the reader will share that religious perspective. Bib.

Reviewer: Maeve Visser Knoth

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Debbie Tilley. Let the record show that the young cat-owner in this finely tuned farce has no objections to her cat making her breakfast. She draws the line, however, at the maniacally grinning feline's presentation of PB&J with "AN ANCHOVY!" Phlegmatic text combines with exaggerated cartoony watercolors to develop tension and humor in the story of this unlikely culinary duo.

Reviewer: Anita L. Burkam

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Debbie Tilley. In a rhyming story relayed as a conversation (written originally as a song) and illustrated with loose-lined watercolors, an ant about to be squished under a boy's shoe pleads with him to think twice about his actions. The ending is left unresolved with the question, "What do you think that kid should do?" The message is obvious but may lead to thoughtful discussion. Music is included.

Reviewer: Carolyn Shute

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Debbie Tilley. Brief rhymes indirectly describe common objects, such as a kite, a raisin, and a fire truck. The reader must identify these items using the clever hints in the verses and the sometimes more obvious clues displayed in the lighthearted color illustrations. A fine sense of fun and wordplay make this unusual work succeed as both a poetry volume and a riddle book.

Reviewer: Peter D. Sieruta