(3) K-3 Illustrated by Deborah Melmon. In line at a pizza place, Missy meets Jane, who exchanges Post-its from the restaurant's wall for her pizza. After Missy's dad explains that each Post-it represents a slice pre-purchased by another customer as a mitzvah (good deed), Missy is inspired to pay forward slices herself. Cheerful cartoonlike illustrations are a good match for the girls' friendship; an author's note describes the Philadelphia shop on which the story is based.

Reviewer: Rachel L. Smith

(4) K-3 Mouse Math series. Illustrated by Deborah Melmon. Mouse siblings Wanda and Albert have various adventures with their friends. Each purposeful story serves to illustrate a math concept--patterns (Bravo), adding doubles (Doubles the Fun), counting money (Helps Out), and counting and skip counting (Where's Albert?); some allow more variety of examples than others. The cheerful mice are illustrated in softly colored, well-delineated art. Two pages of "fun activities" are appended. Review covers these Mouse Math titles: Bravo, Albert!, Albert Doubles the Fun, Albert Helps Out, and Where's Albert?.

Reviewer: Katrina Hedeen

(4) K-3 Mouse Math series. Illustrated by Deborah Melmon. Mouse siblings Wanda and Albert have various adventures with their friends. Each purposeful story serves to illustrate a math concept--patterns (Bravo), adding doubles (Doubles the Fun), counting money (Helps Out), and counting and skip counting (Where's Albert?); some allow more variety of examples than others. The cheerful mice are illustrated in softly colored, well-delineated art. Two pages of "fun activities" are appended. Review covers these Mouse Math titles: Bravo, Albert!, Albert Doubles the Fun, Albert Helps Out, and Where's Albert?.

Reviewer: Katrina Hedeen

(4) K-3 Mouse Math series. Illustrated by Deborah Melmon. Mouse siblings Wanda and Albert have various adventures with their friends. Each purposeful story serves to illustrate a math concept--patterns (Bravo), adding doubles (Doubles the Fun), counting money (Helps Out), and counting and skip counting (Where's Albert?); some allow more variety of examples than others. The cheerful mice are illustrated in softly colored, well-delineated art. Two pages of "fun activities" are appended. Review covers these Mouse Math titles: Bravo, Albert!, Albert Doubles the Fun, Albert Helps Out, and Where's Albert?.

Reviewer: Katrina Hedeen

(4) K-3 Mouse Math series. Illustrated by Deborah Melmon. Mouse siblings Wanda and Albert have various adventures with their friends. Each purposeful story serves to illustrate a math concept--patterns (Bravo), adding doubles (Doubles the Fun), counting money (Helps Out), and counting and skip counting (Where's Albert?); some allow more variety of examples than others. The cheerful mice are illustrated in softly colored, well-delineated art. Two pages of "fun activities" are appended. Review covers these Mouse Math titles: Bravo, Albert!, Albert Doubles the Fun, Albert Helps Out, and Where's Albert?.

Reviewer: Katrina Hedeen

(4) 1-3 Adventures at Tabby Towers series. Illustrated by Deborah Melmon. Feline fanatics will delight in this over-the-top series set at cat hotel Tabby Towers. Eight-year-old girl Tabitha Catarina ("Tabby Cat, for short") and her grandparents care for a variety of cat "guests" while Tabby has adventures with her fellow cat-loving friends. Colorful illustrations enliven the repetitive texts. Each installment includes facts about a cat species and writing and discussion prompts. Glos. Review covers these Adventures at Tabby Towers titles: Boxing Bootsie and Disappearing Darcy.

Reviewer: Rebecca Kirshenbaum

(4) 1-3 Adventures at Tabby Towers series. Illustrated by Deborah Melmon. Feline fanatics will delight in this over-the-top series set at cat hotel Tabby Towers. Eight-year-old girl Tabitha Catarina ("Tabby Cat, for short") and her grandparents care for a variety of cat "guests" while Tabby has adventures with her fellow cat-loving friends. Colorful illustrations enliven the repetitive texts. Each installment includes facts about a cat species and writing and discussion prompts. Glos. Review covers these Adventures at Tabby Towers titles: Boxing Bootsie and Disappearing Darcy.

Reviewer: Rebecca Kirshenbaum

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Deborah Melmon. Biracial Sophie loves her grandmothers' cooking, but they don't like it when she compares Bubbe's kreplach to Nai Nai's wontons. At a family dinner, ingenious Sophie combines the two soups to emphasize that the soups contain more similarities than differences: "Presenting the first ever Jewish Chinese Kreplach Wonton Chicken Soup!" This family's story, lovingly depicted in the colorful illustrations, should resonate across cultures. Recipes included.

Reviewer: Sarah Hannah Gomez

(3) 1-3 Adventures at Hound Hotel series. Illustrated by Deborah Melmon. Narrator Alfie Wolfe and his twin sister Alfreeda help take care of the dogs at the family's dog hotel, learning things about themselves as they do. Informative doggie facts about specific breeds--in particular German shepherds (Crosby) and English bulldogs (Dudley)--are sprinkled throughout the texts and back matter, which also contain talking/writing prompts. Full-color illustrations punctuate the entertaining action. Glos. Review covers the following Adventures at Hound Hotel titles: Cool Crosby and Drooling Dudley.

