(2) 1-3 Illustrated by Harry Bliss. Timid terrier Rosie and middle-aged man George lead a humdrum life until she meets Saint Bernard Maurice and vivacious little Fifi at the dog park. Comic-book panels, with easy narrative text and balloon dialogue, make this a good choice for new readers; Bliss’s crisp line-and-watercolor illustrations are lovingly attentive to real dog poses. DiCamillo expertly drops musings about the quirks of friendship into the deceptively straightforward story.

Reviewer: Roger Sutton | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2018

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Harry Bliss. "My favorite pet is sheep," begins a farm boy's school paper. (The book's text resembles a child's handwriting on lined paper.) The ensuing report is made up not of traditional sheep facts but of entertaining lessons the boy learned while cavorting with his sheep (e.g., "You can't put sheep into a wheelbarrow"). New Yorker cartoonist Bliss's illustrations play like perfect punch lines.

Reviewer: Nell Beram

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Harry Bliss. Young museum visitors suggest reasons why the institution might acquire an object. Realizing the criteria ("It's beautiful," "It's different," etc.) apply to his grandmother, our hero decides to donate her. When his donation is declined, he depicts Grandma in various styles and media (with influences from Van Gogh to modern comics) and stages a one-man art show. Open-hearted watercolors match the uncomplicated text.

Reviewer: Sarah Ellis | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2015

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Harry Bliss. Witchling (A Very Brave Witch) chases her sugar high to a human neighborhood on Halloween night. Older sister cluelessly attempts a rescue mission--"free the hostage!"--while the friendly cartoon drawings make clear that Witchling is on this trick-or-treat adventure of her own free will. The visual treats and dead-funny wordplay in Bliss's autumnal illustrations extend to the endpapers.

Reviewer: Kitty Flynn | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2014

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Harry Bliss. Newlywed Solomon (author Snyder's grandfather) leaves turn-of-the-twentieth-century Russia for America. Soon he's earned enough to bring wife Anna over...but her younger brother steps off the ship. They earn enough for another passage...and Anna sends her older brother. Eventually the two lovebirds are reunited. Snyder's text is full of humor, as are Bliss's (Snyder's son-in-law) pictures, showing Old-World scenes but with a bright, digital look.

Reviewer: Elissa Gershowitz | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 2014

(3) K-3 I Can Read Book series. Illustrated by Harry Bliss. Written by Lori Haskins Houran. Pictures by John Nez. It's Mrs. Mulch's birthday, and Worm wants to give his teacher the right present. His friends and family try to help him think of an idea, but Worm ultimately puts the finishing touches on the perfect gift himself. Fans of the original Diary of a Worm picture book will enjoy this early reader filled with worm-y gags and friendly illustrations.

Reviewer: Kari Allen

(2) 1-3 Illustrated by Harry Bliss. Hank Wolowitz and his invisible bandapat, Inkling, return for their third Brooklyn-set adventure. For Thanksgiving, Hank's father is desperately working on a pumpkin-flavored ice cream that doesn't taste like baby food. Meanwhile, a vindictive dessert entrepreneur has set up her food truck in front of the Wolowitzes' shop. The chapters are short and snappy, and Bliss's illustrations add energy: fun for chapter book readers.

Reviewer: Robin L. Smith | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 2013

(2) 1-3 Illustrated by Harry Bliss. Hank (Invisible Inkling) is reeling from his (human) best friend's move, he doesn't have anyone to trick-or-treat with, and his invisible creature Inkling gets him in trouble. Come Halloween, Inkling proves himself to be a true friend. Jenkins's fantasy has strong sense of place and realistic family dynamic; Bliss's droll illustrations allow readers to see Inkling in all his furry glory.

Reviewer: Robin L. Smith | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2012

(2) 1-3 Illustrated by Harry Bliss. Fourth-grader Hank Wolowitz has a very special imaginary friend: an invisible, squash-loving, almost-extinct bandapat named Inkling, whose attempts to help Hank with a bully go spectacularly wrong. Children will find this cranky bandapat tale (enhanced with Harry Bliss's droll illustrations) hilarious and heartwarming. It's a perfect choice for an early school year read-aloud: straightforward, zippy plot, likable characters, and believable family.

