(3) 4-6 Illustrated by Larry Day. A series of first-person poems relate slave siblings Jeb and Mattie's escape to freedom in New Bedford, Massachusetts, on the Underground Railroad. Additional voices of slave owners, slave catchers, and Underground Railroad conductors provide a fuller understanding of the dangers risked for freedom. Day's large, muted illustrations ably capture the siblings' harrowing experiences. Extensive historical notes and endpaper maps add value. Reading list. Bib.

Reviewer: Carolyn Shute

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Patrice Barton. Thirty-five poems cover the school year, from "Bus Stop" to "Sing a Song of Summer," with lots of everyday experiences in between. Winters's poems are short, mostly upbeat, and funny, and she playfully uses punctuation and capitalization for emphasis and to create pauses. Barton's digital pictures feature exuberant and active children who seem to be around first grade–age, with a range of skin colors and ethnicities.

Reviewer: Susan Dove Lempke | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2018

(3) 4-6 Illustrated by Larry Day. One-page free-verse monologues describe perilous conditions, experiences (a wedding, a birth, several deaths), and a persevering determination to soldier on. Pen-and-ink and earth-toned watercolor illustrations offer a personalized view of the era, while the first-person accounts provide a glimpse into the hardships and joy of the journey from multiple perspectives, pioneer and Native American. Historical notes are appended. Reading list.

Reviewer: Rita Soltan

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Katherine Kirkland. Mischievous and curious bear cubs Gabby and Pete leave their campground and explore a school undetected, making messes and wreaking havoc (rocking out in the music room, setting class pets free, etc.). The simple story arc ends rather anticlimactically, and the cubs are sent back home with a "bears will be bears" from the park ranger. Friendly, soft-focus illustrations endear the fuzzy, harmless troublemakers.

Reviewer: Kari Allen

(4) 1-3 Illustrated by Katherine Kirkland. When Pete and Gabby, two playful and oblivious bear cubs, leave the safety of their campground and explore the nearby town, predictable hijinks ensue. Told from the perspective of the bears, this friendly beginning chapter book features a simple plot, straightforward narration, and serviceable illustrations.

Reviewer: Kari Allen

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Renée Andriani. On the first day of school, the teacher asks: "What do you hope will happen this year?" The kids provide some humorous responses. Accompanying illustrations expand upon each request; e.g., a wish for "a field trip to someplace really cool" is shown as a trip to an anti-gravity chamber. It's an entertaining and reassuring presentation.

Reviewer: Sarah Novogrodsky

(3) PS Illustrated by Jeannie Winston. "Whooo's that prancing...in the park? / Whooo's that...prowling in the dark?" Why, it's trick-or-treaters, of course, as revealed on the book's final page. The volume is enhanced by its appealing trim size, the many engaging lift-the-flaps, and the softly spooky and expressive characters waiting to be uncovered from behind toothy jack-o'-lanterns.

Reviewer: Rebecca Hachmyer

(3) 4-6 Illustrated by Larry Day. Spare poems in the voices of a variety of colonists respond to the Tea Act of 1773. Culminating with the Boston Tea Party, this collection shares the points of view of patriots, loyalists, and others as they consider how to respond to the tax. Vivid watercolor and ink illustrations enhance each individual’s story. Historical notes are appended. Reading list. Glos.

Reviewer: Juliet S. King

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Denise Brunkus. Grade schooler Oliver thinks his teacher would make a great president. His examples ("She's always signing important papers") are shown on double-page spreads that contrast classroom experiences (the teacher signs a bathroom pass) with presidential events (she's shown signing a bill into law). The one-joke text and illustrations are mildly entertaining, though adults may be more amused than children.

Reviewer: Peter D. Sieruta

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Lynn Munsinger. When his school announces a "Make a Monster" contest for Halloween, the teeny tiny ghost reacts fearfully and is then teased by his classmates. However, the timid protagonist ends up winning the contest by creating a "friendly monster" from discarded objects. The ending is predictable, but the gentle illustrations add the right touch to this tale of making the best of a scary situation.

Reviewer: Peter D. Sieruta

(3) 4-6 Illustrated by Barry Moser & Barry Moser. On parchment-colored paper, with Moser's desert-toned, arid-looking art showing the various occupations portrayed, this series of free verse poems speaks in the voices of ancient Egyptian workers--from scribe to embalmer to clothes-washer. The verse is picturesque and apt, signaling an ancient culture without being stiff, and the accurate illustrations complete the portrait. Historical note. Bib.

Reviewer: Anita L. Burkam

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Nancy Carpenter. This picture book biography emphasizes young Abe's love of learning, which made him ill suited to the rough physical lifestyle of the frontier. Although the text is laid out like free-verse poetry, it reads like prose, and the lively oil paintings, which glow with outdoorsy shades of yellow and orange, add humor. An author's note offers additional facts about Lincoln's adulthood and presidency. Bib.

Reviewer: Anne St. John

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Doug Cushman. This book, which will likely strike a chord with readers, offers humorous variations on the complaint in the title. A girl tells Mom: "Everybody has a messy room," "Nobody has to practice," and "Nobody walks to school." The imaginative illustrations show wildly exaggerated examples of how "everybody else" lives; other children, for example, get to school by ostrich, limo, or flying saucer.

Reviewer: Martha Sibert

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Laura Regan. Winters's spare and forthright prose poem tells the story of how one independent tigress raises her cubs, protecting them from danger and teaching them to behave, swim, and hunt. Winters adeptly uses onomatopoeia, subtle rhymes, and deliberate rhythms to pace the dramatic narrative. Regan's detailed paintings, though dark, reflect the poise and prowess of the tigress herself.

Reviewer: Emma Loy-Santelli

(4) 1-3 Yearling First Choice Chapter Book series. Illustrated by Martha Weston. Although Mike is excited about his upcoming visit to his grandmother for Easter, he worries that the Easter Bunny won't find him there. After he draws a map directing the Easter Bunny to Grandma's, he discovers her front door is blue, not green as he had colored it on his map. Cheerful illustrations accompany this engaging if stiff easy chapter book.

Reviewer: Patricia Riley

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Lynn Munsinger. When the teeny tiny ghost finds his own home haunted, he's terrified, but he knows he has to investigate. Drawing on all the courage he can muster, he finally discovers his older cousin practicing his Hide-and-Haunt homework. Munsinger's watercolor and ink illustrations of floating ghosts add to the humor in this story of learning to overcome fear.

Reviewer: Patricia Riley

(4) K-3 First Choice Chapter Book series. Illustrated by Brian Lies. Published spring 1998. This slight chapter book features two curious and mischievous bear cubs who meddle with a young boy and his family during their camping trip in the woods. Although the book features a silly plot, readers will enjoy knowing the source of the mischief before the parents do. Color cartoon illustrations accompany the short chapters.

Reviewer: Sheila M. Geraty