(4) K-3 Rookie Reader series. Illustrated by Susan Miller. "Grab your hat. / It's time to go. / You'll need some boots for the rodeo." In addition to five one-word spreads ("Bounce!" "Bound!" "Throw!"), this rhyming text features one or two easy-to-read sentences per page. Cartoonlike illustrations that show a rodeo contestant in the ring with his spirited horse add to the enjoyment of this adventure, which unfortunately ends abruptly.

Reviewer: Susan Halperin

(4) K-3 Rookie Reader series. Illustrated by Mike Cressy. In a slim but bouncy text, Hulme invites readers to enjoy the ephemeral bubble: "dip the stick in bubble stuff / give a slow and steady puff." Although the limited vocabulary leads to several forced or trite rhymes, the circularity of the text is appealing, as are the cartoony pastels featuring children with heads as round as the bubbles they blow.

Reviewer: Jackie C. Horne

(4) K-3 Rookie Reader series. Illustrated by Dana Regan. This simple text with clear illustrations introduces the December holidays of Christmas, Kwanzaa, and Hanukkah through the cookies Bessey bakes for all her friends and family. As always, the story in rhyme veers into a didactic aside about cleaning up, but otherwise the book serves as a first introduction to the various celebrations, complete with sugar cookie recipe.

Reviewer: Susan Halperin

(4) K-3 Rookie Reader series. Tired of the white snow, Bob the snowman vacations in the tropics, reveling in different colors as he surfs, rows, and builds sandcastles. He returns home before he melts away, wearing colorful clothing to brighten his white world. Cut-paper collages add color and interest to the rather flat, simple story.

Reviewer: Suzy Schmidt

(4) K-3 Rookie Reader series. Illustrated by Patrick Girouard. Mara's brother claims that "carousels don't go anywhere, but Mara [knows] better"--while riding one, she imagines herself as a queen, a circus star, and the leader of a parade. Though its story isn't all that exciting, the book's short sentences and bright cartoon illustrations are well suited to its young audience.

Reviewer: Jackie C. Horne

(3) K-3 Rookie Reader series. Illustrated by Susan Miller. Though people frown and tell her to "act her age," the narrator's nana takes great pleasure in her unconventional mode of transportation, a hog dressed to the nines. Illustrations filled with amusing details (granny wearing pig earrings, for example) complement the simple rhymed text.

Reviewer: Jackie C. Horne

(4) K-3 Rookie Reader series. Illustrated by Leo Landry. Childlike artwork--simple black outlines washed with watercolor--depicts the antics of a brother and sister who imagine all the ways that they can play in and around the big tree in front of their new house. The rhyming text is uninventive, and the small trim size is a poor choice for a story about a huge tree, but the illustrations skillfully vary perspective to show a kid's-eye-view of a tree.

Reviewer: Anne St. John

(3) K-3 Rookie Reader series. Using a minimum of words, the text describes Liz, a young girl who races everywhere she goes. The simple, energetic watercolors add a narrative dimension, as Liz zooms across town with a dozen eggs so her grandmother can bake a cake for the two of them to share. The brief story will encourage beginners to try reading themselves.

Reviewer: The Horn Book, Inc.

(4) K-3 Rookie Reader series. Intrigued by Oscar's "secret code," Lucy descovers that her blind friend reads Braille books. After Oscar teaches Lucy how to read in Braille, the pair's classmates are eager to learn, too. Lively watercolor and ink illustrations complement the gentle message that human differences can generate new learning opportunities. Readers may be disappointed that the Braille in the art isn't printed as raised bumps for them to feel.

Reviewer: The Horn Book, Inc.

(4) K-3 Rookie Reader series. Illustrated by Gary Bialke. In this slight story, Sam, a rambunctious and clumsy mutt, serves as Rosie's show-and-tell at school. In his exuberant doggy style, Sam paints, sharpens pencils, sings, and wreaks havoc during snack time. After his visit, Sam ends up in school himself--obedience school. The color illustrations, dominated by blues and browns, depict a classroom demolished in Sam's reckless wake.

Reviewer: Sheila M. Geraty

(3) K-3 Rookie Reader series. Guarding the house and wrecking the house look a lot alike in this light, humorous picture book about a rambunctious dog who loves staying home alone. Loud and lively caricatured illustrations tell the real story behind the simple text, as they show that Sam's method of looking for burglars involves chewing books, digging in closets, and knocking down drapes.

Reviewer: The Horn Book, Inc.