(2) PS Illustrated by Sujean Rim. Shades of icy blue suffuse the first double-page spread, with four kids all bundled up against a chilly, snowy day: "Here's a message for school bus riders heading out on a cold, dark morning." That message also goes for birds on the next spread and then, on subsequent pages, for kids wrestling with winter gear, dogs in coats, and crossing guards: "Do not lose heart!" After these encouraging words, a page-turn shows the Earth and sun (from space), with deep-blue hues punctuated with smiley yellow stars and a reminder that the days are growing longer until "the day becomes exactly as long as the night." Then glorious springtime, with daffodils, daisies, and butterflies and a light-blue sky appearing: "On this day we say Happy Springtime!" The rest of the book bids happy spring to a variety of people and creatures: "...to groggy frogs waking up from their winter's sleep...wielders of watering cans...bees burrowing in blossoms," and many more. McMullan's rhythm and word choices are enthusiastically joyful, a perfect pairing with Rim's watercolor, pencil, crayon, and collage illustrations. The children shown throughout have a variety of hair colors and skin tones, and once spring has hit, their postures and expressions become celebratory. After our pandemic year, the arrival of springtime may be particularly welcome to children who have been cooped up for a long time--but this picture book will be welcome all year round and next year, too.

Reviewer: Susan Dove Lempke | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2021

(2) PS Illustrated by Jim McMullan. This entry in the McMullans' peppy vehicle-centric series (most recently I'm Smart!) stars a plucky red pickup truck hauling lumber, gravel, and hay bales around the countryside, all while commenting on truck parts, terminology, and capabilities. There's a passing lesson in stick-to-itiveness, but mostly it's just vehicle-loving fun, with sound effects and interjections, bold-hued illustrations, and a bright-eyed truck with an outsize smile on its front bumper.

Reviewer: Elissa Gershowitz | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2018

(4) PS Illustrated by Sydney Hanson. Through simple rhyming facts about animals' grooming habits ("Polar bear scrubs her face with snow"), children are encouraged to bathe: "How do YOU take a bath? Do you lick from head to toe...?" Approachable mixed-media illustrations in soft pastel hues demonstrate the similarities and differences. The lack of distinction between bathing and other grooming habits and behaviors ("Pig wallows in the mud...") is somewhat confusing.

Reviewer: Miriam Steinberg-Egeth

(3) PS Illustrated by Tao Nyeu. "'Sun's going down.' 'Moon's on the rise.' / 'Let's find our babies.' 'And sing lullabies.'" Four mothers--panda, leopard, elephant, and orangutan--take turns speaking in pleasing rhyming verse as they try to persuade their mischievous children it's bedtime. Mixed-media illustrations in shades of blue and orange reveal the children's comical efforts to avoid capture until they're finally corralled, cuddled, and put to bed.

Reviewer: Martha Sibert

(2) PS Illustrated by Jim McMullan. The McMullans' latest tough-things-that-go book stars the school bus. While the braggart bus calls attention to its intelligence, the book focuses equally on its role as protector and caretaker; the bus explains laws and safety features unique to school buses. Watercolor illustrations use loose lines and shapes for the bus and other vehicles, making them seem as human as the passengers, who are thoughtfully differentiated.

Reviewer: Julie Roach | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 2017

(2) PS Illustrated by Jim McMullan. An "ice-shaving, snow-eating" Zamboni smoothes out the rink during a hockey game's intermission. But this machine works slowly--can the Zamboni finish the task in time? Jim McMullan demystifies this process in a sequence of cutaway shots. Text color and style vary by spread (and Zamboni's mood). Fans of I Stink! and I'm Big! (and more) will enjoy the machine's bravado.

Reviewer: Sam Bloom | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2015

(3) 4-6 Myth-O-Mania series. Narrator Hades, Greek god of the Underworld, tells of Odysseus's travails as they "actually" happened after the end of the Trojan War. The titular hero, who is traditionally portrayed as a witty thinker, is here presented as more buffoonish than usual, in keeping with the series' humorous slant on these ancient myths. This is no stuffy retelling but a fresh take on an oft-told tale.

Reviewer: Antonio Trujillo

(3) 4-6 Myth-O-Mania series. In this latest series entry, narrator Hades, Greek god of the underworld, "tells it like it is" as he recounts events surrounding the Trojan War. McMullan occasionally strays from the source material, though the retelling's conceit allows for the transgressions. General silliness and humorous dialogue breathe some fresh air into these old tales.

Reviewer: Antonio Trujillo

(2) PS Illustrated by Jim McMullan. Challenged to a race from Sacramento to Chicago by a red sports car, a train engine is ready for action--just as soon as the freight is loaded. Kate McMullan's peppy staccato text is embellished with onomatopoeia ("chooka chooka chooka"). Jim McMullan makes terrific use of broad horizontal spreads to show the beauty and challenge of the journey.

