(3) PS Illustrated by Jill Barton. Baby Duck, who doesn't care a whit that she is involved in a universal rite of passage, resists leaving the known (home) for the unknown (school). But Grampa, as always, knows just the right thing to say, and soon Baby Duck is happily heading off to school. As in the previous books, both Hest's text and Barton's illustrations contain details that accurately capture a preschooler's many moods.

Reviewer: Joan Scanlon McMath

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Kevin Hawkes. Inspired by And to Think That I Saw It on Mulberry Street, the rhyming narrative begins with a sibling fight and its happy resolution. The plot quickly widens to animosity in the neighborhood adroitly avoided, then the town, until finally worldwide friendship is achieved. Madcap illustrations, executed in acrylics, revel in absurdities while enhancing the colorful rhyme.

Reviewer: Joan Scanlon McMath

(3) PS In a text "based on an old poem by Gregory Gander," each month is assigned one word. Focusing on a family's outdoor activities throughout the year, the watercolor illustrations extend the expression: February is fulsomely "flowy" (a flowing stream, winter scarves flowing in the wind, etc.), while November is "sneezy" in a less obvious way. Detail-attentive preschoolers won't be surprised by the family's new baby come December.

Reviewer: Joan Scanlon McMath

(3) 4-6 I Was There series. Illustrated by Greg Ruhl. Text, illustrations, and color photographs provide accurate information about myriad aspects of mummies, from their religious significance to the ancient practice of boiling them to make ointments. Also explained is how scientific study of mummies can help us learn about these people's lives. Young browsers drawn to the photos will likely be lured into reading the informative text. Bib., glos., ind.

Reviewer: Joan Scanlon McMath