(3) 1-3 Illustrated by Mike Shiell. Jasper wants to find a book to make Molly, the dog in the library's new reading program, stop "frowning her head off." But the book he borrows to practice with falls into the tub and is ultimately ruined (hint: the oven is involved). Well-meaning Jasper's authentic guilt is rendered empathetically--and humorously--by Adderson; tidy halftone illustrations further endear him to readers.

Reviewer: Katrina Hedeen

(3) 1-3 Illustrated by Ben Clanton. Jasper accidentally ends up with Torpedo High Energy Drink instead of apple juice from the community center's vending machine. A several-days-long bender ensues, resulting in mischief and hilarity. "He felt so so so so Bad!" But being Bad is lots of fun. Adderson portrays Jasper's hyped-up hijinks--and guilt--with series-standard authenticity. Clanton's halftone illustrations have pep in their step, too.

Reviewer: Katrina Hedeen

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Josée Bisaillon. Every Sunday Leo and his family gather at Nonna's for lunch. Leo isn't interested in eating; then Nonna tells him stories about the pasta shapes. Leo's hunger for stories whets his appetite for eating. The dialogue is spiced up with some Italian words (zuppa, stelline, chiancaredde); a pronunciation guide/glossary is included. Mixed-media illustrations intersperse folktale-like spreads with warm family scenes.

Reviewer: Sheila M. Geraty

(3) PS Illustrated by Christina Leist. "How do I love you, little one? / Let me count the ways." During the run-up to bedtime, a mom lists ten ways that she loves her toddler, sounding free-associatively poetic ("And your chins are Four. / Four chins! / Little one, I love them all"). The light-touch art gives the child plenty of space to run, cavort, and procrastinate.

Reviewer: Nell Beram

(4) 4-6 Nicola's new dog, June Bug, is wreaking havoc, her former best friend is keeping her distance, and life in general seems off-kilter. Nicola finds purpose--and joy--visiting a nursing home with June Bug and a new maybe-friend. Stock characters weigh down the story, but dog lovers will cheer on Nicola's efforts to prove that her pooch is worth keeping.

Reviewer: Pam Yosca

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Qin Leng. A boy is puzzled when the dog his family adopts doesn't respond to even the simplest commands. It turns out that Norman is neither untrained nor stupid; he "speaks" Chinese! So off the family heads to Chinese-language school. There are lessons here--about patience and intercultural understanding--but they're very lightly worn; the casual line of the ink-and-color illustrations reinforces the story's warmth.

Reviewer: Roger Sutton | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 2014

(3) 1-3 Illustrated by Ben Clanton. This third Jasper John Dooley book explores boy-girl friendships. Jasper is not too keen on his playdate with Isabel, but it turns out she has an awesome trampoline. She also, however, has a crush on Jasper and stages a pretend wedding for them. Adderson handles the premise with just the right softness for young readers, and Clanton's pleasing black-and-white illustrations capture the pair's sticky dynamic.

Reviewer: Katrina Hedeen

(3) 1-3 Illustrated by Ben Clanton. Jasper's (Jasper John Dooley: Star of the Week) beloved Nan goes on a cruise without him. He manages to survive the rough week without their regular Wednesday visit with the help of his parents, a not-so-bad babysitter, and others. (And lots of Band-Aids.) The problems of missing someone and adjusting to a new routine are pleasantly explored in this quirky chapter book.

Reviewer: Cyrisse Jaffee

(3) 1-3 Illustrated by Ben Clanton. Jasper is super excited about being class Star of the Week, but nothing goes right: no one understands his show-and-tell (a lint collection--from Dad's bellybutton), his family tree project is more like a "family stick," and his friend Ori's new baby sister is getting all the attention. Jasper's problems in this humorous, offbeat story will resonate with young readers.

Reviewer: Cyrisse Jaffee

(2) 4-6 When Curtis and Artie's mom disappears and weeks go by, Curtis keeps her absence a secret. They survive with the help of elderly neighbor Mrs. Burt, but after she takes them to her cabin in the woods, Curtis begins to feel conflicted about her intentions. The subtly resilient tone (with comic notes) will keep readers going through the heavy moments and the moral conundrums.

Reviewer: Katrina Hedeen | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 2012