(4) K-3 Illustrated by Bonnie Leick. On his first day of school, Little Monster is guided through his day by kind teacher Mr. Drool and new friend Fang. Eventually, the worried-looking little creature becomes eager for another day. Leick's watercolors--with gobs of not-too-gruesome monster-ish details (rats, cobwebs, creepy-crawlies, drool, etc.)--add originality to the oft-told first-day-of-school drama recounted in the singsongy rhymes.

Reviewer: Rebecca Reed Whidden

(3) PS Illustrated by Bonnie Leick. A soothing rhyme describes a doe-eyed little monster's familiar (mostly) bedtime routine: "Bathtime, Little Monster / Scrub every scale. / Remember to wash / your plump, pointy tail." Mom even gives a peek under the bed, showing that there are "no scary children"--just a bat, spider, and rat. Engaging up-close watercolor illustrations enhance the story's monster-centric details in this loving bedtime tale.

Reviewer: Carrie Harasimowicz Sullivan

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Bonnie Leick. A girl hopes for "a day that never ends," and the moon grants her wish. She eventually realizes, "Nighttime is the time for rest, / a time to gain energy for a new day." The Spanish translation isn't an exact match for the English text; though lyrical, both are awkward in places. The soothing pastoral illustrations resemble greeting-card art.

Reviewer: Tim Wadham

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Bonnie Leick. After two weeks at Wolf Camp, Maddie acts in a most peculiar manner--howling at fire trucks, sniffing and snarling at the family dog, and even eating a grasshopper. Eventually she gets back to (almost) normal, just in time for Bear Camp the next summer. McKy's deadpan delivery and the illustrations of Maddie's wolflike behavior make for an amusing, offbeat book.

Reviewer: Martha Sibert

(4) 4-6 Illustrated by Bonnie Leick. A failing jazz club's impending foreclosure threatens a cockroach colony that lives in the shabby building. One of the bugs, Impetuous Roach (a.k.a. Impy), embarks on a plan to save both the club and the entire colony. Though the story lacks real suspense, the insect main characters make for a unique point of view.

Reviewer: Bethany Templeton Klem