(4) K-3 Illustrated by Kent Culotta. Martin, who's visiting his cousin Marybeth in Kentucky, receives state-specific gifts (e.g., "11 fiddlers fiddling"), one per day, during the twelve days of Christmas. Chatty, overly explanatory letters written home to Mom and Dad expand on the information; additional Bluegrass State facts are appended to the story and a map precedes it. The cheerful illustrations incorporate each round of presents.

Reviewer: Katrina Hedeen

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Kent Culotta. Grandfather's backyard vegetable garden has produced a more-than-bountiful crop of tomatoes, so the grandparents and small grandson dance and romp from page to page distributing the excess to neighbors and friends all over town. The rhyming text is rather aimless, but the cartoony illustrations are sunny and lively, with juicy tomatoes on every page.

Reviewer: Paula M. Cairo

(4) PS Illustrated by Kent Culotta. With ready-made appeal for machine and tool lovers, this alphabet book shows a construction crew helping a family build an elaborate treehouse. Each letter introduces a tool or construction step with two rhyming couplets. Despite singsong tendencies, the text maintains alphabetic integrity without losing the work's flow. Soft-toned illustrations with rounded edges and smiling workers underscore the book's friendly vibe. Glos.

Reviewer: Dorrie Karlin

(3) PS Illustrated by Kent Culotta. A boy and his father encounter different trucks throughout the year. From a dump truck and concrete mixer to a street sweeper and delivery truck, they discover the major roles that trucks play in our everyday lives. The bouncy rhyming text does a great job of giving readers snippets of information, while the charmingly old-fashioned illustrations demonstrate what each truck does.

Reviewer: Julie Bartynski-Fenner

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Kent Culotta. Taxi driver Dan goes from home to home collecting musicians (e.g., "Here's Maureen with her tambourine") and takes them to the music club. From the stage the band realizes that there's something missing: Dan. This cumulative tale is so invigorating and the ending so right that young readers may not notice that there's hardly a child anywhere in the giddy-making illustrations.

Reviewer: Nell Beram