(3) K-3 Illustrated by Louis Thomas. When a cold wind starts blowing in the mountains, a (nearsighted) man named Silli sets out to round up some sheep, hoping to gather wool for a sweater. The boulderlike "sheep" he finds are immovable, however, so Silli carries them down the mountain ("They were very heavy"). Problems (and clues) ensue--"Their wool was as hard as stone"--but Silli improvises and finds a way to work with what he's got. The deadpan text is accompanied by illustrations that show how silly Silli's predicament is.

Reviewer: Kitty Flynn

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Louis Thomas. If only the (offstage) narrator allowed Ginny (Ginny Goblin Is Not Allowed to Open This Box) to have a pet goat, then she might not seek out a kraken, basilisk, and space alien as potential pets instead. (In a clever twist, Ginny has the last laugh.) Elaborate monster-seeking scenarios, the catchy titular refrain, and lively ink and gouache illustrations make Ginny's second humorous outing perfect for reading aloud.

Reviewer: Cynthia K. Ritter | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2019

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Louis Thomas. "Ginny Goblin is not allowed to open this box. Not until dinnertime." The (offstage) narrator concocts increasingly elaborate schemes to stop the cunning Ginny. Finally, at dinner, Ginny (and the now-curious narrator) are overjoyed to discover cake inside for dessert...once Ginny finishes her peas. Goodner's droll, effectively repetitive text and Thomas's carefree pen-and-ink and gouache illustrations capture a child's insatiable curiosity and boundless ingenuity.

Reviewer: Cynthia K. Ritter

(3) 1-3 Kid from Planet Z series. Illustrated by Louis Thomas. Zeke, his parents, and their talking cat unexpectedly crash their spaceship and must acclimate to the oddities of life on Earth while hiding their identities as aliens from Planet Z. The new chapter-book series lightly and humorously explores feeling like an outsider. In the monochromatic spot illustrations, Zeke is rendered with darker skin than his classmates. Review covers these Kid from Planet Z titles: Crash! and Don't Sneeze!

Reviewer: Miriam Steinberg-Egeth

(3) 1-3 Kid from Planet Z series. Illustrated by Louis Thomas. Zeke, his parents, and their talking cat unexpectedly crash their spaceship and must acclimate to the oddities of life on Earth while hiding their identities as aliens from Planet Z. The new chapter-book series lightly and humorously explores feeling like an outsider. In the monochromatic spot illustrations, Zeke is rendered with darker skin than his classmates. Review covers these Kid from Planet Z titles: Crash! and Don't Sneeze!

Reviewer: Miriam Steinberg-Egeth

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Louis Thomas. The sight of a music store's eighty-eight instruments has the effect of sugar on a child. But his parents are allowing him to select only one. How's a kid to choose? Barton's galloping rhymed text is a song unto itself that crescendos with the "plink!" of a piano, which wins the day. Thomas's loose-handed, jittery illustrations foreground the boy's attempts to play the many instruments.

Reviewer: Nell Beram | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 2016