(3) PS Illustrated by Kathryn Hewitt. An African American little girl and her father shop together then create a window-box garden as a surprise birthday gift for the child's mother. This square board-book edition is slightly larger than the original volume, and Bunting's short rhyming sentences and simple story are well suited to a toddler audience. Hewitt's realistic paintings glow.

Reviewer: Maeve Visser Knoth

(3) PS Undeterred by her more decorous family, Ella Sarah insists on wearing a flashy outfit of her choosing. Happily, her friends arrive for tea wearing equally outrageous costumes. In this lap-sized board book version of the Caldecott Honor book, the illustrations retain their distinctive patterns, colors, and sizes. The heavy pages will stand up well to repeat readings.

Reviewer: Maeve Visser Knoth

(3) PS Ehlert's gorgeous picture book is here reissued as a lap-size board book. A child narrator discusses the garden planted with Mom each year. When their plants bloom, the narrator describes the many colors in the garden. This volume is about the same size as the original picture book, and the art remains as bold and attractive.

Reviewer: Maeve Visser Knoth | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 1988

(3) PS This lap-size board book edition is almost as large as the original edition. Nothing is lost here; the colors are rich and inviting, the text is clear and bright, and the story--about growing veggies to make soup--is intact. The large book is a bit heavy but will stand up to much use by toddlers turning pages for themselves.

Reviewer: Maeve Visser Knoth

(4) PS Granted, it's a lullaby, and as such intended for babies, but the detailed pictures seem designed for older, more observant children. Frazee's pioneer characters are wonderfully expressive, from the squalling baby to the increasingly exhausted parents and exasperated older sister. In the original, larger picture book, the illustrations are easier to enjoy than in this board book edition.

Reviewer: Terri Schmitz | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 1999

(3) PS Illustrated by Janet Stevens. This riotous story of a determined woman shopping for a pig, a hen, and other animals is attractively reissued as an oversize board book. The book design is essentially unchanged, and the rhyming story works well with a toddler audience, so libraries with a call for board book versions of picture books will want to add this one.

Reviewer: Maeve Visser Knoth | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 1997

(3) PS "Silly Sally went to town, / walking backwards, upside down." In this rhyming story well-suited to a toddler audience, Sally meets various silly animals (pig, dog, loon, sheep) and one person, all of whom join her on her trip. The illustrations in this lap-size board book edition are almost as large as the original edition's.

Reviewer: Maeve Visser Knoth

(4) PS Although boldly designed and attractively produced, this lap-size board book edition of Ehlert's imaginative alphabet book lacks the informative framework of the original (glossary, pronunciation guide, etc.) and, with words like xigua and jicama, is surely above the heads of its intended audience.

Reviewer: Martha V. Parravano

(2) PS Ten clever mice outsmart a hungry snake who counts from one to ten as he collects the sleeping mice in a jar--and then counts back down as the mice escape. The simple text and graphics make this an ideal lap-size board book.

Reviewer: Martha V. Parravano | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 1991

(3) PS Illustrated by Don Wood. This "lap-sized board book" edition of the popular cumulative story retains the charm of the original (and improves on previous smaller-sized board book editions).

Reviewer: Roger Sutton

(3) PS Illustrated by Marla Frazee. This board book edition contains the entire text and all the art from the original picture book. Though much reduced in size, the illustrations--finely detailed, amusing, and animated, with lots of white space around them--still manage to be appealing. While the book's best audience is too old for board books, caregivers may appreciate having a smaller, cheaper version around.

Reviewer: Jennifer M. Brabander

(4) PS Dogs Tiger and Kipper decide to take the former's new flashlight on a camping trip but don't anticipate their fear of the night's noises and shadows. Their solution? They set up their tent in Tiger's bedroom. There's nothing original here, but these prim-sounding friends ("Shall I bring my book?"), their attachment to stuffed animals, and Inkpen's tidy illustrations are charming.

Reviewer: Nell Beram

(3) PS In this welcome board book edition, a child penguin lists the things it likes to do with its parent. "I like it when you hold my hand. I like it when you let me help. I like it when we eat new things." Flat, bright primary colors are background for the simple paintings of parent and child celebrating their loving relationship.

Reviewer: The Horn Book, Inc.

(3) K-3 All Pig wants for his birthday party is a pet, so Kipper the dog buys him a hamster. However, Kipper becomes very fond of the little animal and hates to part with him. When everyone else also brings a pet, Pig comes up with the perfect solution for Kipper. The uncluttered illustrations add personality and humor to the story.

Reviewer: Patricia Riley

(3) PS Kipper the dog and his friend Arnold the pig find an ant, which they put in a box. After a caterpillar comes along, they're off in pursuit of things beginning with each letter of the alphabet. The large black type set on white pages is striking, and a loose story line will hold interest, but it's Inkpen's gentle illustrations of the animal friends (particularly an impatient zebra) that have the most impact.

Reviewer: Amanda Sullivan

(4) K-3 On Christmas Eve, Kipper brings home and decorates a tree, exchanges gifts with his friends, and revels in his anticipation of Christmas Day. The amiable dog's activities--and those of his younger pig friend--are mildly amusing; in addition, Kipper's relatively unacquisitive thoughts about presents are refreshing. The book features uncluttered illustrations and a somewhat gimmicky blinking red light.

Reviewer: Martha Sibert

(3) PS These two board books feature Preston Pig and Mr. Wolf, the characters from McNaughton's picture books. The hide-and-seek surprises of Little Boo! are just suspenseful enough, and Mr. Wolf's deserved comeuppance in Little Suddenly! will have listeners laughing. The big, bad wolf is a nonthreatening presence, and these humorous books are nicely attuned to their preschool audience.

Reviewer: Susan Halperin

(3) PS These two board books feature Preston Pig and Mr. Wolf, the characters from McNaughton's picture books. The hide-and-seek surprises of Little Boo! are just suspenseful enough, and Mr. Wolf's deserved comeuppance in Little Suddenly! will have listeners laughing. The big, bad wolf is a nonthreatening presence, and these humorous books are nicely attuned to their preschool audience.

Reviewer: Susan Halperin

(4) PS Preston Pig and Mr. Wolf continue their adversarial relationship as Mr. Wolf hunts for the clever pig behind a series of flaps. Of course, Preston eludes him, and, of course, the wolf has a series of encounters with unfriendly animals. By the last page, when Mr. Wolf finally finds Preston, he's in no shape to catch him. There is little new here, but the lift-the-flap feature is amusing.

Reviewer: Maeve Visser Knoth

(4) PS Illustrated by Don Wood. Reissued again in board book form, this edition of the popular cumulative rhyme retains the charm of the original. Though the wakeful flea may be hard to discern in this small version, the bouncing action that ensues is still quite apparent.

Reviewer: Charlotte S. Huck