(3) PS Illustrated by Melanie Williamson. In this version of the much-loved song, round-faced mamis and papis, children, babies, and others cavort in a brightly painted bus "on the journey to the town." The playful acrylic, pencil, and chalk illustrations capture a vibrant Guatemalan setting. The book ends with information about Guatemala (including a paragraph on "Chicken Buses") and the musical score. An "enhanced singalong" CD is included.

Reviewer: Chelsey Philpot

(3) PS Illustrated by Stephanie Bauer. "Elephant young, / elephant old. / Polar bear hot, / polar bear cold." Blackstone's simple rhymes are illustrated with Bauer's double-page spreads showing animals in their natural habitats. The illustrations feature chunky geometric shapes and decorative borders. The creators of Alligator Alphabet and Counting Cockatoos have taken a basic concept and tastefully dressed it up.

Reviewer: Nell Beram

(4) PS Illustrated by Christopher Corr. Naive gouache paintings with jewel-like colors show Granny traveling by magic carpet (her first purchase in Turkey), buying two cats in Thailand, three Mexican masks, four Chinese lanterns, five Swiss cowbells, and so on until she buys ten Peruvian llamas. The rhyming text is trite, but the attractive pictures will draw children back to look for the objects.

Reviewer: Melinda Greenblatt

(4) PS Illustrated by Clare Beaton. In awkward singsongy rhyme a puppy travels around the world and asks baby animals if they know the name of a baby kangaroo. Animals such as penguins, wolves, and zebras make appearances, and a glossary details each creature's habitat and family characteristics. Illustrations rendered in fabrics accented with sequins, buttons, and bric-a-brac add an appealing tactile effect.

Reviewer: Sheila M. Geraty

(4) PS Illustrated by Clare Beaton. A minimal rhyming text invites readers to follow a sea horse, cleverly camouflaged on each spread, through the coral reef. Felt, fabric, buttons, and sequins are skillfully arranged to portray the underwater world and its inhabitants. Included are a mermaid and a cold-water lobster (rather than the spiny lobster common to reefs), making this less useful as a coral reef introduction.

Reviewer: Hilary Breed Van Dusen

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Maria Carluccio. "Slide into September, / come along with me! / It's time to go to school again / --what can you see?" Each double-page spread features a simple rhyming text, an inviting collage illustration of a seasonal scene, and a word list of items readers can search for in the art. Some of the items are hard to find, but in general, this is a pleasant diversion.

Reviewer: Miriam Steinberg-Egeth

(3) PS Cleo the Cat series. Illustrated by Caroline Mockford. This attractive rhyming book challenges readers to guess the objects that represent each letter of the alphabet. "A is crunchy, / crisp and red. / B floats on the waves." In the bold, uncluttered illustrations, Cleo the orange cat appears on nearly every page, interacting with the objects in question, while the thick black outlines echo the typeface.

Reviewer: Martha Sibert

(3) PS Cleo the Cat series. Illustrated by Caroline Mockford. Illustrations in vibrant colors, outlined with a bold black line, make Cleo's newest adventure as appealing as ever. The orange tabby ventures out of "one big gate" and past "two small dogs" to explore the countryside in this concept book, which counts up to ten and, on the last page, back down to one. The brief text and expressive art make this book perfect for reading aloud. A removable height chart is included.

Reviewer: Anne St. John

(4) PS Illustrated by Clare Beaton. "Cheetahs are spotty, zebras are stripy, / But how loud is a lion? Shhh! Listen! / Hoopoes are happy, chimpanzees are sneaky, / But how loud is a lion? Shhh! Listen!" Though the text's logic is questionable, the repeated titular question provides some minimal suspense in this introduction to jungle animals. In any case, it is Beaton's textured pictures made from fabric, beads, and felt that are the main attraction here.

Reviewer: Jim St. Claire

(4) PS Illustrated by Nicoletta Ceccoli. "I spy with my little eye a bird flying by." In this mild cumulative rhyme, a boy sails the ocean, telescope in hand, spotting item after item, until he arrives on an island where a friendly dog is waiting to play. The rhyme slips into singsong, especially toward the end, but Ceccoli makes good use of rounded shapes and vibrant sea colors. The lines of text undulate across the pages like ocean waves.