Reviewer: Christine M. Heppermann | Horn Book Magazine Issue: January, 2012

(2) K-3 Penguin Young Readers series. Illustrated by R. W. Alley. Pearl gets a glimpse of next year's teacher, Ms. Bean, and thinks she resembles a "mean green bean." Illustrations vary in placement and capture the myriad expressions on the characters' faces. The language begins to bridge that territory between easy readers and chapter books, but the real beauty of this book is its own connection from one school year to the next.

Reviewer: Betty Carter | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 2012

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Pascal Lemaitre. Bulldog's job-search lands him stints as a firefighter, window washer, sign painter, and bookseller. Each ends in a mess, prompting Bulldog to provide cookies as a peace offering. The treats are a hit, and Bulldog is back in business. The volume's outsized format, with pages filled with friendly animals going about their busy days, is reminiscent of Richard Scarry.

Reviewer: Carrie Harasimowicz Sullivan

(3) 4-6 Myth-O-Mania series. Using Hades as an observer and holder of the narrative thread, McMullan has rewritten famous Greek myths in a modern style. Plentiful humorous dialogue, including jokes, puns, and pop-culture references, ups the appeal. The author does take artistic license with the source material, but the core of the myths remains. Review covers these Myth-O-Mania titles: Get to Work, Hercules! and Nice Shot, Cupid!

Reviewer: Antonio Trujillo

(3) 4-6 Myth-O-Mania series. Using Hades as an observer and holder of the narrative thread, McMullan has rewritten famous Greek myths in a modern style. Plentiful humorous dialogue, including jokes, puns, and pop-culture references, ups the appeal. The author does take artistic license with the source material, but the core of the myths remains. Review covers these Myth-O-Mania titles: Get to Work, Hercules! and Nice Shot, Cupid!

Reviewer: Antonio Trujillo

(4) 4-6 Illustrated by George Booth. Nonstop puns and other wordplay (sometimes funny) reinforced by comical pen-and-ink drawings depict a week in the life of young Ron Faster. His schoolmates include Viola Fuss and Izzy Normal, all supervised by school personnel such as Ms. Celia Seeyalater and Mr. Hugh da Mann. Ron's adventures play second fiddle to a tangle of hit-or-miss witticisms.

Reviewer: Sarah Novogrodsky

(2) PS Illustrated by Jim McMullan. An outsized Sauropod looking for his herd runs into some seriously scary dudes--predators with "FANGS! CLAWS! SPIKES!" Accompanied by spirited cartoon illustrations, slangy, colloquial first-person narration walks readers through our large friend's self-defense tactics. Readers will be happy to see what works for this gentle giant, from whom the fanged, clawed, spiked, yet puny bullies turn tail.

Reviewer: Christine M. Heppermann | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2010

(2) K-3 Dial Easy-to-Read series. Illustrated by R. W. Alley. An eye test proves that Wagner needs glasses. Although Pearl tells her newly bespectacled friend he looks cool, two older boys make fun of him. Perfectly capturing those fragile feelings of childhood, McMullan's accessible text and Alley's soft watercolor and pen-and-ink illustrations show Wagner's hesitation to stand out, his pride in being praised, and delight when his friends defend him.

Reviewer: Betty Carter | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2010

(2) K-3 Dial Easy-to-Read series. Illustrated by R. W. Alley. Everybody seems clued in that it's April Fools' Day except mouse Wagner. The challenges that result are presented in three satisfying chapters. Though he's a little slow on the uptake, Wagner manages to get the last laugh. McMullan's easy-reader text has a reliable partner in Alley's pen-and-ink and watercolor illustrations that add a gentle pastel wash to the sometimes-painful schoolyard jockeying.

Reviewer: Betty Carter | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2009

(2) PS Illustrated by Jim McMullan. "Are you BAD? I'm REALLY bad," this T. Rex boasts about his fearsome attributes. The orange, green, and purple swirling sky evokes a volcanic atmosphere against which the commanding cartoon beast appears to live up to his reputation--until he repeatedly fails to catch his prey. Though played for laughs, the story conveys real information about dinosaurs and the Cretaceous Era.

Reviewer: Christine M. Heppermann | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2008

(2) PS Illustrated by Jim McMullan. This backhoe loader may not have the brawn or bite of the garbage truck in I Stink!, but he determinedly sinks his jagged yellow teeth into the job of cleaning up a trash-filled lot. The art's heavy black outlines and robust palette befit a character who isn't shy about announcing his presence: "Hope ya like Noise. CLANK! Rattle! BANG! Bing! BANG! BONG! BONG! Clunk!"

Reviewer: Christine M. Heppermann | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2006

(4) PS Illustrated by Janie Bynum. The Rock-a-Baby Band toddlers are singing the bathtime blues (CD included): "Daddy said we're grubby. / He said we need a scrub. / Along came our mama / and she dunked us in the tub." Bynum's digitally rendered art is overbusy, but McMullan's lyrics, punctuated with well-timed "NO!"s, are infectious.

Reviewer: Nell Beram