(3) K-3 Ready-to-Read: Annie and Snowball series. Illustrated by Suçie Stevenson. Annie and cousin Henry join a book club and learn that reading can be "an outside thing" (Book Bugs Club); Annie lets her bunny Snowball sniff a map to choose a destination for an impromptu day trip with Dad (Surprise Day). Both the stories and the breezy pen-and-ink with watercolor illustrations celebrate spontaneity in a way that will please the new-reader audience. Review covers these Ready-to-Read: Annie and Snowball titles: Annie and Snowball and the Book Bugs Club and Annie and Snowball and the Surprise Day.

Reviewer: Shoshana Flax

(3) K-3 Ready-to-Read: Annie and Snowball series. Illustrated by Suçie Stevenson. Annie and cousin Henry join a book club and learn that reading can be "an outside thing" (Book Bugs Club); Annie lets her bunny Snowball sniff a map to choose a destination for an impromptu day trip with Dad (Surprise Day). Both the stories and the breezy pen-and-ink with watercolor illustrations celebrate spontaneity in a way that will please the new-reader audience. Review covers these Ready-to-Read: Annie and Snowball titles: Annie and Snowball and the Book Bugs Club and Annie and Snowball and the Surprise Day.

Reviewer: Shoshana Flax

(4) K-3 Ready-to-Read: Annie and Snowball series. Illustrated by Suçie Stevenson. Annie and her bunny Snowball stay overnight with Annie's grandmother, who lives by the sea. The "girls" enjoy their routine: baking cookies, playing tic-tac-toe, watching their favorite sad movie, settling Grandmother's budgie for the night, etc. Morning comes, and they can't wait for the next visit. There's no tension, but the sunny pen-and-ink and watercolor illustrations reflect the joy and warmth between generations.

Reviewer: Gail Hedges

(3) K-3 Ready-to-Read: Annie and Snowball series. Illustrated by Suçie Stevenson. Cousin Henry kindly joins the summer "Book Bugs" reading club with Annie, figuring she does lots of things he likes. They enjoy reading their books together both indoors and outdoors. They also find friends with mutual reading interests at the library picnic. Rylant's celebration of the versatility and diversity of reading selections and experiences is nondidactic and gently amusing.

Reviewer: Susan Halperin

(3) K-3 Ready-to-Read: Annie and Snowball series. Illustrated by Suçie Stevenson. Annie loves Thanksgiving and wants to fill her house to celebrate, but with such a small family, she and cousin Henry have to brainstorm about whom to invite. She makes beautiful sparkly invitations for friends and neighbors who are alone on the holiday. This warm episode in the popular series is a satisfying story for new readers.

Reviewer: Susan Halperin

(3) K-3 Ready-to-Read: Annie and Snowball series. Illustrated by Suçie Stevenson. Annie, her cousin Henry, and his dog Mudge all love winter for slightly different reasons--pink muffs, snow forts, and flakes to catch on the tongue, respectively. Annie's pet rabbit Snowball loves winter, too, all cozy by the fire. A snow day gives everyone an opportunity to enjoy the season's pleasures. Accompanying pen-and-ink and watercolors add even more warmth to the scenes.

Reviewer: Gail Hedges

(3) K-3 Ready-to-Read: Annie and Snowball series. Illustrated by Suçie Stevenson. Annie's new friend, Sarah, lives in the dainty, frilly house of Annie's dreams. When she and Snowball go over for a play date, they enjoy sparkle cookies and help build a fairy house out of walnut shells and rose petals under a hosta plant in the garden. It's another perfect, magical day conjured up by Rylant and Stevenson.

Reviewer: Susan Halperin

(3) K-3 Ready-to-Read: Annie and Snowball series. Illustrated by Suçie Stevenson. From Annie's porch swing, she has the perfect view of a new nest as it's being built. Annie and Henry spot a robin, then wait expectantly for her lovely blue eggs to hatch. Four brief chapters, illustrated with Stevenson's reliably warm pen-and-ink and watercolor paintings, detail the anticipation of witnessing one of the great events of springtime.

Reviewer: Susan Halperin

(3) K-3 Ready-to-Read: Annie and Snowball series. Illustrated by Suçie Stevenson. Henry and Mudge help Annie prepare for her starring role in the school play. Nevertheless, she begins to get a little stage fright as the day approaches. As usual, Rylant comes up with a comforting way to see Annie through, shown in Stevenson's warm and humorous pen-and-ink and watercolor illustrations.

Reviewer: Susan Halperin

(3) K-3 Ready-to-Read: Annie and Snowball series. Illustrated by Suçie Stevenson. Annie loves to play with Henry and Mudge. But she also adores pretty things, like her teacup collection, and longs for some dainty girls to spend time with. Henry helps her start a club, and seven girls "looking like angels" come over for tea and cookies, a happy success. As usual, Stevenson's warm, friendly pen-and-ink and watercolor illustrations complement Rylant's loving tale.

Reviewer: Susan Halperin

(3) K-3 Ready-to-Read: Annie and Snowball series. Illustrated by Suçie Stevenson. Annie loves pretty, frilly things. Her dad's not big on decorating, but he's receptive to the idea of Annie and cousin Henry--with the help of his lovable dog Mudge and Annie's pet rabbit Snowball--prettying up the place with family stuff from Henry's attic. This story, with its warm illustrations, is a homey addition to the series.

Reviewer: Susan Halperin

(3) K-3 Ready-to-Read: Annie and Snowball series. Illustrated by Suçie Stevenson. Annie's excited to celebrate her birthday with a fancy dress-up party for her family. Even her pet rabbit is dolled-up for the day. But her cousin Henry misunderstands just what kind of dressing-up Annie means, and his family and Mudge mistakenly come in costume. Stevenson's warm, friendly illustrations complement Rylant's loving celebration of family, pets, and parties.

Reviewer: Susan Halperin