(3) PS Illustrated by Mary Peterson. In this appealing vehicular twist on the traditional lullaby, a wide-awake red car cruises along a yellow road, beeping good night to tractors, trucks, taxis, and more. After a zippy ride, the now-sleepy car putt-putts home, where its own "beep-beep dreams begin." Soft gray and luminous yellow dominate the retro linoleum-block prints, giving the proceedings a calm atmosphere, despite the little car's (initially) high energy.

Reviewer: Carolyn Shute

(3) PS Illustrated by Mary Peterson. "I dig in the dirt... / and find a worm. / Worm wiggles. I dig in the dirt... / and find a rock. / Rock sits." A boy digs and finds various items in a garden until he creates something new: mud. The satisfyingly barely-there text is illustrated with digitally touched up linoleum block prints with a suitably gritty look.

Reviewer: Nell Beram

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Mary Peterson. Wooby lives a quiet, rather lonely life in a neighborhood where people keep to themselves. When flamboyant, unconventional Peep moves in, Wooby expects trouble--and gets it. However, the two do have something in common, and they become friends in the end. Detailed cartoon-style illustrations and comical commentary from the animal neighbors add pizzazz to a familiar story line.

Reviewer: Martha Sibert

(3) PS Illustrated by Mary Peterson. Two little piggies make mischief on the farm, "under crinkly, clean sheets, / over growing, green beans, / behind snoring, sleepy sheep, / into the clover field." Their entertaining adventures are shown in digitally colored pencil illustrations with round-faced, smiling farm animals. The alliterative, rhythmic text makes for an ear-pleasing read-aloud.

Reviewer: Elissa Gershowitz

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Mary Peterson. A barnacle, sea urchin, starfish, mussel, hermit crab, and other tide-pool dwellers introduce readers to their watery habitat--and individual habits--in rhyming first-person poems. The verse is uneven, but the lighthearted approach and colorful, cartoony illustrations will likely make a splash with kids. Brief information about the specific critter follows each poem. Reading list, websites. Glos.

Reviewer: Carolyn Shute

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Mary Peterson. Five short chapters depict the daily lives of a pair of earthworm best friends. Wiggle and Waggle exercise teamwork and sing a song as they loosen the earth in a garden, also making time to take a picnic break. The easy-to-read text and friendly digitally colored pencil illustrations tell an amusing story while also imparting some facts about earthworms and gardens.

Reviewer: David Elzey