(3) PS Translated by Jon Reid. Written by Hans Schumacher. Piatti's rich art is showcased in this well-designed alphabet book. From alligator to zebra, his stylish animals pop on crisp-white pages; the rich colors are held in place by thick black outlines. Most of the animals are familiar, some are less so (Ural owl, vicuña); the imaginary "Xopiatti" is a creative solution to the X problem. The accompanying rhymes are whimsical.

Reviewer: Julie Bartynski-Fenner

(3) PS Daredevil Duck wants to be brave. One day a mole asks him to rescue his yellow balloon that's stuck in a tree. Despite his fears, Daredevil Duck retrieves the balloon and discovers he's braver than he thought. Kids will identify with the hero's worries and be encouraged by his successes. Bright art with page flaps and gatefolds offer readers an entertaining, interactive experience.

Reviewer: Julie Bartynski-Fenner

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Lyona. Worried about monsters under her bedroom floor, Martina calls for her father, who tells her the braver she is the smaller the monsters become. She falls asleep and dreams about a little monster girl, Anitram, with the same worries, whose father also soothes her fears. This sweet bedtime story, with whimsical art and playful book design, perfectly captures a child's imagination.

Reviewer: Julie Bartynski-Fenner

(3) 1-3 Humphrey's Tiny Tales series. Illustrated by Priscilla Burris. Hamster Humphrey is excited to go camping with Heidi and her friends in Heidi's backyard. Unfortunately, Heidi's neighbor Richie and his friends are also camping. The boys try to scare the girls, but in the end it's Humphrey who scares the boys with his shadow. Young fans of the classroom critter will enjoy this third early-chapter-book adventure and the cartoony illustrations scattered liberally throughout.

Reviewer: Julie Bartynski-Fenner

(4) K-3 Through rhyming text (in sometimes hard-to-read cursive), wacky characters complain about their looks. From not having enough fur to being overweight, everyone has an issue, except for Uncle Nooks, who "doesn't care about looks" and convinces them that they are wonderful just the way they are. While the message of self-acceptance is clear, Budde's artwork hovers between really funny and slightly unsettling.

Reviewer: Julie Bartynski-Fenner

(3) K-3 I Am a Reader! series. Illustrated by Josée Masse. In three festive stories, readers will enjoy celebrating with Frog and his friends as they welcome a new friend to their Thanksgiving table, decorate a communal Christmas tree together, and party in their own special way on New Year's Eve. The accessible text is a good fit for newly independent readers. Colorful, well-placed illustrations capture the joy and happiness of the holidays.

Reviewer: Julie Bartynski-Fenner

(3) 1-3 Young witch Salem and her cat pal Whammy visit a dinosaur exhibit for her science-fair project. Bored with the static dinosaurs, Salem casts a spell that brings them to life and ends up taking home a real dinosaur egg instead of the toy one she purchased. Another hilarious addition to the series, this early graphic novel provides tons of visual jokes.

Reviewer: Julie Bartynski-Fenner

(3) 1-3 Salem really wants to be a snow angel in the Frosty Follies pageant. When she finally gets her opportunity, she tries to teach herself how to ice skate despite having to babysit annoying neighbor Fergus and running into several mishaps. Meanwhile, her cat sidekick Whammy prepares for the chili cook-off. Visual jokes and hijinks abound in Cammuso's latest early graphic novel.

Reviewer: Julie Bartynski-Fenner

(4) 1-3 Heidi Heckelbeck series. Illustrated by Priscilla Burris. Witch Heidi loses her front tooth before Picture Day, and before she can use magic to fix it, Dad convinces her to "just own it." Gearing up for her first sleepover, Heidi thinks she needs a spell to quell her fear of the dark. While the "magic" is pretty extraneous, young readers will relate to Heidi's feelings. Black-and-white illustrations are sprinkled throughout. Review covers these Heidi Heckelbeck titles: Heidi Heckelbeck Might Be Afraid of the Dark and Heidi Heckelbeck Says "Cheese".

Reviewer: Julie Bartynski-Fenner

(4) 1-3 Heidi Heckelbeck series. Illustrated by Priscilla Burris. Witch Heidi loses her front tooth before Picture Day, and before she can use magic to fix it, Dad convinces her to "just own it." Gearing up for her first sleepover, Heidi thinks she needs a spell to quell her fear of the dark. While the "magic" is pretty extraneous, young readers will relate to Heidi's feelings. Black-and-white illustrations are sprinkled throughout. Review covers these Heidi Heckelbeck titles: Heidi Heckelbeck Might Be Afraid of the Dark and Heidi Heckelbeck Says "Cheese".

