(3) K-3 Illustrated by Matt Rockefeller. Dewey loves popping bubbles. One day, a bubble escapes him un-popped and the boy goes to humorously extraordinary lengths (and heights) in pursuit of it. This simple tall-tale theme, the repetition of the text, and the series of airborne vehicles Dewey boards on his popping quest should all appeal to young picture-book crowds. Rockefeller’s digital illustrations are cinematic and beautifully detailed.

Reviewer: Jessica Costello

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Mark Fearing. After a boy ignores his mother's warning that crumbs attract pests, his messy habits draw a horde of goofy, destructive barbarians to the house. When mousetraps and exterminators fail, the boy cleans up his mess, finally compelling the barbarians to leave. Pencil and digital illustrations highlight the exaggerated cartoonish antics of the barbarians during the pillaging of the besieged family's home.

Reviewer: Russell Perry

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Gus Gordon. "The Catawampus Cat arrived early on a Tuesday morning...slightly askew." The sight of this diagonally oriented cat causes the townspeople to literally, then mentally, shift their perspectives. (True to feline form, once the whole bustling town is askew, the kitty straightens out and saunters away.) This funny celebration of the value of thinking differently is accompanied by lively mixed-media illustrations reminiscent of Oliver Jeffers's.

Reviewer: Katie Bircher

(3) K-3 Illustrated by John Rocco. In the duo's second vehicle-as-pet book (How to Train a Train), a boy narrator helps readers find a pet truck. The droll how-to narrative offers advice on selecting the type of truck wanted--moving, garbage, or monster truck, for example--and then on tracking, catching, and taming it. Bold, digitally colored graphite illustrations featuring active, personified trucks add energy to the tale.

Reviewer: Sheila M. Geraty

(3) K-3 Illustrated by John Rocco. The ultimate dream for railroad fanatics: pet trains! Eaton offers humorously detailed instructions on how to locate and catch a wild train, with tips on naming and helping your locomotive adjust to life among humans. Digitally colored graphite illustrations have energy and excitement in this fantastical picture book that's sure to be on heavy rotation in train-loving households.

Reviewer: Pam Yosca

(3) 4-6 Illustrated by Pascale Constantin. A "just small enough boy" has no facts about himself. The mysterious Facttracker promises to help him search, but the fact factory blows up and Ersatz the liar builds a liebrary to replace it. How the boy saves the world from lies and learns about himself is the core of this lively story, told with mischievous humor.

Reviewer: Becky Levine