(3) PS Illustrated by Stephanie Laberis. A chance encounter between an elderly man and a stray cat begins this cumulative tale in verse. Despite the narrator's refrain "I do not want a kitty cat," he relents when it begins to snow and winds up with not the one, but ten cats. (His reluctance is revealed to be grief over a lost feline friend.) The text paces the sweet story well with consistent rhyme and rhythm, and the expressive, cartoonlike illustrations use panels and speech bubbles to great effect.

Reviewer: Katie Bircher

(3) K-3 Illustrated by LeUyen Pham. The glamorous foursome from Shoe-la-la! visits a local street-fair vendor, Chez Chapeaux, to buy hats for a surprise event they've planned: a mother-daughter tea party. Beaumont's rhyming text is bubbly and zippy ("Ribbons, buttons, beads, and bows / Gems and jewels...we all like those"), and Pham's Japanese-brush-pen illustrations, digitally colored in rich jewel tones, are just as energetic.

Reviewer: Lana Barnes

(4) K-3 StoryPlay Book series. Illustrated by LeUyen Pham. Four girls head to the store for the perfect party shoes (Shoe-la-la); amiable dinosaurs dance and stomp in a "dinosaur romp" while two worried-looking rodents watch (Dinosaurumpus!); two pigs squander their money on chips and "sody-pop" instead of solid building materials (Pigs). New to these editions are intrusive discussion prompts and appended "creative activities" to help parents "engage with your little one." Review covers these StoryPlay Book titles: Shoe-la-la!, Dinosaurumpus, and The Three Little Pigs and the Somewhat Bad Wolf.

Reviewer: Kitty Flynn

(2) PS Illustrated by Eugene Yelchin. Baby's crying wakes family dog Roy, then Mother and Father, the rest of the family, and the neighbors. The sound effects–heavy text describes each person's efforts to soothe the child. Roy's actions are first rebuffed, but he had the answer all along. Baby, reunited with her stuffed-animal sheep, drifts off to sleep--at six a.m. Collage illustrations against rich-hued backdrops have energy.

Reviewer: Elissa Gershowitz | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 2015

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Janet Stevens. A parade of zoo animals sing praises about the things that make them unique: warts, sharp teeth, wrinkly skin, and more. The animals bop along to the jaunty rhymed text, which may help young readers grow in confidence about their own unique features. Stevens's large watercolor and colored-pencil illustrations with unique perspectives add whimsy to the animals' affirmations.

Reviewer: Lauren Causey

(3) PS Illustrated by Daniel Roode. After getting thoroughly muddy while playing, Dini Dinosaur tries to get clean in the bath while fully clothed--"Scrub-a-Dub-Dub!" His patient mama takes his shoes, pants, shirt, and hat off, one by one, until little Dini is scrubbed clean. The rhyming text is bouncy, and cheerful, brightly colored computer-generated illustrations picture the bath- and bedtime routine.

Reviewer: Sheila M. Geraty

(2) PS Illustrated by Jackie Urbanovic. As the sheep nods off, one farm animal after another quacks, baas, or oinks him awake. Each time, the bleary-eyed sheep insists: "Shhh! Not a peep! Go to sleep!" Together, Urbanovic's comical watercolors and Beaumont's repetitive rhyming text manage to be both lively and soothing--the perfect combination to help energetic little ones blow off steam and settle down at bedtime.

Reviewer: Kitty Flynn | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2011

(2) K-3 Illustrated by David Catrow. "Tommy's not himself today. / He's lost his T-R-U-C-K!" When a boy's favorite truck goes missing, the whole household gets dragged into the drama. With their wild proportions and perspectives, Catrow's illustrations kick Beaumont's bouncy, rhyming text up a notch. Sharp-eyed viewers might guess who's responsible for the truck's disappearance before the mystery's solved, but knowing whodunit doesn't detract from the fun.

Reviewer: Kitty Flynn | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2011

(3) K-3 Illustrated by LeUyen Pham. Four glamorous little girls need the perfect party shoes to go with their dresses and hair. It's off to shoe store Shoe-la-la where there are all kinds to pick from. With so many choices, they can't decide--so they embellish their old shoes instead. Beaumont's rhyming text is fittingly peppy, while Pham's pink- and purple-heavy illustrations will pique girly-girls' interest.

Reviewer: Katrina Hedeen

(3) K-3 Illustrated by David Catrow. Ten dogs create a lively, harum-scarum morning for their pajama-clad owner when they escape to the park. Clever verse uses the dogs' names effectively ("Queenie! Wienie! Meanie! Moe!"), and "Doggone dogs" serves as both an epithet and a chorus. Exaggerated illustrations suit the mood, and with a reverse countdown the dogs are back at home.

Reviewer: Frieda F. Bostian

(3) PS Illustrated by Eugene Yelchin. "Eeny, meeny, miney, moe! / Who ate all the cookie dough?" A kangaroo mom is flummoxed: Who ate the bowlful of cookie dough she had prepared for baking? Infectious repetitive rhyming verse, eye-catching gouache illustrations with ample white space, and a lift-the-flap surprise combine to create a joyful tale sure to please the toddler read-aloud crowd.

Reviewer: Amy Lois Cohn

(3) PS Illustrated by Jane Dyer. When a rainstorm hits, a cat, a raccoon, and various other animals squeeze into Rover's doghouse. Just as everyone gets settled, they catch a whiff of something smelly. Careful study of the rainy watercolor illustrations reveals that a skunk has slipped into the doghouse. The playful rhythm and rhyme make this cumulative tale a satisfying read-aloud.

Reviewer: Patricia Riley

(3) PS Illustrated by Jose Aruego & Ariane Dewey. Farm animals are sure they are being stalked by a coyote but discover that it is only a rabbit that wants to play with them. This simple rhyming story has just the right amount of tension for story hours. Aruego and Dewey's colorful, rounded illustrations of purple cow and bright blue goat make the story more silly than scary.

Reviewer: Maeve Visser Knoth

(4) K-3 Illustrated by David Catrow. In the vein of Kathi Appelt's Incredible Me! and Jamie Lee Curtis's picture books, this is a celebration of the self--as expressed, in this case, by an exuberant girl. Some of the rhymes are obvious, but Catrow deftly interprets the more original ones ("I'd still like me with fleas or warts, / or with a silly snout that snorts") in his surreal illustrations.

Reviewer: Nell Beram

(2) PS Illustrated by Jennifer Plecas. Baby keeps dancing with his stuffed animals instead of napping, so Mama and Papa give up, hauling out the fiddle to have the "best ol' polka-fest / In all of Arkansas!" The bright and bouncy rhyming text, lighthearted illustrations, and well-designed lift-the-flaps will appeal, as will the cheeky baby's flat-out refusal to stay in bed.

Reviewer: Jennifer M. Brabander | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2004

(4) PS Illustrated by Joy Allen. "You like makeup, / gems, and jewels. / I like spaceships, / rocks, and tools." In this poem about a friendship between two girls, the narrator describes their similarities as well as their many differences, always returning to the refrain, "We both like being friends." The book approaches blandness, since Beaumont only hints at possible conflicts, but the bouncy rhythm and lively illustrations add energy.

Reviewer: Martha Sibert