(2) PS If Animals Kissed Good Night series. Illustrated by David Walker. On Halloween, Owlet finds that every animal celebrates the scariest time of the year differently. From Hatchling and Papa Crocodile's segmented croc-o'-lantern with the "sneee-eeery smile" to Raccoon's "garbage-fudge squares," each animal's traditions feel unique to its species. Refreshingly, Halloween regulars (such as bats) mingle with animals not often featured (such as an armadillo). As in previous entries in the series, lines of text sometimes curve (like a smiling jack-o'-lantern) or sway (like an eerie breeze), which is appropriate and effective for this particular book's design given the subject matter. Walker's brightly colored critters contrast nicely with the dark and starry night.

Reviewer: | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2022

(4) PS Illustrated by David Walker. "If animals celebrated Christmas, / Koala, high in a tree, would cheer, / 'Christmas is coming! / It's almost here!'" The rhymed text, featuring couplets and other repetitive singsong verse, speculates various scenarios of creatures' Christmastime festivities. The sentimental story features warm illustrations of cuddly animals decorating, knitting, and cooking in preparation for Polar Bear Santa.

Reviewer: Sheila M. Geraty

(3) PS Illustrated by David Walker. Circling back periodically to a gorilla mother and child, sprightly rhymes use well-chosen words to tell how various animals might say "I love you." "Lion and cousins would tussle and tumble, / romp and roll in a joyful love jumble." As in If Animals Kissed Good Night, Walker's complementary art uses soft rounded shapes to enhance the affectionate tone of the text.

Reviewer: Martha Sibert

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Kurt Cyrus. A worker hammers larger-than-life letters into words then piles them into "sentence towers," eventually crafting "paragraph villages" and "chapter cities." The construction metaphor suggests that writing gives us the power to build amazing new worlds. Cyrus's striking illustrations are technical yet fanciful and depict the building process from a variety of perspectives.

Reviewer: Sethany Rancier Alongi

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Ethan Long. Tortuga carries "ensalada, tamales, and flan" to his abuela, while his three salivating amigos follow. When gullible Tortuga comes upon Coyote disguised as the tortoise's grandmother ("The bigger my dientes, the better to EAT you with"), the amigos save the day. Long's creatures, with their huge, egg-shaped eyes, are endearingly expressive, a fine complement to a lively tale. Glos.

Reviewer: Joanna Rudge Long | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2009

(3) PS Illustrated by David Walker. "Seal and his calf would blow big bubbled kisses / that rise to the surface / in splashity splishes." Sprightly rhymes describe how various animal babies--from sloths to snakes to walruses--might kiss their parents good night. Walker makes the most of the theme by creating soft, pleasing compositions centered on the parent-child pairs.

Reviewer: Martha Sibert

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Rosanne Litzinger. All of Snail's friends are going to bed, so he's off to wish them good night. Of course at his speed, the sun is coming up before he can finish the job. The mild twist ending will be a funny surprise for some readers. Hip, expansive watercolor, gouache, and colored-pencil pictures of a snail with a little boy's face illustrate the story.

Reviewer: Becky Levine

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Ethan Long. Iguana stubbed her toe and is in too much pain to bake dulces. Culebra, with help from friends--and various kitchen utensils (e.g., un rolling pin, cuatro pots)--tries to cure Iguana. The nonsensical text is mainly in English; only about a third of the book deals with counting in Spanish. Bright, overly exaggerated gouache and colored-pencil paintings illustrate the misadventure. Glos.

Reviewer: Antonio Trujillo

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Ethan Long. Conejo (Rabbit), Iguana, and Tortuga (Tortoise) are buying birthday presents for their amigo, Culebra (Snake). Spanish words sprinkled throughout are defined in context ("A globo!...Culebra would love a balloon"), a technique that grows a bit tiresome. The slight story is accompanied by bright, exaggerated, somewhat stiff illustrations in desert hues on a white background. Glos.

Reviewer: Beth L. Meister

(3) K-3 Step into Reading series. Illustrated by Jan Gerardi. When Big Rabbit hops over the flower, Little Rabbit's hop squashes the flower. When Big Rabbit hops over the puddle, "Little Rabbit hops--SPLASH!" Eventually, Little Rabbit figures out how to hop around obstacles in his path. With its engaging illustrations and simple text just right for new readers, this book is sure to make a splash of its own.

Reviewer: Susan Halperin

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Ethan Long. In this southwestern "Little Red Hen," Iguana doesn't get any help from Conejo, Tortuga, and other desert animals as she prepares for a fiesta. The lively, entertaining text will hold the attention of young readers. The illustrations are equally appealing, giving choice expressions to Iguana as well as the lazy animals. The text is peppered with Spanish words. Glos.

Reviewer: Tim Wadham

(3) PS Illustrated by David Walker. Little Monkey is supposed to go to bed, but first he must say good night to all of the performers and animals in the circus. Sentences that bridge pages, sound words ("Wheee!"), and colorful, action-filled illustrations lead Little Monkey to a final good night and make for an entertaining bedtime story.

Reviewer: Beth L. Meister

(3) 1-3 Ready-to-Read series. Illustrated by Sylvie Wickstrom. Sadie and Samuel are a well-matched country couple: each approves of the other's wacky ideas. Sadie washes Samuel's overalls with him still inside, Samuel paints the fence all different colors, and Sadie cuts up Samuel's Sunday clothes for a quilt he can use not just on Sunday but every day. The cartoonish figures and broadly textured brush strokes of the illustrations match the amiable tone of these six brief chapters.

Reviewer: Martha Sibert

(3) 4-6 Illustrated by Michael Steirnagle. Fourteen narrative poems recount the courage of girls--some who grew up to be famous, some who remained unknown--who performed acts of daring, whether saving a train from imminent disaster or simply learning to read. Amelia Earhart, Sacajawea, Rachel Carson, Wilma Rudolph, and Golda Meir are some of the verses' celebrity heroes. Handsome oil paintings rendered in rich colors illustrate the inspiring collection. Bib.

Reviewer: Carolyn Shute

(2) PS Illustrated by Maggie Smith. The young heroine hauls her overnight bag up to Grandpa's porch, more than ready for her sleepover. Comical watercolors get this duo just right, and the rollicking, rhyming text suits the lively grandchild, who parades around with Grandpa--and stalls for time--unearthing letter by letter the contents of her bag. This charmer may keep young readers up at night stalling for bedtime with their own alphabetical treasures.

Reviewer: Susan P. Bloom | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 1999

(3) PS This exuberant celebration of toes and feet follows a young girl's foot-first wanderings from morning ("Good morning, toes") to night ("Good night, feet"). The spirited, rhyming text and sunny shoe-fest illustrations (complete with alligator slippers and feathered pumps) present a foot-loose experience despite the lack of a story line.

Reviewer: The Horn Book, Inc.