Reviewer: Robin L. Smith | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 2011

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Harry Bliss. After explaining that witches are actually afraid of humans, a young witch goes in for a closer look. She bumps into some Halloween-goers before befriending a girl costumed as a witch. The story is on the slight side, but the black-ink and watercolor illustrations include playful details (e.g., a "Frank N. Stein" tombstone). This new edition has a compact trim size.

Reviewer: Susan Halperin

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Harry Bliss. Barnyard hen Louise longs for adventure. Leaving home, she's captured by pirates, chased by a lion, and kidnapped at a bazaar. Louise ultimately returns to tell her tales, and the book ends with a contented henhouse. DiCamillo masterfully conveys the fulfillment of sharing stories. Louise's adventures are exciting (and often funny), each dramatically shown in Bliss's sweeping watercolors.

Reviewer: Martha V. Parravano | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2008

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Harry Bliss. Like Diary of a Worm and Diary of a Spider, this book relays real-life information through Cronin's impeccable comedic timing in a way that makes the facts memorable. Bliss's illustrations, including additional pictures on the endpapers, incorporate many witty details. The short sentences and visual jokes make this a great selection for listeners and new readers alike.

Reviewer: Susan Dove Lempke | Horn Book Magazine Issue: January, 2008

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Harry Bliss. After explaining that witches are actually afraid of humans, a young witch goes in for a closer look. She falls off her broom trying to "trick a tree" and bumps into some Halloween-goers before befriending a girl costumed as a witch. The story is on the slight side, but the watercolor illustrations include playful details, such as a tombstone that reads "Frank N. Stein."

Reviewer: Susan Halperin

(2) PS Illustrated by Harry Bliss. "1. I am NOT a baby. 2. I'm a BIG kid. 3. So I do NOT need a stupid babysitter!" The small heroine of this story cannot prevent the inevitable--Mommy and Daddy are going out. But in text and cartoonlike pictures, the little girl is spunky, not forlorn. A snuggle in Mommy and Daddy's bed the next morning confirms that they didn't forget to come back--a very important point that can't be repeated too often for young children.

Reviewer: Lauren Adams | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2004

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Harry Bliss. A second grader warns an already anxious loose-toothed first grader that teacher Mrs. Watson is actually an alien tooth-stealer. ("She might look human, but don't be fooled.") Transitioning kindergartners will identify with the main character's fears, and audiences will enjoy finding the witty details in the cartoonlike illustrations, which convey both humor and comfort to the reader.

Reviewer: Maureen Mooney

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Harry Bliss. Brief, pithy diary entries record the ups and downs of a worm's life at home, in the classroom, and hanging out with his pal Spider. Cronin places her protagonist in situations that every kid can relate to ("I forgot my lunch today"), then adds a humorous twist specific to worms ("I ate my homework"). Bliss's whimsical illustrations add fun to a story that also includes a gentle message about ecology.

Reviewer: Peter D. Sieruta | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2003

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Harry Bliss. A girl approaches kindergarten with trepidation because she can't tie her own shoes (she has heard that knowing how is Rule #1). She spends ten days alternately hiding her shoelaces and practicing "loop, pull around, poke, and pull." The girl's true-to-childhood obsession is humorously played out in bold, cartoonlike illustrations; thought and dialogue balloons effectively augment the first-person narration.

Reviewer: Martha V. Parravano

(4) PS Illustrated by Harry Bliss. A rabbit asks a boy and girl the title question while pulling a variety of objects out of a hat. For the most part, the children make no response, choosing only to be a dog rather than a cat, a kid rather than a grownup, and, judging from their joint exit at the end, together rather than alone. While the book seems to have little point, the illustrations, which create a stage-like setting, are arresting.

Reviewer: Martha V. Parravano

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Harry Bliss. An overzealous principal decides to extend school time through the weekends, evenings, and finally summer vacation until Tillie tells him about the things they are not learning, such as tree climbing. While the illustrations of the mountain-like principal are benevolent and Creech's writing style is tight, this poke at self-indulgence in education has more to say to adults than to children.

Reviewer: Maeve Visser Knoth