(2) K-3 Illustrated by Kristin Sorra. Faced with a restaurant's "NO DOGS ALLOWED" sign, a boy and his dog sit at a fountain across the street. Soon there's a crowd of people with pets enjoying the hospitality of a nearby lemonade and ice cream stand. Sorra's digital art, filled with an outrageous assortment of animals, is both energetic and amusing, telling Ashman's short, nearly wordless story with heart.

Reviewer: Robin L. Smith | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2011

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Kristin Sorra. From the humorous premise that a groundhog TV anchor needs support from field reporters to predict weather accurately, this combination of groundhog and weather lore emerges. The lighthearted approach features cartoon animals, documents from Groundhog Weather School, puns ("geHOGraphy"), a rogue skunk, speech balloons, a cutaway of a groundhog burrow--and even some bona fide history and meteorology.

Reviewer: Frieda F. Bostian

(4) K-3 Friends with Disabilities series. Illustrated by Kristin Sorra. In each book, a child describes his or her friendship with a kid affected by the title disability. The relentlessly upbeat narrators discuss shared activities, lessons learned, and their anger at children teasing the friend. Scattered "Did you know?" boxes present facts, some vague ("Kids with ADHD are often open to new ideas"). Mixed-media digital illustrations in warm colors depict the pals. Reading list. Glos., ind. Review covers these Friends with Disabilities titles: My Friend Has ADHD, My Friend Has Autism, and My Friend Has Down Syndrome.

Reviewer: Gail Hedges

(4) K-3 Friends with Disabilities series. Illustrated by Kristin Sorra. In each book, a child describes his or her friendship with a kid affected by the title disability. The relentlessly upbeat narrators discuss shared activities, lessons learned, and their anger at children teasing the friend. Scattered "Did you know?" boxes present facts, some vague ("Kids with ADHD are often open to new ideas"). Mixed-media digital illustrations in warm colors depict the pals. Reading list. Glos., ind. Review covers these Friends with Disabilities titles: My Friend Has ADHD, My Friend Has Autism, and My Friend Has Down Syndrome.

Reviewer: Gail Hedges

(4) K-3 Friends with Disabilities series. Illustrated by Kristin Sorra. In each book, a child describes his or her friendship with a kid affected by the title disability. The relentlessly upbeat narrators discuss shared activities, lessons learned, and their anger at children teasing the friend. Scattered "Did you know?" boxes present facts, some vague ("Kids with ADHD are often open to new ideas"). Mixed-media digital illustrations in warm colors depict the pals. Reading list. Glos., ind. Review covers these Friends with Disabilities titles: My Friend Has ADHD, My Friend Has Autism, and My Friend Has Down Syndrome.

Reviewer: Gail Hedges

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Kristin Sorra. As in Waltur Buys a Pig in a Poke and Other Stories, bear Waltur gets in a fix and discovers firsthand the meaning of three idioms: in this case, "Don't put the cart before the horse"; "Don't paint yourself into a corner"; and "Let sleeping dogs lie." The taken-literally idioms and lively watercolor illustrations make the book fresh and accessible.

Reviewer: Martha Sibert

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Kristin Sorra. Waltur learns the hard way about the meaning of three old sayings: "Don't buy a pig in a poke"; "Don't count your chickens before they're hatched"; and "You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make it drink." Lively watercolor illustrations enhance the humor; an endnote gives more information about the idioms.

Reviewer: Martha Sibert

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Kristin Sorra. In this retelling of an English folktale, young sexton Peter Black has a series of eerie encounters with hundreds of cats and their king. Shepard's narration is well paced and makes good use of repetition to build drama and suspense. Shadowy oil illustrations have a luminescent, sculptural quality that greatly extends the unusual tale.

Reviewer: CHristine Sarrazin

(3) K-3 Dial Easy-to-Read series. Illustrated by Kristin Sorra. Thirty-four riddles about turkeys range from funny ("What costume did the little turkey wear every Halloween? He was always a-gobblin'") to lame ("What happened to the turkey who ate too much corn? He got an ear-ache"). Bordered cartoon-style illustrations suitably realize the text of an intentionally silly book that most children will enjoy.

Reviewer: Frieda F. Bostian

(4) 4-6 Illustrated by Kristin Sorra. Through diary entries, e-mail, and notes (and her occasional line drawings), Venola Cutright narrates her seventh-grade crush on Nathan and her feelings--as the youngest of six children--about her parents' decision to have another baby. Her unremitting self-centeredness, though tiresome, is authentic, and by the end of the mild story, Venola becomes more realistic about crushes.

Reviewer: Anita L. Burkam