(3) K-3 Illustrated by Joseph Kelly. Groups of animals identified by collective nouns--"an army of Ants," "a sloth of Bears," "a bask of Crocodiles"--enjoy the pleasures of a seaside town in this entertaining alphabet book. Clever art reveals the text’s witticisms; "a bloat of Hippos," for example, exercises on stationary bicycles. The close-up perspective puts readers in the middle of the frequently raucous action.

Reviewer: Martha Sibert

(3) 1-3 Illustrated by Joseph Kelly. Likable boy-next-door Martin learns a few more lessons about family and friends in two episodic stories. In "Keyboard," Martin eventually comes around to supporting his mother's enthusiasm for music--despite her lack of talent. In "Rope" he recognizes true courage when his sometimes-friend Laila joins the all-boy Junior Badger scouts. Lively black-and-white illustrations round out these engaging tales.

Reviewer: Marika Jeffrey

(3) 1-3 Illustrated by Joseph Kelly. Martin Bridge is at it again in these realistic and engaging stories about a boy's everyday experiences at home and school. Whether fantasizing about the latest Zip Rideout game, building bicycles, dealing with friends and family, or working on science fair projects, Martin is a perfectly likable imperfect kid. Funny and expressive black-and-white illustrations give the stories extra punch. Review covers these titles: Martin Bridge, in High Gear! and Martin Bridge, the Sky's the Limit!

Reviewer: Marika Jeffrey

(3) 1-3 Illustrated by Joseph Kelly. Martin Bridge is at it again in these realistic and engaging stories about a boy's everyday experiences at home and school. Whether fantasizing about the latest Zip Rideout game, building bicycles, dealing with friends and family, or working on science fair projects, Martin is a perfectly likable imperfect kid. Funny and expressive black-and-white illustrations give the stories extra punch. Review covers these titles: Martin Bridge, in High Gear! and Martin Bridge, the Sky's the Limit!

Reviewer: Marika Jeffrey

(3) 1-3 Illustrated by Joseph Kelly. In the first story, Martin struggles with his feelings about a braggy classmate. In the second, he falls from his tree house while trying to emulate his hero, Zip Rideout. The people in Martin's world are kind, helpful, and caring, and the characters' emotions are real and believable. Frequent graphite and charcoal illustrations add to the book's richness.

Reviewer:

(2) 1-3 Illustrated by Joseph Kelly. Martin Bridge is growing up. In the first story, he feels like everyone is making fun of his little-boy interests. In the second story, Martin and his friend get locked inside a toy store. Martin continues to be such a believable character, it's like Kerrin is channeling a real boy. The charcoal and graphite illustrations are perfectly suited to the writing.

Reviewer: Robin L. Smith | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2007

(2) 1-3 Illustrated by Joseph Kelly. In the two stories in this book, Martin does the things boys do in the summer: camps with the scouts (a jar of green slime figures prominently) and watches his favorite superhero cartoon. Martin is a real boy with parents who allow him to find his own way, a rarity in today's early chapter books. Expressive graphite and charcoal sketches add an extra dimension.

Reviewer: Robin L. Smith | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2006

(1) 1-3 Illustrated by Joseph Kelly. Martin Bridge means well, but his wonderful plans don't always turn out right. Slice-of-life incidents, presented in three stand-alone chapters, ring with truth and familiarity because Martin is no cookie-cutter elementary school boy. Frequent gentle graphite-and-charcoal illustrations add exuberance and dimension to the text. A rich story for new chapter-book readers, who will be more than ready for Martin Bridge.

Reviewer: Rachel L. Smith | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2005