(3) K-3 Poetry Adventures series. Illustrated by Andy Rowland. After a simple description of the form and its "few simple rules," this volume introduces young readers to the limerick with twenty-six silly, kid-friendly examples ("'Ahoy!' said a pirate named MARRRRty, / who was fun loving, healthy, and heARRRRRty") that teachers will appreciate, too. Rowland's cartoons capably reflect the poems' form-appropriate slapstick absurdity. Reading list, websites.

Reviewer: Katrina Hedeen

(3) K-3 Poetry Adventures series. Illustrated by Andy Rowland. In another accessible poetry primer, Cleary gives a brief introduction to acrostics, with tips for kids to write their own. What follows are twenty-six examples using a wide variety of words--from Halloween to Piranha to Hot Dog--as subjects. The poems are all amusing and kid-friendly, each paired with a wacky illustration that reflects its humor. Reading list, websites.

Reviewer: Katrina Hedeen

(3) K-3 Poetry Adventures series. Illustrated by Andy Rowland. In this installment, Cleary introduces the perennially kid-friendly concrete poem. The twenty-three poems and accompanying illustrations acquaint readers with the form: e.g., "Orange or blue and full of helium floating up to reach the ceili-um" is in the shape of a balloon. This amusing collection invites young readers to play with both the sound and visualization of words. Reading list, websites.

Reviewer: Shara Hardeson

(3) K-3 Poetry Adventures series. Illustrated by Andy Rowland. Cleary introduces two traditional Japanese poetic forms, the well-known haiku and the less-familiar lantern. The thirty-five verses and accompanying illustrations feature good-natured, kid-pleasing fun (e.g., "Yummy": "When something's so good / you want to taste it again, / that's what burps are for"; and "Sneeze": "Sneeze-- / ah-CHOOOO-- / hurricane / out of my nose / blows"). This amusing collection can't miss with kids or teachers. Reading list, websites.

Reviewer: Amy Lois Cohn

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Andy Rowland. Gorilla Esther tries to be a good friend for Hanukkah, but the gifts she chooses are all spectacular failures, from huge socks for a diminutive monkey pal to a jogging suit for a slow turtle. Esther feels terrible--until she throws a Hanukkah party at which everyone swaps presents. Vivid mixed-media illustrations filled with amusing details accompany this silly, engaging story.

Reviewer: Martha V. Parravano | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2013

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Andy Rowland. Elephant Little Nelly reads a description of a mouse in a book--gray, big ears, skinny tail--and concludes that she is one. She finds and makes friends with a family of mice, one of which comes to a conclusion of her own from the same book. The humor is maintained visually, but the punch line ("books should always have pictures") veers off course.

Reviewer: Ariel Baker-Gibbs