(3) K-3 Illustrated by Raúl Colón. This bilingual picture book biography does respectful justice to its subject, exploring Márquez's early life and influences in Colombia. Brown's writing lilts with poetic cadences that reflect Márquez's spirit and soul. Colón's beautifully flowing rainbow-hued illustrations capture the spirit of magical realism that is so integral to Márquez's work. An author's note gives more biographical information.

Reviewer: Tim Wadham

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Guy Francis. Mike Brown's discovery of several new objects in the solar system led to Pluto's reclassification as a dwarf planet. Rusch shows the scientific process at work by including Brown's mistakes as well as his accomplishments. Francis's illustrations feature cartoony Earth-based scenes and more realistic depictions of outer space.

Reviewer: Ernie J. Cox

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Chad Cameron. Liza loves drawing with crayons. Unfortunately, after coloring her wall, Liza loses her crayon privileges. Gray illustrations depict her colorless day, until Liza finds she can use other things to color her world: muddy sticks, crushed flowers, a red brick. Dynamic illustrations reflect this budding young artist's imagination and creativity.

Reviewer: Carrie Harasimowicz Sullivan

(4) PS Illustrated by Sylvia Long. Mama desert animals tell their babies how they'll be taken care of: "I'll trot with care to keep you near, / grunt words of comfort in your ear." At the beginning and the end, a human mother also shares her love. Although the book's theme is overused, realistic renderings of the animals make it a good choice for nature lovers.

Reviewer: Lisa Catherine Findlay

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Alexandra Artigas. Every day, Lupe and Maritza pretend to be pirates or detectives or magicians. And every day, Lupe's grumpy neighbor, Mrs. Ramirez, chastises them for being disruptive. This changes, however, after the two friends argue. Some readers may be unconvinced by the friends' rapid reconciliation, but others will be charmed by this well-designed bilingual story, which is accompanied by lively illustrations in a gentle palette.

Reviewer: Tim Wadham

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Larry MacDougall. After Hare moves into the neighborhood, the other animals think he's neglecting his large green lawn, but Hare has a plan. The grass dies, windblown seeds sprout, and the lawn becomes a flowering meadow full of native plants. The animals' expressive faces in the watercolor illustrations add humor to this purposeful tale. An endnote gives information about growing a meadow.

Reviewer: Martha Sibert

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Steve Gray. Forget the old lady and the fly: in this Southwestern-flavored retelling, a coyote swallows all the weird stuff, and the book's droll rhymes ("it tasted like steak, that rattling snake"; "it takes lots of practice to swallow a cactus!") end with the regionally resonant "Yippee-o-ki-yee!" Although the art is cartoon slick, that dimwitted coyote somehow engenders sympathy.

Reviewer: Nell Beram

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Rafael Lopez. Brown has the Queen of Salsa tell her own story in a first-person narrative. The vivid poetic language makes the sights, sounds, and smells of Havana, New York, and Miami come alive (but is somewhat vague about details). López's bold, almost-cubist illustrations suit the story, interpreting the bilingual text's magical realism. A one-page afterword fills in some biographical information.

Reviewer: Tim Wadham

(3) PS Illustrated by Renee Graef. A book about kids' bedtime struggles humorously explores various desert animals' nighttime behavior; e.g., "Does he hop on the bed and bounce for an hour?" features a gleefully misbehaving rabbit. The subdued shades of brown and green in the soft illustrations and the rhyming text's gentle rhythm invite an end-of-day sharing.

Reviewer: Christina Dorr

(3) PS What a delight to see these classic Richard Scarry titles available to bilingual audiences. The Spanish translations of the text fit in naturally with the book's design and capture the playful, interactive feel of the original English text. These will be popular with both English- and Spanish-speaking children and their parents. Review covers these titles: Richard Scarry's Best Counting Book Ever / El mejor libro para contar de Richard Scarry and Richard Scarry's Best Word Book Ever / El mejor libro de palabras se Richard Scarry.