Reviewer: Julie Bartynski-Fenner

(3) 1-3 Notebook of Doom series. The members of the Super Secret Monster Patrol are at it again when they hear mysterious noises while at summer camp. After a freak snowfall blankets the camp, the trio comes face to face with snombies (snowman zombies), and eventually they discover the real culprit: the ice-crusher. This laugh-out-loud monster story includes black-and-white illustrations that reflect the text's humor.

Reviewer: Julie Bartynski-Fenner

(3) 1-3 Notebook of Doom series. When mysterious boxes appear and objects start to go missing, Alexander thinks a monster is to blame. But it's not until the Ruby Scorpion goes missing during the school sleepover at the museum that the members of the Super Secret Monster Patrol discover the true bumpy culprit. This sixth clever chapter book includes zany black-and-white illustrations that propel the story's humor.

Reviewer: Julie Bartynski-Fenner

(4) 1-3 Mermaid Tales series. Illustrated by Tatevik Avakyan. Kiki discovers a lost baby polar bear floating on a small block of ice. Unsure of what to do, and with the block of ice getting smaller, she turns to her friends and together they come up with the perfect way to get him home. The eleventh entry is another slim but enjoyable underwater adventure dotted with cartoony illustrations of doe-eyed mer-kids. Glos.

Reviewer: Julie Bartynski-Fenner

(3) 4-6 Berenson Schemes series. Illustrated by Ivica Stevanovic. Jack's scatterbrained parents convince him to go to Kenya for their latest moneymaking scheme: a camp in Kenya "where tourists can live like a real Maasao tribe!" (Wild). Next, they drag him to Nepal to start their own religion (Helm). Per usual, Jack survives various dangers, no thanks to his dizzy parents. Caricaturish illustrations add to the humor of these second and third series books. Review covers these Berenson Schemes titles: Jack and the Wild Life and Jack at the Helm.

Reviewer: Julie Bartynski-Fenner

(3) PS As young children follow along on a colorful road trip, they learn about opposites. Using just two words, each spread demonstrates a pair of opposites, such as above (a car on a bridge) and below (a boat under the bridge). The digital illustrations using hand-drawn patterns and textures feel modern in style and color. A large gatefold adds more visual interest.

Reviewer: Julie Bartynski-Fenner

(3) 1-3 Illustrated by Joëlle Dreidemy. Phoebe can't wait to try authentic French food on her trip to Paris with her best friend Camille and their families. During the trip, she discovers that Camille has different interests, and she worries they can't be true best friends if they aren't exactly alike. Young readers will relate to Phoebe's friendship worries while enjoying her culinary explorations. Halftone illustrations match the story's lighthearted tone.

Reviewer: Julie Bartynski-Fenner

(3) 1-3 Illustrated by Michael Allen Austin. Hissy Fitz the cat really wants to nap, but too many things are keeping him from his sweet slumber: his home is too loud; the kids won't leave him alone; and he can't deny his instincts to eat, prowl, and play nighttime soccer with feline friends. Readers will enjoy accompanying the humorously grumpy cat on his adventures; Austin's black-and-white illustrations capture Hissy's 'tude.

Reviewer: Julie Bartynski-Fenner

(4) 1-3 Beaver Buck hates his one big front tooth and worries it's keeping him from uncovering his talent for the town talent show. His unsuccessful attempts at pulling it leave him feeling defeated, but Buck grows to appreciate the tooth when it ends up being the key to his talent. The ending is predictable, but many visual jokes add value to this transitional reader.

Reviewer: Julie Bartynski-Fenner

(3) K-3 National Geographic Readers series. This colorful early reader combines scientific information and funny jokes to highlight the differences between alligators and crocodiles. Playful chapter titles introduce topics such as diet, physical attributes, and habitats. Attention-grabbing photos are paired with simple sentences to make these books accessible and enjoyable for emergent readers. Fun facts and a quiz encouraging memory recall and further thinking are included. Glos.

Reviewer: Julie Bartynski-Fenner

(3) PS Illustrated by Juan Carlos Solon. Robot loves to smash things, from soda cans and petunias to Brussels sprouts and all-talk radio. During his rampage, Robot comes across a female robot and the two connect over their mutual love of smashing. High-energy repetition ("SMASH! SMASH! SMASH!") makes this a perfect read-aloud. The large-pixel illustrations will easily win over young kids with an interest in video games.

Reviewer: Julie Bartynski-Fenner