(4) PS Illustrated by John Sandford. Glowing, soft-focus paintings move outward from a little girl's room, where an African-American mother is putting her young daughter to bed. Across the world, animals and other people get ready for sleep as well. The images in the lilting text are standard-issue--e.g., tucking in the stuffed animals while "all the animals are tucked away in nature's bed outdoors"--but nonetheless soothing.

Reviewer: Christine M. Heppermann

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Annie West & Annie West. In this classic tale, three farm animals' perpetual laziness results in a missed opportunity to share a hardworking hen's fresh-baked bread. This version's chattiness ("How lazy, you ask? Well, let me tell you...") costs it something in the way of fleetness, but the simple lesson in helpfulness and cooperation goes down easy, as do West's eye-catching illustrations in rich barnyard hues.

Reviewer: Nell Beram

(3) K-3 Illustrated by John Ward & John Ward. Without losing its flavor, Medearis extends an original tale from William J. Faulkner's The Days When the Animals Talked by introducing additional characters and activities and adapting the original slave riddle. Ward's illustrations capture the fleeting moments of the slaves' Christmas holiday happiness.

Reviewer: Henrietta M. Smith

(3) PS Illustrated by Vanessa Julian-Ottie. "Is a caterpillar ticklish? / Well, it's always my belief / That he giggles as he wiggles / Across a hairy leaf." This is just one of eleven short poems, ranging from traditional to modern, that celebrate a variety of animals. Each rhyme is accompanied by a soft, full-page watercolor illustration.

Reviewer: Patricia Riley

(3) K-3 Fredbeard and Little Jim are not very good pirates, drinking tea instead of grog and always gettting seasick. They build a house on the beach and end up happily making jam and knitting sweaters to sell. Pirate fans might be disappointed with this story, but others will be amused. Colorful paintings extend the humor: though kicked out of pirate school, the two continue to wear their pirate garb.

Reviewer: Charlotte S. Huck

(3) PS A father comforts his daughter after a nightmare with his version of a familiar lullaby. "Hush little darling, don't say a word, / Daddy's gonna give you a ... Mockingbird." Inspired by objects in her room, such as a toy ship, he promises ever more extravagant gifts, until she protests she just wanted a hug. Witty illustrations portray Daddy's entertaining fantasy with gusto.

Reviewer: Martha Sibert

(4) PS In tight, somewhat predictable rhyme, a father bear describes his son's bedtime ritual, ending with "'Til moon becomes morning, / you're safe in my paws." The text is unapologetically sentimental, but some adults may appreciate that such treacle comes from a devoted father (the cub's mother isn't mentioned), and the double-page spreads set against a wintry backdrop are inviting.

Reviewer: Nell Beram

(4) PS Illustrated by Jane Massey & Jane Massey. Young Harry's big sister Laura cheats him every time their mother bakes treats. Laura gives Harry a larger number of treats--but in small, broken pieces. Eventually their mother helps Harry cheat Laura back. The illustrations include warm, homey details, but the tone of the book is subverted by the general mean-spiritedness.

Reviewer: Susan Dove Lempke

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Deborah Allwright. Young Prudence always does everything better than everyone else. In this tongue-in-cheek tale, she is assigned every responsibility in the school play, from starring to working the lights. All that annoying perfection backfires in a funny, unpredictable turn that ends the story a bit too abruptly. The unrefined cartoony illustrations are a good match for the book's exaggerated humor.

Reviewer: Susan Dove Lempke

(4) PS When the neighbor's cat jumps through an open window onto the dessert-laden party table, food spills all over. The family blames the mess on Lucy, their little puppy--until they see the cat. Soft, expressive watercolors give Lucy lots of personality and emotion in this story of mistakenly placed blame, but the simple text lacks the energy of the illustrations.

Reviewer: Patricia Riley

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Maja Dusi­kova & Maja Dusikova. When Rachel, the shepherd's daughter, hears of the birth of Baby Jesus, she finally knows what to do with the special silver bell that she found--offer it as a gift to the baby, along with one of her father's lambs. Misty art illustrates the sentimental picture book, but unfortunately, the pedantic ending, which tells the modern reader to listen carefully for the sound of the bell at Christmas time, seems tacked on.

Reviewer: Anne St. John

(4) K-3 When Mrs. Beggs rents a room in her boarding house to a wizard, strange things begin to happen. The book features Mayer's exaggerated humor and many of the monsters familiar to his fans. The course of the plot, if not the details, is predictable, even to the cliffhanger ending when a new unsavory creature knocks on Mrs. Beggs's door.

Reviewer: Maeve Visser Knoth

(3) PS When Sarah Jane pushes Kitty, her cat, in a baby carriage, "Kitty [is] not happy." Kitty runs away, which sets off a chain of events as three children try to catch her. The book has very few words, but the humor is in Mayer's silent-movie-like drawings. Readers will get a kick out of the characters' exaggerated facial expressions and the story's slapstick.

Reviewer: Maeve Visser Knoth

(4) K-3 A boy buys a bottle of magic bubble solution and creates fantastic bubble creations (kangaroo, sailboat). All is well until his bubbles turn on him, and he must figure out how to chase the creatures away. This simple, predictable story is told with few words, but the expressive pictures of giant bubble creations and a jubilant boy in knickers and cap steal the show.

Reviewer: Maeve Visser Knoth

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Michael Bryant. "Daddy says our people built the pyramids. / I wish I could have been there." As her father relates various African-American accomplishments, a young girl imagines what she herself would have done. The illustrations convey the warmth between father and daughter, but a deleted sentence in the revised text may confuse readers (the text mentions politicians, teachers, and doctors while the art shows a cowboy).

Reviewer: Deborah L. Thompson

(4) PS Illustrated by Emma Dodd. This book offers a running definition of what it means to be a friend but fails to relay what, exactly, elevates a friendship to a "best" friendship. (The qualities described--sharing, playing games together, etc.--seem true of all friendships.) Regardless, the flat, speech bubble-filled images of kids interacting are inviting, and Nilsen doesn't neglect to mention that arguments are part of the friendship package.

Reviewer: Nell Beram

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Lynne Chapman & Lynne Chapman. Giddy's fear of heights makes him a misfit in his mountain goat family. What's more, the sheep in the valley want nothing to do with him, until (rather predictably) he forgets his fear and rescues a lamb who's stranded on a cliff. The humorous illustrations feature impossibly steep mountains, and the occasional curved or tilted line of text will catch the reader's eye.

Reviewer: Martha Sibert

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Christopher Fowler & Christopher Fowler. Eleanor describes each family member's attempt to change her name to reflect his or her pet qualities for the young girl: e.g., Nana thinks that "her pretty, poised mademoiselle" should be Elle. The rhymes occasionally amble or stall, but otherwise this is a smart parody of the way adults can misappropriate children's identities. Meanwhile, the slick cartoony illustrations nail the situation's absurdity.

Reviewer: Nell Beram

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Mary Whyte. Sentimental watercolors embellish this wistful story in which Annie's family moves to a house on the beach, leaving old friends behind. But Grandma shows Annie her box of mementos and helps her create her own "box of friends." Each object saved represents a happy moment shared with a friend and helps Annie realize that she can form new ties in a new place.

Reviewer: Paula M. Cairo