Reviewer: Tim Wadham

(3) PS What a delight to see these classic Richard Scarry titles available to bilingual audiences. The Spanish translations of the text fit in naturally with the book's design and capture the playful, interactive feel of the original English text. These will be popular with both English- and Spanish-speaking children and their parents. Review covers these titles: Richard Scarry's Best Counting Book Ever / El mejor libro para contar de Richard Scarry and Richard Scarry's Best Word Book Ever / El mejor libro de palabras se Richard Scarry.

Reviewer: Tim Wadham

(4) K-3 Returning from his trip out west, Clarence the pig takes his new friends Smokey the purple ranch horse and Edgar the dog to his home in the city. After a few days, Smokey becomes sick, and only clean mountain air and plain grass hay will cure him. Though the story is a bit convoluted, Adams's likable characters and the appealing cartoon illustrations are full of charm.

Reviewer: Mark Adam

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Steve Gray. Before Farmer McPeepers wakes up, his cows steal his glasses then take off for a day of recreation--swimming, skateboarding, catching a baseball game, and kicking up their hooves at a square dance. While tracking them down, the nearly blind farmer continuously mistakes his cows for humans. Although the exaggerated cartoon illustrations are funny, the slight joke gets old quickly.

Reviewer: Mark Adam

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Mike K. Rangner. In this entertaining introduction to the flora and fauna of the desert, based on the cumulative structure of "The House That Jack Built," a pack rat accompanied by a host of other desert creatures disperses saguaro cactus seeds. Bright illustrations convey the vibrant heat and striking colors of the desert. A list of facts and an overview of saguaro cactuses accompany the text.

Reviewer: Jim St. Claire

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Trip Park. From quetzals to bandicoots to the common goat, this collection of poems celebrates animals and wordplay. About half are clever ("It takes practice / to / side- / step / cactus") but half fall flat ("Vinegarrette, Vinegarroon, / we'll minuet over a dune. / (In my long hair, I'll wear a spoon)"). Hyper-realistically detailed digitally generated caricatures of animals add visual punch lines to the poems.

Reviewer: Anita L. Burkam

(4) K-3 Clarence the pig and his pal Smoky the purple horse set off on a trip. Along the way they are joined by a humming, dancing, semi-deaf dog whom they name Edgar. Edgar dances off during a late night of camp songs, and Clarence and Smoky search desperately for him. Although the storytelling is sometimes awkward and slow, there are charming moments as well as appealing pen-and-ink with acrylic wash artwork.

Reviewer: Mark Adam

(4) PS Illustrated by David T. Wenzel. Rhyming questions ("In a haunted house, / surrounded by mist, / who can spin / shimmering webs with / a swirl and a twist?") with clues before and answers after a page turn identify familiar motifs of the holiday. The slight text is accompanied by color illustrations that are somewhat, but not too spooky.

Reviewer: Peter D. Sieruta

(4) PS Illustrated by Joy Allen. When a little girl's teddy bear becomes so worn and old that the grocer thinks he's a monkey, Mother repairs Bear--according to the girl's exacting specifications--with some stuffing, a needle, thread, and a new red heart. Though on the sentimental side, the story nevertheless has appeal. The digitally enhanced paintings are expressive and energetic.

Reviewer: Susan Halperin

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Jeff Seaver. This book is a Miss Manners-style guide to birthday-party etiquette for elephants. Readers will derive amusement from the images of an elephant at a kids' party and from the juxtaposition of a fundamentally absurd situation with matter-of-fact prose ("For a swim party, Elephant will need to take a bathing suit"). Unfortunately, the joke goes on too long, and readers may lose interest.

Reviewer: Nell Beram

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Jeff Seaver. This lightly veiled bibliotherapy enumerates the benefits of education for Kangaroo and warns of challenges she may face ("The cafeteria at school does not serve grass and acacia leaves"). Though the joke wears thin because the winking narrative goes on too long, the concept is grand--improbable images of Kangaroo in class will both amuse and take the sting off young readers' school anxiety.

Reviewer: Nell Beram