(3) K-3 Illustrated by Heather M. Solomon. "Grampa said something's waiting for me, / and I can't wait to know what." A boy (who looks younger than he sounds) explores his grandparents' farm searching for the secret. Finally, after following the moonlight out to the barn, he finds the secret (a newborn kitten) is definitely worth keeping. Atmospheric illustrations and a lyrical rhyming text capture the boy's anticipation and excitement.

Reviewer: Meredith M. Sittman

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Jed Henry. On his way to the city pet shelter with his grandmother, a boy wonders how he'll know which dog to choose. Lively digital and watercolor illustrations animate the text describing the dogs he meets along the way: "likes-to-take-a-nap dog...dances-for-a-bone pup...one-that-barks-down-deep dog," etc. In the end, gratifyingly, the right pup picks him.

Reviewer: Rebecca Reed Whidden

(3) PS Illustrated by Henry Cole. Cole's chubby puppies bounce through Chall's cheery rhyming text: "4 pups drink. / 5 puppies huddle. / 6 puppies piddle / in the middle of the muddle." The book counts from one to ten as the dogs wake, play, and eat; then back down as they fall asleep. Preschoolers will have lots of fun keeping pace with the pups.

Reviewer: Jennifer M. Brabander

(3) K-3 Illustrated by John Thompson & John Thompson. Occasionally onomatopoeic lines tell of a young girl's train ride from her Midwestern farm community to visit her grandmother in the city. Authentic details enrich the narrative, whose tension concerns a snowstorm that blocks the rails and the camaraderie that develops in the car until a snowplow arrives. Detailed, richly colored illustrations support the text and extend its mood.

Reviewer: Frieda F. Bostian

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Jim Daly. When the spring thaw begins, a girl and her grandfather go out to tap the maples, and soon a crowd of family and friends gathers to help with the work--and fun--of making syrup. Together they collect sap, haul firewood, clean and fill jars, and eat the new sugar poured out on snow. Chall's evocative descriptions and Daly's intimate oil paintings capture the warmth of a centuries-old tradition.

Reviewer: Emma Loy-Santelli

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Wendy Anderson Halperin. Separated from his master, Jean Claude, whose new school doesn't allow dogs, Bonaparte determines to gain entrance. Each day he appears at school in a different disguise, only to discover on Saturday that Jean Claude is missing. Wily readers will know instantly what's up, but that only adds to the pleasure of this lighthearted story. Halperin's detailed illustrations re-create the French setting. Bonaparte est charmant.

Reviewer: Susan P. Bloom | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2000

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Guy Porfirio. In this holiday mood piece, a girl affectionately describes her extended family's traditional Fourth of July gathering. Nothing startling happens, but readers can enjoy the quirks of the various relatives as well as the details of the celebration, such as the U.S.-shaped Jell-O dessert. Though they sometimes seem posed, the illustrations offer some nice views of the relatives and the lakeside setting.

Reviewer: Martha Sibert

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Rosanne Litzinger. Rupa and the villagers believe that it is her act of tromping around the morning fire with her rooster crying "Ki-ki-ri-ki" that raises the sun. So the morning Rupa wakes with a blister on her toe and asks for a vacation, the village elders must hold tryouts to find someone new to raise the sun. Younger children may enjoy the silliness of these obviously misguided characters and their puppet-like faces drawn with sunny opaque watercolors.

Reviewer: Jennifer Polshek