(4) K-3 Illustrated by Giusi Capizzi. One by one, twenty different animals arrive at Porcupine's picnic, each with its own food. When Tiger appears, the picnic comes to an abrupt end. Although warm, the digital art feels static, and the repetitive text lacks energy. A clarifying author's note explains that many of the animals would never meet and describes the differences between herbivores, carnivores, and omnivores.

Reviewer: Nancy Sheridan

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Jago. "Would a labor of moles / wear polka-dot ties / when it goes to work / for a business of flies?" Rhyming text features the proper collective noun terms (which may require some adult explanation) for thirty-three animal groups. Textured illustrations of often-personified animals will help readers pick up on the wordplay and enjoy the text's humor. Glos.

Reviewer: Rebecca Fox

(3) 4-6 In some free verse and some loosely rhymed poems, Rosenthal tells the story of her mother Edith's Depression-era childhood in a Jewish family with twelve children. The novel is episodic but gives personalities to the many siblings. Edith's first-person voice is touching and genuine; readers will maintain hope that she someday realize she's more than "just plain Edith / who's number four." Glos.

Reviewer: Shoshana Flax

(3) PS Illustrated by Nancy Cote. "Which shoes does Sherman choose on a rainy day? / Galoshes keep him dry when he goes out to play." This is one of ten questions with rhymed answers that concern a little boy and his footwear. The concept is clever, educational, suspenseful--and the execution's awfully cute. Gouache and watercolor-pencil illustrations show the rosy-cheeked tot beach-combing, hiking, and spending time with his family.

Reviewer: Nell Beram

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Margaret Chodos-Irvine. These twenty-eight verses celebrate the comforts of home and convey the experience of spending a day with the narrator as she appreciates what makes her house special to her. Reflections on the familiar make the poems accessible, and there's some lighthearted humor. The flat, patterned illustrations are impressionistic, leaving lots of space for readers to contemplate the music of their own dwellings.

Reviewer: Kitty Flynn | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2004