(3) PS Illustrated by Brian Won. A sleepy monkey becomes a happy, active youngster with some vigorous exercise. Meant to inspire kids to get moving (per Sampson's note) and told in rhyme (a variation of the "Down Down Baby" clapping game), the simple text has a nice rhythm, with energetic sound and action words ("Ding-Dong"; "Stomp! Stomp!"); appealing digital art shows Monkey and other animals boogeying across bright backgrounds.

Reviewer: Cyrisse Jaffee

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Melissa Sweet. At the start of a day, (human) mothers greet their children and invite them to listen to the world. Each of the following spreads introduces a habitat, the mother and babies therein, and the sounds they make (the squawk of the parrots, the snap of the crocodiles, etc.). An accessible but unremarkable text is elevated by energetic, celebratory, beautifully colored illustrations. Animal facts appended.

Reviewer: Grace Worcester Greene

(4) YA Life gets weird for aspiring magician Benji after he shoots a UFO from the sky. The mystery of what it was, and what its destruction will mean, builds on family history and a folksy, middle-American small-town backdrop. The metaphorical underpinnings are clumsy, as are the interpersonal dynamics among Benji and his friends, but the old-school sci-fi elements (when they surface) are engagingly mysterious.

Reviewer: Claire E. Gross

(3) PS Illustrated by Laura J. Bryant. Kitty Cat loves everything about school: singing songs with the other students, reading, counting to ten, art, naptime, and more. The story's use of repetition and simple rhymes will help newer readers strengthen their skills. The watercolor and colored-pencil illustrations emphasize the energy of the kittens, and children will enjoy searching for the tiny mouse hiding in every spread.

Reviewer: Julie Bartynski-Fenner

(4) YA Michael and Patrick have been battling zombies since Halloween. Pretending the apocalypse is a video game, Michael coaxes his autistic little brother through various traumas. When they encounter a zombie-worshipping cult and take up with a gang of survivors, the rules unravel. The game setup adds a fresh layer to this zombie novel but doesn't quite redeem the contrived resolution.

Reviewer: Shara Hardeson

(4) YA Champion of Freedom series. Color and black-and-white archival photographs (often poorly reproduced), maps, and sidebars combine with a comprehensive text to present an accessible chronological biography of each notable activist. First-hand accounts, drawn from a variety of sources, lend an authentic voice, while the discussion of historical events and figures provides the political and historical contexts that motivated such determination and sacrifice. Timeline, websites. Bib., ind. Review covers these Champion on Freedom titles: Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Aung San Suu Kyi, and Nelson Mandela.

Reviewer: Tamara DePasquale

(3) PS Illustrated by Laura J. Bryant. A kitten resists her mother's efforts to prepare her for bed. While the kitty offers excuses at every step of the way, as detailed in lilting rhymes, the pictures show that she eventually does do what's expected (e.g., while playing a quick game of peekaboo, she's also changing out of her shirt). Watercolor and colored-pencil illustrations give the characters winsome expressions.

Reviewer: Patricia Riley

(3) PS Illustrated by Laura J. Bryant. "Kitty Cat, Kitty Cat, are you waking up? / 'Not yet, Mother, I'm a sleepy buttercup.'" In a familiar domestic tableau, a mother cat patiently urges her easily distractible kitten through the morning's before-school routine. Sweet but not cloying, the rhyming patterned text is complemented by playful watercolor and colored-pencil illustrations just right for lap-sharing.

Reviewer: Carolyn Shute

(4) 4-6 Edge Books: Spies series. This book discusses the equipment used by members of successful espionage teams. Such topics as codes, disguises, weapons, and information-gathering techniques are given cursory overviews. Though the text is easy to read, the superficiality of content limits the book's value for those with more than a passing interest in the topic. Photographs and sidebars help extend the text. Reading list. Glos., ind.

Reviewer: Luther B. Clegg

(4) 4-6 Edge Books: Spies series. This book discusses the skills needed by members of successful espionage teams. Such topics as informants, counterintelligence, and double-agents are given cursory overviews. Though the texts are easy to read, the superficiality of content limits the book's value for readers with more than a passing interest in the topic. Photographs and sidebars help extend the text. Reading list. Glos., ind.

Reviewer: Luther B. Clegg

(4) YA Immigrants in America series. Covering stereotypes, challenges, and prejudices, each of these comprehensive but dryly written books discusses the history and contributions of a specific immigrant group. Archival photos and text boxes break up the presentation and extend the information. Profiles of notable immigrants are interspersed. Addresses, reading list, timeline, websites. Bib., ind. [Review covers these Immigrants in America titles: Italian Americans, Irish Americans, Swedish Americans, Chinese Americans, Japanese Americans, and German Americans.]

Reviewer: Beth L. Meister

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Chris Raschka. The patriotic oath mumbled unthinkingly everyday by countless schoolchildren is here deconstructed line by line to help pledgers become aware of what they are saying (e.g., "A pledge is a promise. / Allegiance is loyalty"). Dominated by red, white, and blue, Raschka's energetic, doodle-like painted forms and torn construction-paper collages make the authors' straightforward explanations all the more accessible.

Reviewer: Christine M. Heppermann

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Paul Meisel. When a boy goes trick-or-treating in his apartment building, Magic Merlin casts a backwards spell, so that the names of the treats are switched around. Caramel Pops become Paramel Cops, Licorice Twists become Twicorice Lists, and Peanut Cups become Ceanut Pups. The story is slight, but it's amusing to figure out the switches and observe how Meisel portrays them in his cheery illustrations.

Reviewer: Martha Sibert

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Floyd Cooper. During a terrible storm, a stray dog that Jennifer took in runs away. The next day, the dog is found on a golf course by two brothers, who name her Caddie. After Caddie gives birth, the boys' father advertises in the newspaper for homes for the puppies, and Jennifer responds. The writing is flat and full of clichés, but the story works, and the soft mixed-media illustrations complement its mood.

Reviewer: Patricia Riley

(3) PS Illustrated by Heather Cahoon. The anthropomorphized numerals one through ten systematically round up smiling garden vegetables ("Seven sees tomato / basking in the sun, / takes her hand, / and off they run") to be used in soup served to the king and queen (a boy and girl). Illustrated with flat, vegetation-toned images, the rhymes are taut and catchy.

Reviewer: Nell Beram