(3) PS With a pocketful of coins, a young boy must choose which animal to purchase at the "Everything Must Go" pet store sale. A self-marketing rat--he's a bargain at only one cent--conducts a tour for the buyer, who finally exchanges his one hundred cents for all twenty-one critters. Abundant white space, playful watercolors, and large, easy-to-grasp flaps add up to interactive fun.

Reviewer: Sheryl Lee Saunders

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Elisabeth Holstien. Published spring 1998. Appealing vignettes rendered in soft colored pencil and watercolors in delicate hues depict Duffle, a tiny duck whom other ducks tease because of his size. When Duffle rescues a duckling trapped in a small riverbank hole, however, his peers laud him for his uniqueness. This gentle tale emphasizes the importance of individuality and acceptance.

Reviewer: Sheryl Lee Saunders

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Jo Kelly. Published spring 1998. When sad and lonely Brown Rabbit sets out "to find a wife" and have a family, he happens upon three ducklings who think he's their mother. He tries to find their real "Mama," but all the ducks have flown south, so the four become a family of their own. Although the story is predictable, the bold, flat watercolors infuse the book with whimsy.

Reviewer: Sheryl Lee Saunders

(4) PS Illustrated by Bruce Degen. Published spring 1998. Anxious about Cousin Sara Bear's upcoming visit, Jesse Bear imagines spending time with this older, bossy, bullying relative will be no fun at all. A week together, however, makes for great adventures and fast friendships. Degen's trademark pen-and-ink and watercolor illustrations lend energy to the text, which, despite its doggerel verse, conveys a genuine sense of the young child's world.

Reviewer: Sheryl Lee Saunders

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Blair Lent. This delicious combination of richly textured illustrations and tongue-twisting text features an array of hungry animals gathered for a gourmet meal. ("Mosquitoes, moose, mice, and parrots" devour "burritos, juice, rice, and carrots.") Brightly colored collages made from handmade, hand-stamped papers cavort across ample white backgrounds.

Reviewer: Sheryl Lee Saunders

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Doug Chayka. Published spring 1998. One sun-filled spring morning a young girl accompanies her grandfather "past the barn, the pond, the trees... and into the bee yard." The two tend to stacks of wooden hives, dislodging a swarm of Grandpa's pollen-laden honeybees. Light-filled oil paintings, rich in golden hues, complete the lyrical text; together, they capture a loving intergenerational story.

Reviewer: Sheryl Lee Saunders

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Anca Hariton. Published spring 1998. This introduction to seed dispersal and plant regeneration features the ubiquitous dandelion tracing seven airborne seed parachutes to their various destinies. Watercolor illustrations--some contain clear close-ups, others offer unusual perspectives--clarify and support the botanical information. Final notes provide additional facts about this common wildflower.

Reviewer: Sheryl Lee Saunders

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Ken Brown. Published spring 1998. This comical cumulative tale features a hungry wolf as he chases families of rabbits, chickens, pigs, cows, and a donkey before the farmyard creatures serendipitously frighten the wily predator away--forever. Full of onomatopoeia and rollicking repetition, the spirited text finds able companionship with highly textured, realistic watercolors.

Reviewer: Sheryl Lee Saunders

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Selina Young. Published spring 1998. One happy adult, four merry children, and two boisterous dogs embark on a summer hike to the seashore, only to have a rousing adventure when a goose and her seven goslings chase them away. The lilting, catchy rhyme will encourage reader participation; the insouciant cartoon line drawings, reminiscent of Nadine Bernard Westcott's artwork, humorously capture the lighthearted escapade.

Reviewer: Sheryl Lee Saunders

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Ivan Bates. Published spring 1998. Before a storm, Big Gander Goose declines offers of shelter from a mouse, a squirrel, and a rabbit, because Little Goosey wants "Just me and you." They finally find a dry space and are surprised the next morning to find the mouse, squirrel, and rabbit snuggled in with them. Delicate colored pencil and watercolors emphasize the pastoral qualities of the comforting tale.

Reviewer: Sheryl Lee Saunders

(3) K-3 Published spring 1998. When this endearing mail carrier delivers his own birthday party invitations to his woodland friends, they are too engrossed in other important activities to express excitement about Harvey's upcoming fete. The worried hare returns home, however, to a surprise celebration, where the animals feast, dance, and sing in Harvey's garden. The cheerful illustrations provide many details for young readers to pore over.

Reviewer: Sheryl Lee Saunders

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Helen Craig. Published spring 1998. When an owl tells a lonely bunny "there are always rabbits at Easter," the bunny searches throughout the year for a place called Easter. In the end he finds a friend and learns that Easter is "a time when everything lovely begins once again." Zolotow's warm, comforting text has been re-illustrated with Craig's expressively detailed artwork.

Reviewer: Sheryl Lee Saunders | Horn Book Magazine Issue: April, 1959