(3) PS Illustrated by Elliot Kreloff. A boy and mother collect seashells and dig in the sand in this rhyming story. Along with counting practice ("Two more shells-- / numbers nine and ten. / When we get home, / Let's count them again"), Ochiltree incorporates information about seashells into the text and at book's end. The bold shapes, colors, and textures in Kreloff's collages will dazzle young beach lovers.

Reviewer: Andrea Curtis

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Pranas T. Naujokaitis. A slapstick but thorough investigation, told in jaunty rhymes, of all the ways in which humans and animals emit bodily gasses. Adults, too, might learn quite a bit from this instructive and playful emporium of gastrointestinal erudition. For instance, "Here's one of nature's stranger facts: / We cannot burp on our backs!" Two pages of facts and trivia are included.

Reviewer: David Elzey

(4) 1-3 Jump-into-Chapters series. This comics-style transitional book is divided into three "chapters," and each is an extended joke that pits Andy the alligator against his other quirky animal friends. The best part is an animal symphony of onomatopoeia, but many of the characters' interactions come across as senseless teasing. The illustrations have a rich yet limited color palette; speech-balloon text is nicely integrated into the pictures.

Reviewer: Miriam Steinberg-Egeth

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Katy Hudson. Animal parents teach their young what food to eat, how to swim, and how to defend themselves. Questions on each spread gently challenge young (human) children to relate the animal information to themselves: "Who gave you your first swimming lessons?" "How do you make yourself heard?" Softly rendered paintings portray baby animals learning and growing with their parents' help. More animal facts are appended.

Reviewer: Paula M. Cairo

(3) 1-3 Jump-into-Chapters series. Illustrated by Pierre Collett-Derby. Young readers will giggle as caveboys Mo and Jo try to decide which brother stinks, play a dizzying game of hide-and-seek, and try everything from banging rocks and covering themselves in feathers to stay warm. The short, accessible sentences are perfect for newly independent readers. Bright illustrations recalling Flintstones cartoons complement the playful tone of the three vignettes.

Reviewer: Julie Bartynski-Fenner

(3) 1-3 Jump-into-Chapters series. After a trip to the circus, Mr. Ball (a yellow smiley-face orb) and his wacky animal friends are inspired to hold their own circus. A scheme to capture and tame a big, scary wild animal go awry, but much fun ensues. Kids moving into chapter books will appreciate the energetic text and bright, colorful comic-panel pictures on thick cardstock pages.

Reviewer: Aimee Chevrette Bear

(3) K-3 Think About series. Illustrated by Emily Bolam. These animal behavior/social studies hybrids follow a similar pattern. Silly animal questions ("Does a squirrel cook?") and informative answers ("A polar bear sleeps on the snowy ground inside a den") are followed by simple discussions of human customs. Bolam's inviting illustrations make the most of the premise and reflect the text's informal tone. Prompts for further investigation are appended. Review covers these Think About titles: Does a Bear Wear Boots?, Does a Panda Go to School?, Does a Camel Cook Spaghetti?, Does a Beaver Sleep in a Bed?, and Does a Woodpecker Use a Hammer?.

Reviewer: Kitty Flynn

(3) K-3 Think About series. Illustrated by Emily Bolam. These animal behavior/social studies hybrids follow a similar pattern. Silly animal questions ("Does a squirrel cook?") and informative answers ("A polar bear sleeps on the snowy ground inside a den") are followed by simple discussions of human customs. Bolam's inviting illustrations make the most of the premise and reflect the text's informal tone. Prompts for further investigation are appended. Review covers these Think About titles: Does a Bear Wear Boots?, Does a Panda Go to School?, Does a Camel Cook Spaghetti?, Does a Beaver Sleep in a Bed?, and Does a Woodpecker Use a Hammer?.

Reviewer: Kitty Flynn

(3) K-3 Think About series. Illustrated by Emily Bolam. These animal behavior/social studies hybrids follow a similar pattern. Silly animal questions ("Does a squirrel cook?") and informative answers ("A polar bear sleeps on the snowy ground inside a den") are followed by simple discussions of human customs. Bolam's inviting illustrations make the most of the premise and reflect the text's informal tone. Prompts for further investigation are appended. Review covers these Think About titles: Does a Bear Wear Boots?, Does a Panda Go to School?, Does a Camel Cook Spaghetti?, Does a Beaver Sleep in a Bed?, and Does a Woodpecker Use a Hammer?.

Reviewer: Kitty Flynn

(3) K-3 Think About series. Illustrated by Emily Bolam. These animal behavior/social studies hybrids follow a similar pattern. Silly animal questions ("Does a squirrel cook?") and informative answers ("A polar bear sleeps on the snowy ground inside a den") are followed by simple discussions of human customs. Bolam's inviting illustrations make the most of the premise and reflect the text's informal tone. Prompts for further investigation are appended. Review covers these Think About titles: Does a Bear Wear Boots?, Does a Panda Go to School?, Does a Camel Cook Spaghetti?, Does a Beaver Sleep in a Bed?, and Does a Woodpecker Use a Hammer?.

