(3) K-3 I Can Read Book series. Illustrated by Troy Cummings. Clarence, the superheroic picture-book truck, returns in these charming early readers. Clarence makes short work of his farm chores by secretly transforming himself into a super vehicle (Farm); he teaches news chopper Stella when to use her outdoor and indoor voices (Traffic); and he babysits for energetic truck-tots (Zip). Cummings's signature chunk-tastic art is, yes, super. Review covers these I Can Read Book titles: Mighty Truck: On the Farm, Mighty Truck: The Traffic Tie-Up, and Mighty Truck: Zip and Beep.

Reviewer: Nell Beram

(3) K-3 I Can Read Book series. Illustrated by Troy Cummings. Clarence, the superheroic picture-book truck, returns in these charming early readers. Clarence makes short work of his farm chores by secretly transforming himself into a super vehicle (Farm); he teaches news chopper Stella when to use her outdoor and indoor voices (Traffic); and he babysits for energetic truck-tots (Zip). Cummings's signature chunk-tastic art is, yes, super. Review covers these I Can Read Book titles: Mighty Truck: On the Farm, Mighty Truck: The Traffic Tie-Up, and Mighty Truck: Zip and Beep.

Reviewer: Nell Beram

(3) K-3 I Can Read Book series. Illustrated by Troy Cummings. Clarence, the superheroic picture-book truck, returns in these charming early readers. Clarence makes short work of his farm chores by secretly transforming himself into a super vehicle (Farm); he teaches news chopper Stella when to use her outdoor and indoor voices (Traffic); and he babysits for energetic truck-tots (Zip). Cummings's signature chunk-tastic art is, yes, super. Review covers these I Can Read Book titles: Mighty Truck: On the Farm, Mighty Truck: The Traffic Tie-Up, and Mighty Truck: Zip and Beep.

Reviewer: Nell Beram

(4) PS Illustrated by Troy Cummings. Rusty truck Clarence is also the heroic Mighty Truck, unbeknownst to his best friend, cement mixer Bruno. When a crisis occurs at Muddymania, Clarence saves the day (with Bruno's help), revealing his secret identity to his accepting friend. Though pacing and transitions are a bit choppy, young truck and superhero fans should still be entertained. Occasional speech bubbles and the digital illustrations add cartoon flair.

Reviewer: Russell Perry

(3) PS Illustrated by Troy Cummings. A boy orders a pet kitten but gets a lion instead, along with a fourteen-step guide that serves as the text for this story. The guide's black-and-white diagrams are incorporated in the cartoon-style illustrations, and the contrast between the boy's experiences and the straight-faced diagrams is humorously absurd. The boy is persistent and caring, and the lion is rambunctious and loving.

Reviewer: Miriam Steinberg-Egeth

(3) PS Illustrated by Troy Cummings. After he stops at a car wash to get clean, truck Clarence is transformed into Mighty Truck and performs acts of superpowered heroism. This book will thrill the truck- and superhero-besotted; what's more, with its secret-identity twist--Clarence's boss doesn't recognize him as Mighty Truck--it's ripe for a sequel. Cummings infuses his sleek, chunky digital illustrations with an improbable amount of heart.

Reviewer: Nell Beram

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Troy Cummings. Little Red Gliding Hood needs the perfect partner to help her win new ice skates, but all the other storybook characters are already paired off, leaving Little Red to team up with the Wolf. Fancy skating, repeating phrases, and plentiful fairy-tale references in both text and pictures will have readers cheering. Cummings's kinetic illustrations depict Red as brown-skinned, a welcome bit of casual diversity.

Reviewer: Kari Allen

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Troy Cummings. In each book, a kid visiting an out-of-state cousin receives state-specific gifts, one per day, during the twelve days of Christmas. Chatty, overly explanatory letters written home to Mom and Dad expand the information; additional state facts are appended to the stories. The books' cheerful illustrations get ever more crowded as the presents accumulate. Review covers these titles: The Twelve Days of Christmas in Oregon, The Twelve Days of Christmas in Ohio, The Twelve Days of Christmas in Indiana, and The Twelve Days of Christmas in Pennsylvania.

Reviewer: Elissa Gershowitz

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Troy Cummings. An author writing a story with "absolutely no bears" caves to children's offstage demands for "MORE BEARS!" The bear population increases exponentially until the author demands that they all leave. The execution of this offering's meta-narrative premise feels a little forced. Cummings's illustrations have a humorous retro style.

Reviewer: Bethany Templeton Klem