(3) K-3 Illustrated by Sarah Warburton. Looking to make a friend, "brainy and bright" Princess Eliza leaves her snowy northern palace and stumbles upon Santa's distressed elves at his workshop. Eliza secretly builds contraptions to help her new friends save Christmas while Santa recovers from the flu. Channeling Andrea Beaty's Rosie Revere, Engineer, this read-aloud-ready holiday story, with lilting rhymes and whimsical mixed-media illustrations, celebrates helping others and girls in STEAM.

Reviewer: Janet Daniels

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Sarah Warburton. Narrator Ruby complains about her dog and his messy, disobedient behavior, but readers will note she makes excuses for him at the same time: "I don't think he can hear me." Unsurprisingly, after Grub is exiled to Uncle Tom's house, the family realizes it just can't live without him. The pet-appreciation story is undistinguished, but energetic illustrations make the most of Grub's shenanigans.

Reviewer: Martha Sibert

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Sarah Warburton. Young Sophie is kept awake at night by the giant up the magic bean stalk in her yard, so she reads some fairy tales and hatches a plan. Everything herein is inspired, from the nimble rhymes to the plentiful against-type visual details (the giant wears bunny slippers) to Sophie's epiphany about the giant's insomnia: he just needs a bedtime story.

Reviewer: Nell Beram

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Sarah Warburton. "'But where's my giant tree house?' / bawled the greedy little tyke. / 'You promised me a cell phone, / three puppies, and a bike!'" Brat-tastic birthday princess Ruby embraces a less-is-more attitude only after the palace capsizes under the weight of her gifts, burying her father. It's well done, with gently mocking illustrations featuring all the pink décor you'd expect.

Reviewer: Nell Beram

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Sarah Warburton. Max the Magnificent delays bedtime by turning each piece of his nighttime routine into a magic trick or circus-like spectacle. The exaggerated, amped-up language; busy, brightly colored illustrations; and the many sizes and styles of font give the book a frenetic pace. There's plenty of cleverness that will appeal to kids and adults, but it's hard to read as a linear story.

Reviewer: Miriam Steinberg-Egeth

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Sarah Warburton. In Hart's playful loose “Princess and the Pea” spinoff, Lily-Rose May leaves home and moves to the palace where she can be a rightful princess who's not required to eat peas. After eating cabbage stew, enduring waving lessons, and other royal duties, she quickly learns there's no place like home. Energetic, pink-heavy mixed-media illustrations add to the cautionary princess story's humor.

Reviewer: Sheila M. Geraty

(3) 4-6 Rumblewick's Diary series. Illustrated by Sarah Warburton. In this fourth series installment, disobedient witch Haggy Aggy commands her exasperated cat sidekick Rumblewick to find the "best makeover artist in the galaxy" so she can become a supermodel. But first Rumblewick must face the High Hags about HA's overspending (due to an all-pink shopping spree). Humorous black-and-white illustrations complement Rumblewick's comical inner thoughts.

Reviewer: Lana Barnes

(3) 4-6 Rumblewick's Diary series. Illustrated by Sarah Warburton. Haggy Aggy is unwilling to be a "proper-practicing" witch, forcing her right-hand cat, Rumblewick, to work overtime to avoid trouble with the High Hags. Rumblewick uses scrapbook-like images, doodles, black-and-white illustrations, and humorously descriptive language to document HA's antics in his private diaries. Readers will enjoy the quickly moving plot, with laughs and surprises around every corner. Review covers these Rumblewick's Diary titles: My Unwilling Witch Goes to Ballet School, My Unwilling Witch Sleeps Over, and My Unwilling Witch Starts a Girl Band.

Reviewer: Lana Barnes

(3) 4-6 Rumblewick's Diary series. Illustrated by Sarah Warburton. Haggy Aggy is unwilling to be a "proper-practicing" witch, forcing her right-hand cat, Rumblewick, to work overtime to avoid trouble with the High Hags. Rumblewick uses scrapbook-like images, doodles, black-and-white illustrations, and humorously descriptive language to document HA's antics in his private diaries. Readers will enjoy the quickly moving plot, with laughs and surprises around every corner. Review covers these Rumblewick's Diary titles: My Unwilling Witch Goes to Ballet School, My Unwilling Witch Sleeps Over, and My Unwilling Witch Starts a Girl Band.

Reviewer: Lana Barnes

(3) 4-6 Rumblewick's Diary series. Illustrated by Sarah Warburton. Haggy Aggy is unwilling to be a "proper-practicing" witch, forcing her right-hand cat, Rumblewick, to work overtime to avoid trouble with the High Hags. Rumblewick uses scrapbook-like images, doodles, black-and-white illustrations, and humorously descriptive language to document HA's antics in his private diaries. Readers will enjoy the quickly moving plot, with laughs and surprises around every corner. Review covers these Rumblewick's Diary titles: My Unwilling Witch Goes to Ballet School, My Unwilling Witch Sleeps Over, and My Unwilling Witch Starts a Girl Band.

Reviewer: Lana Barnes