(1) K-3 Illustrated by Andrea Tsurumi. "Mint-chip ice cream (so fantastic!), / Key-lime taffy (so elastic!), / Bags of all-green jelly beans... / Every day I eat my greens!" Come for the funny poems; stay because there's so much to pore over that you can't put this collection down. Harris follows up I'm Just No Good at Rhyming4 (rev. 11/17, illustrated by Lane Smith) with another meta extravaganza. There are intrusions from, ostensibly, Harris's own children, including a "book-within-a-book." There's the threat of a meteor heading for the pages, which pays off just when you've forgotten about it. Poems appear in footnotes, in the glossary, and spread out among the folios (page 65: "When one becomes senior (traditionally)" / page 66: "A famous old route that's from song and TV"). The green and grayscale digital illustrations are often a critical part of the action, as in the poem where snakes are ignoring their duty to serve as the letter S, with hilarious results. (A few poems are more sincere than silly, providing a chance to catch your breath.) Don't miss the back matter, including but not limited to an index by subject (e.g., "Eek! There's a bug!" and "Paper, with some ink on it") and a "partial list" of "non-books by neither Chris Harris nor Andrea Tsurumi," which includes tricycles, Belgium, and Toy Story 2.

Reviewer: Shoshana Flax | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 2023

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Andrea Tsurumi. When Mr. Watson returns home one day to the house he shares with Mr. Nelson, two dogs, and three cats, he adds three chickens to the new coop in the backyard. But when three chickens grow to four hundred and fifty-six, and with the inside of their house "teeming with birds," it eventually causes relationship issues for the couple. "Mr. Watson loved his chickens, but he loved Mr. Nelson more," so they take all the hens to the county fair, where more chaos ensues. In a tidy resolution, the chickens embark on a show-business career, and back at home Mr. Watson and Mr. Nelson are now sad empty-nesters...or are they? Dapier's matter-of-fact text contains plenty of helpful repetition--including counting "“1-2-3") and chicken Aunt Agnes's song ("Shooby-doo, wonky-pow, bawka-bawka in da chow-chow")--­making this a great read-aloud, but it may be best shared one-on-one given Tsurumi's highly detailed digital art. The seek-and-find nature encourages readers to pore over each humorous illustration, spotting chickens playing musical instruments, roasting s'mores, and using aerial silks--all on the same page. Tsurumi keeps the mayhem from becoming overwhelming via black outlines and flat coloring, plus the occasional speech bubble for emphasis. The subtle references in the art to well-known gay children's book creators (Arnold Lobel, James Marshall) reinforce the book's casual embrace of a same-sex couple--who hopefully won't end up with quite so many chickens next time.

Reviewer: Cynthia K. Ritter | Horn Book Magazine Issue: January, 2022

(2) 1-3 Illustrated by Andrea Tsurumi. Kondo, a large yellow creature, and Kezumi, a small orange creature, live on an island full of "berry bushes and flitter-birds and fluffle-bunnies." One day "something new" appears: a message in a bottle that reads "We are not alone." The anonymous message includes a map, and after overcoming fears, Kondo and Kezumi set off in a bathtub boat--with the map!--to explore the islands around them, taking notes as they sail along. At their first stop, the Dairy Isle (get it?), the pair eats their fill of cheddar logs and Gorgonzola gourds. The next leg of their trip brings them dangerously close to the jagged, flaming Fireskull Island. They make their way to Giant Island, where they meet a new friend--who would rather they didn't leave. The vibrant digital illustrations immerse readers in the various island ecosystems--each rife with otherworldly (or simply cheesy) vegetation and populated by whimsical creatures--and all the rough and windy waterways between them. Voyagers Kezumi and Kondo tackle fears, frustrations, and homesickness humorously and realistically, reflecting the many issues that can test a friendship during travel. Their frank discussion of emotions ("That was scary") and their apologies can be seen as models for young readers' own developing friendships. Kondo and Kezumi remind us that we are not alone, indeed.

Reviewer: Grace McKinney | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2020

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Andrea Tsurumi. On the African plains, a small bird is ready for some well-deserved rest in her new nest, but "Oh!" A large hoopoe has taken over. "You can build another." She grudgingly does so on a different branch, and "Hey!" A fennec fox moves in... And so on. Sterer's to-the-point speech-bubble text is brought to life in the richly colored illustrations with nimble, energetic lines that adeptly convey the characters' reactions.

Reviewer: Kitty Flynn | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2019

(3) 4-6 Illustrated by Andrea Tsurumi. Saujani, founder and CEO of the organization Girls Who Code, expands her campaign to inspire girls to develop computing skills and overcome inequities in the tech field with this solid introduction to coding. The narrative incorporates historical background and highlights female success stories. Comic illustrations depicting a diverse cast of girls accompany clear instructions and diagrams and approachable discussions of coding basics. Glos., ind.

Reviewer: Dorrie Karlin