(3) PS Illustrated by Gemma Correll. Pig and Pug, two pocket-sized, nearly identical pets, immediately identify with each other, but each has difficulty believing the other isn't exactly like himself. Disagreements and back-and-forth teasing ensue, but eventually a mutual understanding is reached. The minimal and sometimes tongue-twisting text allows the appealing, simple line drawings in muted green and red to illustrate the ups and downs of the friendship.

Reviewer: Rebecca Reed Whidden

(3) PS Illustrated by Luke LaMarca. "I am the...Master of Illusion!" A top-hatted squid presents a series of tricks; each one (e.g., "behold: the cuttlefish has turned to gold!") is denounced by his sister ("You KNOW that is not magic. Cuttlefish change colors ALL THE TIME"). Fish facts, squabbling siblings, gag-revealing gatefolds in bracing colors, a riotous incantation ("Smelly yellow jellyfish!")--the combination is magic.

Reviewer: Nell Beram

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Matthew Cordell. A goat and a hen must cross a moat to deliver goods to the queen. But how? "Science!" Their amusing attempts to get a barrel to serve as their boat guide readers through the concept of buoyancy. The determined goat and the good-sport hen's rhyming banter is comical, and their earnest efforts are humorously captured in Cordell's cartoon illustrations.

Reviewer: Danielle J. Ford

(3) PS Illustrated by Hiroe Nakata. Bouncy rhyming couplets describe five ducklings and their bicycle expedition to an apple tree: "Wind-swept ducklings coast to a stop / At a rock by a tree with a snack on top." Standing on tippy toes, they gather apples, cycle home, and make a delicious pie. Loose watercolor and ink illustrations lend an appropriately spontaneous air to the lighthearted outing.

Reviewer: Martha Sibert

(3) PS Illustrated by Hiroe Nakata. The five little ducks from Duck Skates and Duck Dunks head out for a backyard camping trip. After the ducks spend a busy day fishing and toasting marshmallows, nighttime noises send them huddling together in one tent where, cozy, they all fall asleep. The rhymed text has a soothing rhythm. Cheery watercolor and ink illustrations, loosely drawn, display the ducks' gentle adventure.

Reviewer: Amy Kellman

(3) PS Illustrated by Hiroe Nakata. In this cheerful follow-up to Duck Skates, five ducks spend the day at the beach, where the feathered friends split up in various permutations ("Four ducks spy one bright red crab. / Three ducks shout. Two ducks grab"). The sunny illustrations, in which the sea breeze and sand-spattered fun are almost palpable, give readers the opportunity to double-check the head counts.

Reviewer: Nell Beram

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Luke LaMarca. While preparing to host a party, Witch repeatedly asks Cat for assistance. Cat, however, is too busy chasing Rat and otherwise disturbing the proceedings. The darkly humorous, Gorey-esque black-and-white illustrations make ample use of white space and shadow; the story's strong yet unconventional rhythm carries the silly tale to its inevitable conclusion, in which Cat pays the price for being disruptive.

Reviewer: David Elzey