(2) PS So many decorating concepts, only one tree! The polar bear and mouse first seen in There’s a Bear on My Chair alternate showing off their own ideas and rejecting each other’s: tinsel, electric lights, a manatee tree-topper, lit candles (fear not: the mouse has a fire extinguisher). The funny rhyming text is all in dialogue, but it’s easy to see who’s speaking as the argument escalates: fonts are differentiated, and the digital illustrations make it clear who’s excited about each aesthetic and who’s decidedly not. All ends well, of course -- but if these two ever try decking the halls, run.

Reviewer: Shoshana Flax | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2023

(3) PS A polar bear has commandeered a mouse's chair. After numerous attempts to reclaim the chair ("Maybe I'll give him a scare-- / I'll jump out in my underwear!"), the mouse storms off. The self-satisfied bear heads home, only to find a surprise waiting. This playfully illustrated sparring match is both a pleasure-making exercise in gratuitous rhyme and a distillation of a classic sibling dynamic.

Reviewer: Nell Beram

(4) K-3 A young girl is annoyed when a ghost elephant takes up residence in her home. When her parents turn a blind eye, she seeks advice from her quirky, ghost-loving grandmother, who leads her to "purveyor of oddities" Mr. Spectral and a secret box. The comical ending and vibrant, detail-rich watercolors help offset the young protagonist's overly sophisticated language.

Reviewer: Cyrena Musset

(4) K-3 Harvey ignores his mom's warning against drawing on "Doodleday," only to find that, for starters, a spider he doodles captures his dad. Mom must save the day by doodling the scariest creature of all: an angry mother. Despite some major leaps in logic, the book succeeds as imagination-prodding entertainment featuring illustrations that are admirably coherent despite the wildness they depict.

Reviewer: Nell Beram

(3) K-3 Young bloodsucker Bram Pire writes a letter to his "vampa" lamenting the new neighbors, with their "bizarre fondness for sunshine." While reminiscent of The Addams Family et al., the book stands apart with its final twist (the neighbors have a secret). In the droll illustrations, only the Pires and their home are rendered in black and white.

Reviewer: Nell Beram

(3) 4-6 Medusa isn't like other little girls, and Perseus and his friends are always making fun of her. When a camping trip turns dangerous, only she can save everyone. The black-and-white drawings effectively use varied line weights to convey different character traits and events. Though kids may not get every allusion to Greek mythology, this humorous book stands out as something fresh.

Reviewer: Lisa Catherine Findlay