(3) K-3 Illustrated by Helen Oxenbury. A strange creature is holed up in Rabbit's burrow, scaring animals away with fierce rhyming threats (e.g., "I'm the GIANT JUMPEREE and I'll squash you like a flea"). Mama Frog finally orders the Giant Jumperee to come out, revealing her own mischievous child. Oxenbury's expertly rendered illustrations, with their spot-on body language and facial expressions, lend an extra layer of comedy to this entertaining tale.

Reviewer: Martha Sibert

(2) PS Illustrated by Helen Oxenbury. Alice and Jack are playing in the backyard when they hear an eerie chant from the forest. Jack worries it might be the Wicked Wolf; Alice wants to investigate. While there's suspenseful visual progression from light to gloom in the pencil and watercolor illustrations, this don't-be-afraid bedtime story never gets too scary; the eventual appearance of the wolf--and her pups!--is sweet indeed.

Reviewer: Roger Sutton | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2017

(3) PS Illustrated by Helen Oxenbury. Jack and his crew create a ship made of sand, battle fearsome pirates, and find a picnic full of treasures. The text and illustrations depict a perfect day at the seaside complete with an ice cream treat. Oxenbury's signature illustrations give the text an added layer of sweetness and capture Jack's imaginative adventure.

Reviewer: Kari Allen

(2) PS Illustrated by Helen Oxenbury. In this sequel to Charley's First Night, Henry pens Grampa an invitation to meet new family dog Charley. Grampa's got qualms ("Is he friendly or fierce?"), but by bedtime the two new friends are comfortably sharing a pillow. No surprises here, just a deliciously cozy vignette blessed with artful illustrations by Oxenbury.

Reviewer: Joanna Rudge Long | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2013

(4) PS Translated by F. Isabel Campoy. Illustrated by Helen Oxenbury. The Spanish text in this bilingual board-book edition is as enjoyable as the original English. Campoy's translation retains the wonderful rhythm and rhyme, making this a great read-aloud in both languages. Oxenbury's irresistible illustrations, featuring a multicultural cast, don't lose much in the smaller size, though the additional lines of text crowd the pages a bit.

Reviewer: Belinda Arrendondo

(2) PS Illustrated by Helen Oxenbury. Young Henry agrees to his new puppy Charley sleeping in the kitchen "forever." His parents are "pretty clear" about this, though Henry and Charley disagree and--not surprisingly--are both in Henry's bed by night's end. Henry's forthright account is extended by subtle details in Oxenbury's art. An unsentimental, yet adorable, recasting of an ever-reliable theme.

Reviewer: Joanna Rudge Long | Horn Book Magazine Issue: January, 2013

(2) PS Illustrated by Helen Oxenbury. In this classically sweet picture book, two preschoolers and a toddler build a cardboard-box fortress and protect it from dragons until darkness falls and their parents take them home. Bently's unforced rhyming couplets swing along, and Oxenbury, in gentle watercolors and crosshatched line drawings, showcases her gift for portraying the personalities and relationships of young children.

Reviewer: Sarah Ellis | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2011

(4) PS Illustrated by Helen Oxenbury. A young boy awaits the birth of his sibling and imagines possible futures for the baby. Burningham's text has an ambiguous relationship with the pictures and the pacing is awkward, but Oxenbury's beautiful illustrations convey the warmth of the relationship between mother and child.

Reviewer: Maeve Visser Knoth

(1) PS Illustrated by Helen Oxenbury. With each repetition of the text's refrain, two babies join a multiethnic playgroup, reinforcing their commonalities: "And both of these babies, / as everyone knows, / had ten little fingers / and ten little toes." Fox's lilting verse just has to be read aloud, and Oxenbury's spacious illustrations, featuring her irresistible round-headed tots, will engage even the youngest listeners.

Reviewer: Kitty Flynn | Horn Book Magazine Issue: January, 2009

(3) PS Illustrated by Helen Oxenbury. As a little boy watches his puppy and chicks, he can see they're getting bigger. What's harder to observe is his own growth--until he takes out his winter clothes from the previous year. Oxenbury's soft watercolors breathe new life into this sixty-year-old story. The boy is depicted as curious, pensive, and ultimately joyous when he discovers, "I'm growing too."

Reviewer: Patricia Riley

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Helen Oxenbury. This pop-up does justice to the original. Because the story is so full of movement, it lends itself well to scenes popping up and tabs being pulled as the family ventures out on the bear hunt then races home. All of Oxenbury's marvelous illustrations are here, and the text is also complete, so the experience isn't lessened for the reader.

Reviewer: Terri Schmitz | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 1989

(1) K-3 Illustrated by Helen Oxenbury. Big Momma is large, round, and as unperturbed as the cloud on which she sits; as powerful as her quintessential mother love for "that little baby sitting on her hip"; as creative as her male counterpart. The superb illustrations surprise the eye with their joyous variety. Among the many creation retellings and variations, this one takes the cake for most lovable, and for most benign deity, too--without sacrificing an iota of authority or reverence.

Reviewer: Joanna Rudge Long | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2003

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Helen Oxenbury. Iconoclast Franny insists on keeping her frizzy red hair long and wild. A family reunion prompts her mother (whose own unique style is revealed in the art) to put her high heel down--Franny must have her hair neatly pinned up. When a bird settles into the poof of hair on her head, however, Franny sees potential in her new look. Oxenbury's spirited illustrations take full advantage of the comic opportunities in the well-told story.

Reviewer: Kitty Flynn | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 2001

(1) 4-6 Illustrated by Helen Oxenbury. This fat volume, printed on sturdy stock, has invitingly large type, wide margins, and a generosity of illustrations, including full-color double-page spreads, color vignettes, and additional sketches throughout. Oxenbury has created a magical world with funny, fabulous creatures and inviting landscapes. Her art has a sweetness of tone and an amiable spirit that recommend this edition for precocious younger listeners as well as for those in the middle grades.

Reviewer: Joanna Rudge Long | Horn Book Magazine Issue: January, 2000