(3) K-3 Illustrated by Oliver Jeffers. The crayons from The Day the Crayons Quit (rev. 11/13) and The Day the Crayons Came Home (rev. 9/15) (among others) are back in this fun-size book. Excited about the holiday, the gang heads out in color-appropriate costumes and high spirits. But Orange (pumpkin), Green (witch), Gray (wolf), and Peach ("I'm naked") don't have a clue about what to say. White (ghost), Black (bat), and Purple (vampire) try to coach them, but it's going to take more than hints like "think holiday" and "be polite." Fans of the colorful cast will enjoy this silly confection.

Reviewer: Kitty Flynn

(4) K-3 Illustrated by George McClements & Stéphane Kardos. Bonnie brings Forky to school, which inspires a "Craft Your Own Buddy Day" in her classroom. Forky teaches the newly created toys how to accept who they are. Inspired by Toy Story 4, the franchise matters more than the story, which is fine since the target audience will love it. The illustrations, fonts, and speech bubbles are an amalgam of styles, leading to a chaotic layout.

Reviewer: Miriam Steinberg-Egeth

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Scott Campbell. Roderick is a major bedtime procrastinator. Desperate, his parents give him Sleepy, a "goodnight buddy" stuffie of indeterminate species. Unfortunately, Sleepy has a list of demands ("It's too dark in here. / Now it's too bright," and so forth). Although Roderick gets a taste of his own medicine, its bitterness is diluted by Campbell's pillow-soft digitally tweaked watercolors supporting Daywalt's cheeky-chummy story.

Reviewer: Nell Beram

(4) K-3 Illustrated by David Spencer. After they go flying from a child's backpack, Huggie (a stuffed bunny) and Stick (self-explanatory) have a weeklong international adventure. The diary entries that make up most of the text present two contrasting experiences (e.g., "Huggie and I make a GREAT team"; "I hate Stick. I really do"). The comedy is grand, but some compositions and page layouts are convoluted.

Reviewer: Nell Beram

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Adam Rex. "Long ago," warrior Rock found that he had out-battled every inhabitant of the Kingdom of Backyard. Paper faced the same challenge in the Empire of Mom's Home Office, as did Scissors in the Kitchen Realm. So each hero sets out to find a worthy opponent. Hilariously elaborate battle cries and full-bleed art that almost vibrates with combative intensity make this over-the-top origin story a winner.

Reviewer: Rebecca Fox

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Oliver Jeffers. The personified crayons who revolted against their little-boy owner, Duncan (The Day the Crayons Quit), send indignant postcards from their various travels. Ultimately, Duncan does right by his neglected crayons and finds a solution to which any self-respecting art supply could aspire. Zippy and delightfully full of itself, this clever epistolary picture book could stand alone.

Reviewer: Julie Roach | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2015

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Oliver Jeffers. All Duncan wants to do is color, but the crayons have gone on strike, and they've left Duncan a pile of letters listing their grievances. As the drama unfolds, Jeffers's spare crayon illustrations pop off the white background, adding movement and momentum to the imaginative narrative. The vibrant final spread addressing each color's concerns leaves all parties with an amicable resolution.

Reviewer: Shara Hardeson | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2013