(3) K-3 Illustrated by Ken Daley. Joseph misses the camaraderie of shared meals at the refugee camp where he and his mother stayed until they were able to emigrate from East Africa (the glossary explains that he is Acholi). Now they live in a new city where "there are not enough people to eat with." Joseph invites his teacher, family members, and neighbors to come over for a meal, but only his neighbor Whoosh and her mother are able to come. Together, they enjoy a meal of traditional foods and settle into "a rhythm, a beat of people eating together, even if today it's only two more." The vibrant illustrations, full of color and movement (Whoosh is aptly named), nicely complement the poetic text.

Reviewer: Rachel L. Kerns

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Mark Fearing. "'Twas the thirteenth of November, a stormy night, / when the Thirteen bus hove into sight." Michael McMichael boards that scary bus (peopled by wide-eyed, monstrous-looking passengers and driver), intent on delivering Gran's pet, which is tucked inside a picnic basket. The rhymed text and dark, digitally painted pencil illustrations capture the balance between humor and sinister--a tone sure to please children seeking a scary picture-book story.

Reviewer: Sheila M. Geraty

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Kady MacDonald Denton. Although he's decked the halls, Bear is bah-humbug on presents. Mouse brightly persists; Bear stubbornly resists; and so it goes until Bear begins reciting "A Visit from St. Nicholas." The stockings are hung by the chimney with care--proof that the Scrooge routine is (mostly) an act. This odd couple's banter is evergreen in their sixth book. Cozy illustrations are full of good cheer.

Reviewer: Kitty Flynn | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2017

(3) K-3 Pixar Animation Studio Artist Showcase series. Illustrated by Noah Klocek. Concept by Noah Klocek. A cloudlet named Gale is so busy "Earth-gazing" that she's ill prepared for Formation School Graduation Day, when the cloudlets must impress the Guardians by creating cloud shapes. This is such a well-thought-out invented world that Gale's story could take to the screen--inevitable, perhaps, as the concept and majestic illustrations featuring sculpture-like formations come courtesy of a Pixar artist.

Reviewer: Nell Beram

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Kady MacDonald Denton. Reclusive Bear reluctantly accompanies extrovert Mouse on a library visit. Mouse's reminders about using one's "library voice" go unheeded, and Bear is hushed by another patron. He prepares to leave, but he's stopped in his huffy tracks when he overhears a librarian reading a story. The hooray-for-books message is served subtly. Bear's grouchiness and Mouse's joie de vivre come through in Denton's expressive lines.

Reviewer: Kitty Flynn | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2014

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Kady MacDonald Denton. Bear insists it's not his birthday, but Mouse has an invitation that says differently. Denton's friendly ink and watercolor pictures effectively convey the tone and emotion of the witty back-and-forth between sparring partners (A Visitor for Bear). Originally published as an early reader, this picture book edition has been redesigned and re-illustrated and includes minor changes to the text.

Reviewer: Kitty Flynn | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2009

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Kady MacDonald Denton. In this fourth Mouse and Bear book, Bear doesn't feel well. Mouse tries reading him a story, singing him a song, and playing the banjo; finally Mouse helps his melodramatic friend write his will. This comedic duo's exaggerated repartee continues to be funny; the soothing washes of color in Denton's delicately lined illustrations temper Bear's hysteria and Mouse's enthusiasm.

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

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Kady MacDonald Denton. Mouse sleeps over at Bear's house. The evening passes pleasantly, but when it's time for bed, Mouse's presence sets Bear's nerves on edge ("'Remember, I must have absolute quiet,' reminded Bear. 'Oh, indeed,' said Mouse"). When Bear hears a worrisome "rustly, moany sort of thing," though, he wakes Mouse up for company. Denton's nimble line bolsters the humor of the friends' well-choreographed routine.

Reviewer: Kitty Flynn | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2010

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Kady MacDonald Denton. Though Bear insists it's not his birthday, Mouse has an invitation that says differently. The witty back-and-forth between the sparring partners from the picture book A Visitor for Bear is similar here, but the easy reader format is an even better choice for a fifty-six-page illustrated story. Denton's friendly ink and watercolor pictures effectively convey tone and emotion.

Reviewer: Kitty Flynn | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2009

(3) 4-6 Illustrated by Amy Portnoy. The third graders in Ms. Plum's class know to expect the unexpected. Their teacher's supply closet contains just the right magical miniature creatures (e.g., tiny horse, squirrels, etc.) each child needs. The satisfying story features warm black-and-white illustrations.

Reviewer: Amy Lois Cohn

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Kady MacDonald Denton. "No visitors allowed." The sign on Bear's door is clear, but one mouse is undeterred. He pops in, only to be thrown out. Denton's warm, inviting illustrations belie Bear's inhospitable behavior, and Becker's energetic narrative zips along. At story's end, Bear entreats the mouse to stay. By a friend's presence, Bear is transformed; text and art handle the shift with aplomb.

Reviewer: Kitty Flynn | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2008

(3) 4-6 Illustrated by Abby Carter. When the other animals of tiny Rattler's Bend reject his paintings, Holbrook the lizard heads to the big city to find artistic appreciation. There, he meets art patron Count Rumolde, who first befriends but later enslaves him. Despite tremendous odds, the lizard manages to escape and rescue his fellow workers. His engaging adventures make Holbrook a likable, courageous hero.

Reviewer: Patricia Riley

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Jack E. Davis. When Johnny MacGuffin's mom leaves him (so she can shop) in the Bindle's Department store basement with Auntie Mabel, the minutes seem to turn into years. While waiting, Johnny imagines seasons changing, growing old, raising a family, and the end of the world. Becker's simple, inconsistently rhyming story is funny but slight, while Davis's mixed-media cartoon illustrations are dynamic and expressive.

Reviewer: Mark Adam

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Nina Laden. Bart, a hardworking sand ant, risks taking the day off from his underground job, later inspiring his fellow worker to do the same. Bart experiences the pleasures and perils of the outdoors, enjoying the sun's warmth and encountering two hungry frogs and a bee. Earth-toned pastel illustrations depicting oversize plant and animal life aptly convey the ant's point of view.

Reviewer: Sheila M. Geraty

(4) 4-6 Chip feels threatened when his dad buys a SIMON robot: "the Perfect Son." Simon is tidy and disciplined and beats the pants off everyone else on the swim team. But the boy and robot become friends, and Chip even learns enough discipline to make a good showing at the swim meet. The story arc starts in one direction and finishes in another, but the father-son dynamics are well drawn.

Reviewer: Anita L. Burkam

(4) PS Harper Growing Tree series. Illustrated by Shari Halpern. "Did you ever have a horse snort near your ear? / How did it feel? / Moisty, musty. Warm and gusty." Ten double-page spreads each feature a question about an animal encounter and a rhyming answer using tactile language. The textured cut-paper illustrations are a good match for the text. The repetition of "How did it feel?" becomes tedious, but the imaginative text will encourage listeners to come up with their own questions and answers.

Reviewer: Suzy Schmidt