(4) PS Raybot is happy when he and best friends Puppy and Parrot (from Raybot) are joined by Weebot, a tireless little robot. Predictably, Raybot soon finds Weebot annoying and wishes to be rid of the youngster; equally predictable: he then misses Weebot and wants him back. There's nothing new about this new-sibling story; the well-rendered pen-and-ink and oil-paint art, though generic, may hold viewers' interest.

Reviewer: Martha V. Parravano

(3) K-3 Stunning, at times dizzying, aerial photography offers an unusual perspective on landscapes with the alphabet as a visual hook. On each spread, readers are asked to find a letter (answers appended) formed by land/building features in images from the United States Geological Survey. The only information provided is a dot on a map, a town name, and coordinates, leaving room for observation and imagination.

Reviewer: Dorrie Karlin

(4) PS A dejected-looking robot searches the world for a puppy who can be his friend. He finally settles on a parrot who thinks it's a puppy (and barks)...and the parrot comes with its own friend, a (you guessed it!) puppy. While the illustrations use color and space to cinematic effect and animal-noise humor is evergreen, the culminating joke isn't worth the buildup.

Reviewer: Cyrisse Jaffee

(3) 4-6 Illustrated by Adam F. Watkins. This second browsable volume of horror poetry covers hungry giants, malicious fairies, a devil possession (on school picture day), nefarious neighbors, and more. With a variety of rhyme schemes, the poems stick to scary subject material, with occasional hints of humor to lighten the mood. Watkins's creepy pencil drawings recall Stephen Gammell's in Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark.

Reviewer: Sian Gaetano

(3) 4-6 Illustrated by Adam F. Watkins. A collection of thirty scary poems is accompanied by truly spooky, atmospheric illustrations that, when combined, make for an unusual horror collection. The poems edge toward humor on occasion but mostly stick to frightening topics. The sameness of the format (poem on verso, illustration on recto) makes this a better choice for dipping into rather than reading through.

Reviewer: April Spisak

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Sarah McIntyre. When her father, King Cupcake, is kidnapped by aliens, Princess Spaghetti takes the royal rocket to find him in outer space, where his captors are threatening to eat him. The story has the requisite kid allure (a princess heroine, comical villains with multiple googly eyes, desserts), but it adds up to a little less than the sum of its parts.

Reviewer: Nell Beram

(4) K-3 One night tutu-and-hightops-wearing Periwinkle notices a lonely-looking star through her telescope. After various efforts to contact it fail, she spies her flashlight on the floor and gets an idea. The manga-like art is stylized to a degree that noseless Periwinkle appears somewhat vacant and the story's resolution is a letdown, but the message about perseverance and kindness goes down easily.

Reviewer: Nell Beram

(4) K-3 This slight story is about a lonely little wolf who makes jam and knits, and a mouse who becomes the wolf's friend--but also messes up his tidy house. The moral is that having a friend may upset your lifestyle but will enrich your life. Soft, textured illustrations showing cute little animals resembling stuffed toys are more compelling than the text.

Reviewer: Amy Kellman

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Dena Fishbein. Sassafras's hard-won humility from her first book seems to have evaporated: here she leaves her work at the Much Love Animal Rescue Center to compete for the role of Hollywood "It Dog." The plotting creaks, but there's pleasure to be derived from the comically extravagant art showing the pink doggy diva trying to be all that.

Reviewer: Nell Beram

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Dena Fishbein. Poodle Sassafras narrates her life story, which takes her from rags (homelessness) to riches (an animal-rescue worker discovers that she's a rare breed) to rags (she becomes so conceited that her wealthy new owner kicks her out) to riches (of the emotional sort). While the tale's arc is formulaic, the muttered wisecracks and winkingly over-the-top art offer a giddy ride.

Reviewer: Nell Beram

(4) K-3 Illustrated by David Catrow. Benjy bears a striking resemblance to Abraham Lincoln--including the beard. But when he vacations at a "camp for kids who look like things," he learns to appreciate his odd appearance. The bizarre story and caricature illustrations are amusing and unsettling (other campers resemble a toaster, a pyramid, and the back end of a horse). The final joke--Benjy's brother looks like Richard Nixon--will go over the heads of most young readers.

Reviewer: Peter D. Sieruta

(4) K-3 Illustrated by David Catrow. When Santa develops a fear of chimneys, his therapist Doc Holiday prescribes a vacation from Christmas. Doc and the other citizens of Stinky Cigars (all holiday characters such as Lincoln, Cupid, and the Groundhog) band together to cover for Santa, making a mess of things. Told in rhyme, Reiss's anticlimactic story is witty and irreverent, and Catrow's rich, cartoon illustrations are bustling with quirky characters and humor.

Reviewer: Mark Adam

(3) YA Plugged In series. Assuming an informal tone (sucks is a common verb), Busby walks her intended female audience through the grueling process of surviving heartbreak. The narrative, which isn't afraid of absolutes ("If you look better, you will feel better. Guaranteed"), features to-do lists, quizzes, activities, and testimonials from real girls--and boys--who've been there. Bib.

Reviewer: Nell Beram

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Mike Cressy. When Ned creates a "mix-up ray" that transforms objects into anagrams of themselves, his aunt turns into a tuna; his teacher, Mrs. Eton, becomes a monster; and all of the art in the neighborhood museum is transformed. The clever concept is presented through carefully honed rhymed text and zany, cartoonlike illustrations that capture each transformation.

Reviewer: CHristine Sarrazin

(4) K-3 In a saccharine tale that echoes Virginia Lee Burton's The Little House, the once-proud art-deco-style Little Skyscraper is slowly dwarfed by newer, bigger buildings until it is eventually preserved as a historic landmark. The illustrations, cartoonlike and naive, evoke a feeling of the fifties and sixties with their varied pastel palette.

Reviewer: CHristine Sarrazin

(3) YA Following a question-and-answer format, Marcus capably debunks pervasive myths about homosexuality, interweaving the testimonies of teens (gay and straight) grappling with the issue and anecdotes from his own experience as a gay man. Individual chapters discuss topics including sex and religion, and a "Resources" section lists relevant books, videos, national organizations, websites, and hotlines.

Reviewer: Nell Beram

(4) K-3 Illustrated by David Catrow. On the night before Christmas, Edison Elf's invention (a boxing-glove-in-the-box) knocks Santa out cold. With the big guy out of commission, Edison must scare up a substitute, pronto. Murray Kleiner, North Pole Diner-owner, reluctantly fills the position. Reiss's irreverent send-up is told in singsongy rhyme. Catrow's expressive, cartoony illustrations complement the text.

Reviewer: Mark Adam

(4) YA Illustrated by Brian Floca. In a breezy, conversational tone, Gurian encourages young people going through the many changes of puberty to talk to adults. He makes plenty of generalizations, but he also gives clear advice about trusting one's instinct when making choices. The books would be stronger with a supporting bibliography, but kids will find these accessible and sensible.

Reviewer: Maeve Visser Knoth

(4) YA Plugged In series. Illustrated by Brian Floca. In a breezy, conversational tone, Gurian encourages young people going through the many changes of puberty to talk to adults. He makes plenty of generalizations, but he also gives clear advice about trusting one's instinct when making choices. The books would be stronger with a supporting bibliography, but kids will find these accessible and sensible.

Reviewer: Maeve Visser Knoth