(3) K-3 Illustrated by Amanda Shepherd. In this book's two separate stories, Mouse builds a house with her friends' help and tries to catch a "ghost" but snags a new friend instead. Organized into brief chapters, both stories are told through a playful irregular rhyme scheme and feature compelling illustrations with a pleasant home-sweet-home feel. The package as a whole is oddly charming.

Reviewer: Miriam Steinberg-Egeth

(3) PS Illustrated by Amanda Shepherd. Rhyming text follows the antics of one silly baby whose every excursion--to the zoo, circus, and farm--results in being left behind while Mom departs with an animal replacement ("...there was a hitch... / my baby got switched, / and I went home with a buffalo!"). Rollicking oil-paint illustrations make use of round-edged shapes to show Mom's and Baby's fantastic adventures.

Reviewer: Cindy Lombardo

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Amanda Shepherd. When "half a moon shines through her window," Fiona wakes up, leaves her room, and goes out to explore the nocturnal world. She stargazes, sings to a mockingbird, and visits her night garden of angels' trumpets and moonflowers. Gentle, rhythmic text skims across the pages like cool night air, accompanied by deep-hued impressionistic paintings.

Reviewer: Elissa Gershowitz

(4) PS Illustrated by Amanda Shepherd. Prompted by a pajama-clad girl, a cat names the people who love her; the girl provides commentary. Given the book's meandering quality, its anticlimactic ending (the two fall asleep) is perhaps all we can expect. Still, the message about the love of family and friends is satisfying, and the arching lines of type sit comfortably on the painterly illustrations.

Reviewer: Nell Beram

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Amanda Shepherd. This playful lesson in animal etiquette shows a boy spitting with camels, burping with walruses, and engaging in other behaviors typically forbidden by human parents. Paintings in light, warm shades enhance the indulgent mood of the rhyming text, which ends with a chart clarifying which activities (e.g., "bathe in the dirt?" "dunk food in your drink?") are approved for which species, including human.

Reviewer: Christine M. Heppermann