Reviewer: Kitty Flynn

(3) K-3 Think About series. Illustrated by Emily Bolam. These animal behavior/social studies hybrids follow a similar pattern. Silly animal questions ("Does a squirrel cook?") and informative answers ("A polar bear sleeps on the snowy ground inside a den") are followed by simple discussions of human customs. Bolam's inviting illustrations make the most of the premise and reflect the text's informal tone. Prompts for further investigation are appended. Review covers these Think About titles: Does a Bear Wear Boots?, Does a Panda Go to School?, Does a Camel Cook Spaghetti?, Does a Beaver Sleep in a Bed?, and Does a Woodpecker Use a Hammer?.

Reviewer: Kitty Flynn

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Josée Masse. This colorful picture book features an assortment of simple riddles that ask young readers to think outside the box. From "What dog is NOT a dog?" (a hot dog) to "What room is NOT a room?" (a mushroom), children will enjoy the playful text paired with Masse's vibrant illustrations. The book includes additional riddles, the answers to which can be found online.

Reviewer: Julie Bartynski-Fenner

(4) PS Illustrated by Barroux. A rocket ship moves around the bright orange, yellow, and blue pages of this book introducing young children to prepositions: e.g., the rocket is behind a whale then in front; it zips from the top of a tree to the bottom. The attractive art is clean and simple, but the text does little to pull the images and ideas together.

Reviewer: Maeve Visser Knoth

(3) K-3 Think About series. Illustrated by Emily Bolam. These animal physiology/human body (animal/human behavior for Smile) hybrids follow a similar pattern. Silly animal questions ("Does a zebra go to the doctor?") and informative answers ("A zebra grazes in the wild") are followed by simple discussions on human health and behavior. Bolam's inviting illustrations make the most of the premise and reflect the texts' informal tone. Prompts for further investigation are appended. Review covers these Think About titles: Does a Hipppo Go to the Doctor?, Does a Seal Smile?, Does a Tiger Go to the Dentist?, and Does an Owl Wear Eyeglasses?.

Reviewer: Kitty Flynn

(3) K-3 Think About series. Illustrated by Emily Bolam. These animal physiology/human body (animal/human behavior for Smile) hybrids follow a similar pattern. Silly animal questions ("Does a zebra go to the doctor?") and informative answers ("A zebra grazes in the wild") are followed by simple discussions on human health and behavior. Bolam's inviting illustrations make the most of the premise and reflect the texts' informal tone. Prompts for further investigation are appended. Review covers these Think About titles: Does a Hipppo Go to the Doctor?, Does a Seal Smile?, Does a Tiger Go to the Dentist?, and Does an Owl Wear Eyeglasses?.

Reviewer: Kitty Flynn

(3) K-3 Think About series. Illustrated by Emily Bolam. These animal physiology/human body (animal/human behavior for Smile) hybrids follow a similar pattern. Silly animal questions ("Does a zebra go to the doctor?") and informative answers ("A zebra grazes in the wild") are followed by simple discussions on human health and behavior. Bolam's inviting illustrations make the most of the premise and reflect the texts' informal tone. Prompts for further investigation are appended. Review covers these Think About titles: Does a Hipppo Go to the Doctor?, Does a Seal Smile?, Does a Tiger Go to the Dentist?, and Does an Owl Wear Eyeglasses?.

Reviewer: Kitty Flynn

(3) K-3 Think About series. Illustrated by Emily Bolam. These animal physiology/human body (animal/human behavior for Smile) hybrids follow a similar pattern. Silly animal questions ("Does a zebra go to the doctor?") and informative answers ("A zebra grazes in the wild") are followed by simple discussions on human health and behavior. Bolam's inviting illustrations make the most of the premise and reflect the texts' informal tone. Prompts for further investigation are appended. Review covers these Think About titles: Does a Hipppo Go to the Doctor?, Does a Seal Smile?, Does a Tiger Go to the Dentist?, and Does an Owl Wear Eyeglasses?.

Reviewer: Kitty Flynn

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Amanda Haley. Combining playful narration and factual information, these volumes introduce readers to the details of their bones and senses. The formats are not identical: Bones catalogs the skeleton and the connections therein and includes X-ray images; Pickle features rhyming poems and questions for the reader as well as more variation in layout. In both, Haley's loose-lined watercolors balance the text and add humor. Review covers these titles: You Can't See Your Bones with Binoculars! and You Can't Taste a Pickle with Your Ear!.

Reviewer: Hannah Rodgers Barnaby

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Amanda Haley. This overview of space for young readers begins with the lunar basics and expands to include the history (and possible future) of space travel. Ziefert carries the playful tone through all four chapters, balancing factual information with poems and humorous turns of phrase. Haley's loose-lined watercolors add lightness and movement. A table of contents and discussion questions are included.

Reviewer: Hannah Rodgers Barnaby

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Amanda Haley. Combining playful narration and factual information, these volumes introduce readers to the details of their bones and senses. The formats are not identical: Bones catalogs the skeleton and the connections therein and includes X-ray images; Pickle features rhyming poems and questions for the reader as well as more variation in layout. In both, Haley's loose-lined watercolors balance the text and add humor. Review covers these titles: You Can't See Your Bones with Binoculars! and You Can't Taste a Pickle with Your Ear!.

Reviewer: Hannah Rodgers Barnaby