Reviewer: Martha Sibert

(4) PS Cleo the Cat series. Illustrated by Caroline Mockford. Due to some awkward phrasing, the texts of the two newest Cleo books are not as snappily written as their predecessors. However, the acrylic artwork, which makes an impact with bold black lines and vibrant colors, is as lively as ever. Fans of the marmalade-colored tabby will appreciate her new adventures as she moves to a new house and rides on a sled. [Review covers these Cleo the Cat titles: Cleo in the Snow and Cleo on the Move.]

Reviewer: Anne St. John

(4) PS Cleo the Cat series. Illustrated by Caroline Mockford. Due to some awkward phrasing, the texts of the two newest Cleo books are not as snappily written as their predecessors. However, the acrylic artwork, which makes an impact with bold black lines and vibrant colors, is as lively as ever. Fans of the marmalade-colored tabby will appreciate her new adventures as she moves to a new house and rides on a sled. [Review covers these Cleo the Cat titles: Cleo in the Snow and Cleo on the Move.]

Reviewer: Anne St. John

(3) PS Illustrated by Debbie Harter. No matter what the season, Bear always finds a way to have a good time. Brief rhymed text with flawless rhythm is printed in a large, bold font. Illustrations feature a gleeful bear romping delightfully through a variety of seasonal scenes; bright watercolors attract attention while crayon accents provide atmosphere.

Reviewer: CHristine Sarrazin

(3) PS Illustrated by Debbie Harter. "Open the door, and what do you see?" An up-close and personal tour of Bear's vibrantly decorated house begins in the kitchen and ends in the bedroom where he "says Goodnight." Bear's zebra-striped cat joins the tour as well, easily spotted amidst the vividly colored illustrations. At the end of the book, two aerial maps of the different floors add interest.

Reviewer: Susan Halperin

(3) PS Illustrated by Caroline Mockford. A rhyming text set in a bold typeface describes Cleo the cat's fear and resentment, then acceptance of, her family's new dog, Caspar. Outlined with a thick black line and saturated with bold color, the clearly defined shapes in the artwork suit the simple story.

Reviewer: Anne St. John

(3) PS Illustrated by Clare Beaton. When all of the farm animals are in the wrong places, what are the farmers to do? Call them for dinner, of course. The rhythmic text begs to be shouted out loud by preschoolers, who will delight in the animals' mismatched dwellings. The illustrations, using stitched felt pieces with button or bead eyes, are richly colored and deeply textured.

Reviewer: CHristine Sarrazin

(4) PS Illustrated by Clare Beaton. "How big is a pig?" is the question that is asked throughout this romp through a variety of farmyard scenes. The bumpy rhyme is secondary to the unique illustrations, which are composed of brightly colored felt pieces enhanced with stitching as well as beads and other objects. Toddlers will enjoy finding the pig on each page.

Reviewer: CHristine Sarrazin

(4) PS Illustrated by Giovanni Manna. Beginning with "I'm a circle, you're a square," a boy and girl imagine each other as wild and tame, young and old, tree and flower, etc. (not all are opposites). Surrealistic watercolor illustrations depict the children "morphing" into different objects; each image is framed with smaller images to create a fine graphic presentation. However, the back-and-forth switch between who is "me" and who is "you" is jarring.

Reviewer: CHristine Sarrazin

(4) PS Illustrated by Nan Brooks. Those for whom gardens and farms signify the good life will love this paean to vegetables and minestrone soup. The rhyming text stumbles somewhat, but the watercolor and colored pencil illustrations, bordered with intricate vegetable patterns, are colorful and lively. A multicultural cast of children first fend off friendly farm animals while harvesting vegetables; next they cook soup; and finally, they enjoy their homegrown creation. A recipe is included.

Reviewer: Anita L. Burkam

(4) PS Illustrated by Debbie Harter. Each double-page spread asks the reader to find an item in the picture: "Can you see the blue flower?" Along the side of each page is a list of more items of that color to search for. The busy illustrations of farm animals--at a birthday party, a park, the boardwalk, and so on--contain amusing details. However, the garish colors are far too distracting for a search-and-find book.

Reviewer: Jennifer M. Brabander