(3) PS Illustrated by Rosalinde Bonnet. Lamb Pablo has never seen snow before, so he sneaks out of his cozy barn to investigate. After an enjoyable day with new friends, he gets lost in the dark. Happily, Mama and Papa come to his rescue. Both the spare text and mixed-media illustrations acknowledge the anxiety of this relatable-to-preschoolers predicament, but visual humor, a muted palette, and rounded shapes offer reassurance.

Reviewer: Katie Bircher

(3) PS Illustrated by Rosalinde Bonnet. In this silly-spooky counting book, ten witches all take off on the same broom. Things go downhill fast as they squabble and push, a spell is cast, and one by one they fall off (no one's injured) until only one remains to "zoom" off into the night. Humorous ink and watercolor illustrations (featuring some familiar creepy creatures) are coupled with bewitching rhymes.

Reviewer: Katie Sutton

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Stefano Vitale. In 1879, a little girl discovered Stone Age cave paintings in Spain. This book, based on the artwork she found, starts off as a rhyming creation story set to the rhythm of "There Was an Old Woman Who Swallowed a Fly." It's not a natural fit, though the cumulative aspect is effective. Stunning mixed-media illustrations feature fluid shapes and vivid hues.

Reviewer: Miriam Steinberg-Egeth

(2) K-3 Illustrated by R. W. Alley. In Sloat's cumulative verse, a proper Edwardian household ends up in bedlam when Mom goes downtown. A brother and sister head for the cookie jar; the crumbs attract a mouse; the cat chases the mouse, and so on. In the end, everyone, including Dad, pitches in to clean up. Alley's detailed illustrations convey the pandemonium without falling into chaos themselves.

Reviewer: Kitty Flynn | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2005

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Teri Sloat. After hearing the old women complain about crowberries--the dry, tasteless berries growing on the tundra--young Anana constructs four dolls in different colors. On the moonlit tundra, she enchants the dolls, making them come alive and tumble down the hill, leaving delicious blueberries, cranberries, salmonberries, and raspberries in their wake. Jubilant illustrations accompany this well-paced pourquoi tale.

Reviewer: Bridget McCaffrey

(3) K-3 When Christmas mail begins to pile up, Harold, an aardvark angel, summons his friends to help sort and deliver letters all over the globe and beyond. In this rhyme, set to the tune of "Hark! The Herald Angels Sing," the cheerful illustrations show aardvark angels delivering red envelopes, among others, mailed by a girl in the beginning of the book. The musical score is included.

Reviewer: Patricia Riley

(2) PS Illustrated by Nadine Bernard Westcott. In his third book, lanky Farmer Brown shears his sheep and then takes the wool to be carded, spun, and dyed, all the while unaware of the unrest fomenting amongst his now-shivering sheep. When he finally realizes their plight, he sits down to knit the yarn into colorful sweaters. This book is distinguished by the energy and humor of the illustrations and the charm of the rhyming text. It's also informative on the process: raw wool to cardigans.

Reviewer: Martha V. Parravano | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2000

(3) K-3 This rhyming alphabet book traces the progress of a pumpkin patch, from spring plowing to harvesting to saving next year's seeds. Panels at the bottom of each vibrant page show animals that visit the patch, one animal for each letter of the alphabet. Readers may have to look up "xylem," the only plant term used, but there's a lot to enjoy in this survey of life in the pumpkin patch.

Reviewer: Martha Sibert

(2) PS Illustrated by Nadine Bernard Westcott. When a twister whisks Farmer Brown and his animals through the air, it lands them safely back home, but dramatically altered. "His cows oinked, / The pigs moo'd, / His sheep clucked, / The cat coo'd." Sloat's frisky verse captures all this barnyard bungle, and artist Westcott delivers cartoon watercolor animals whose humor is apparent even before the twister arrives.

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

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Reynold Ruffins. In this Pacific Northwest version of "There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly," an old woman swallows a trout, a salmon, a whale, and the ocean, among other things. With her skirt billowing around her immense stomach, this supernatural woman rises up into the sky until everything comes flowing back out. The paintings' bold, rich colors and patterns reflect the simple, curvilinear folk art of native cultures of the area.

Reviewer: Suzy Schmidt