Reviewer: Kari Allen

(3) 1-3 Adventures at Hound Hotel series. Illustrated by Deborah Melmon. Narrator Alfie Wolfe and his twin sister Alfreeda help take care of the dogs at the family's dog hotel, learning things about themselves as they do. Informative doggie facts about specific breeds--in particular German shepherds (Crosby) and English bulldogs (Dudley)--are sprinkled throughout the texts and back matter, which also contain talking/writing prompts. Full-color illustrations punctuate the entertaining action. Glos. Review covers the following Adventures at Hound Hotel titles: Cool Crosby and Drooling Dudley.

Reviewer: Kari Allen

(4) K-3 Mouse Math series. Illustrated by Deborah Melmon. Mouse siblings Albert and Wanda find a shoe in the People's yard and want to bring it into their playroom--will it fit? Albert has a birthday party and gets presents of all shapes and sizes. Accompanied by cheery illustrations of friendly mice, the stories are unsubtle but effective vehicles for introducing nonstandard units of measurement (Shoe) and 3D shapes (Wish). Activities appended. Review covers these Mouse Math titles: If the Shoe Fits and Make a Wish, Albert!,

Reviewer: Katrina Hedeen

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Deborah Melmon. Jake unknowingly sets off a positive chain reaction in his neighborhood with one small act of kindness, transforming it from "dark and gloomy" to "warm and sunny" as each neighbor decides to pay it forward. While clearly targeting a Jewish audience, the book uses the Hebrew word mitzvah (defined in the end matter) only once, and the detailed, relationship-focused illustrations portray a multicultural neighborhood.

Reviewer: Miriam Steinberg-Egeth

(4) K-3 Mouse Math series. Illustrated by Deborah Melmon. Mouse siblings Albert and Wanda find a shoe in the People's yard and want to bring it into their playroom--will it fit? Albert has a birthday party and gets presents of all shapes and sizes. Accompanied by cheery illustrations of friendly mice, the stories are unsubtle but effective vehicles for introducing nonstandard units of measurement (Shoe) and 3D shapes (Wish). Activities appended. Review covers these Mouse Math titles: If the Shoe Fits and Make a Wish, Albert!,

Reviewer: Katrina Hedeen

(4) K-3 Mouse Math series. Illustrated by Deborah Melmon. Mouse Albert excitedly starts school, and, because they "do something special every day," he learns to differentiate days of the week. On a trip to the "Mouseum," Albert learns his right from left while looking for his lost friend Penny. The lesson is front-and-center in each purposeful installment, but the friendly-looking mice will help young readers feel welcome. Activities are appended. Review covers the following Mouse Math titles: Albert Starts School and Lost in the Mouseum.

Reviewer: Katrina Hedeen

(4) K-3 Mouse Math series. Illustrated by Deborah Melmon. Mouse Albert excitedly starts school, and, because they "do something special every day," he learns to differentiate days of the week. On a trip to the "Mouseum," Albert learns his right from left while looking for his lost friend Penny. The lesson is front-and-center in each purposeful installment, but the friendly-looking mice will help young readers feel welcome. Activities are appended. Review covers the following Mouse Math titles: Albert Starts School and Lost in the Mouseum.

Reviewer: Katrina Hedeen

(4) K-3 Mouse Math series. Illustrated by Deborah Melmon. Mouse siblings Albert and Wanda play in the "People House playroom" and learn about sorting, attributes, and classification when it's time to put the toys away (Mess). Albert adds more and more toys to trade for Wanda's copy of the new Captain Slime book (Adds). The purposeful stories' soft, friendly illustrations welcome children to the early math lessons. "Fun activities" are appended. Review covers these Mouse Math titles: A Mousy Mess and Albert Adds Up!.

Reviewer: Katrina Hedeen

(4) K-3 Mouse Math series. Illustrated by Deborah Melmon. Mouse siblings Albert and Wanda play in the "People House playroom" and learn about sorting, attributes, and classification when it's time to put the toys away (Mess). Albert adds more and more toys to trade for Wanda's copy of the new Captain Slime book (Adds). The purposeful stories' soft, friendly illustrations welcome children to the early math lessons. "Fun activities" are appended. Review covers these Mouse Math titles: A Mousy Mess and Albert Adds Up!.

Reviewer: Katrina Hedeen

(4) K-3 Mouse Math series. Illustrated by Deborah Melmon. Mouse Albert sets out to make muffins ("By myself!"). He finds he's fresh out of the first ingredient, then the second, third, and so on, but thanks to his neighbors' generosity, the baking project is a success. Softly illustrated, friendly-looking mice welcome readers to the contrived but effective primer on ordinal numbers (with a bonus lesson on sharing). Two activity pages are appended.

Reviewer: Katrina Hedeen

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Deborah Melmon. During a drought little Gecko perseveres when all the other animals give up trying to stomp their way down to the water underground. When Gecko finally reaches water, Elephant tries to take his moment of triumph away, but all the other animals recognize his accomplishment. Humorous digitally manipulated illustrations enhance this lively tale that invites audience participation.

Reviewer: Melinda Greenblatt

(4) K-3 Mouse Math series. Illustrated by Deborah Melmon. Living in the walls of a "people house," mouse siblings Wanda and Albert have various adventures with their friends. Each purposeful story serves to illustrate a math concept, including number sequencing and comparing sizes, with some concepts allowing more variety of examples than others. The cheerful mice are aptly illustrated by softly colored, well-delineated art. Two activity pages are appended. Review covers these Mouse Math titles: Count Off, Squeak Scouts!, Albert's Bigger Than Big Idea, Albert's Amazing Snail, Mice on Ice, The Mousier the Merrier!, Albert Keeps Score, and The Right Place for Albert.

Reviewer: Frieda F. Bostian