(4) PS Illustrated by Diana Cain Bluthenthal. Five-year-old Nell wonders how she can wait for her August birthday to come around again. Her mother suggests keeping track of some special days in between, from Labor Day to the Fourth of July. Elya's sometimes-stumbling rhyme describes the holidays month by month. Bluthenthal's illustrations star a round-faced, smiling redhead with a flip 'do.

Reviewer: Patricia Riley

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Diana Cain Bluthenthal. After a young scribble learns to be a Neat Line, it travels through a Mother Goose book helping the characters in the rhymes. It draws, for example, a large bird to protect Miss Muffet and makes a non-slippery path for Jack and Jill. The Line is a refreshingly different character, and the illustrations create an enjoyable book within a book.

Reviewer: Martha Sibert

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Diana Cain Bluthenthal. After moving to a new neighborhood, Thomas has a hard time fitting in, taking it into his head that no one will like him. "So he never left his stoop" despite his mother's reassurances that everybody wants to meet him. It takes the supposed anonymity of his Halloween tiger costume to help him see how welcoming his neighbors really are. This edition features appealing new illustrations.

Reviewer: Terri Schmitz

(4) 1-3 Illustrated by Diana Cain Bluthenthal. Strong-minded Molly is jealous of new girl Florence because she's the star of their town's new ice rink. As with all of Kline's elementary school dramas, this one ends happily with friendships repaired and lessons learned. Cartoon-style drawings lighten the text. Character development is slight, but the briskly paced story contains situations young readers will relate to.

Reviewer: Maeve Visser Knoth

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Diana Cain Bluthenthal. Eager to make the worst monster imaginable, an old hag mixes up a nasty brew. Alas, she forgets to add eye of newt and ends up with Daisy, a cute little girl, instead. The old woman is miserable until Halloween when the girl puts on an ugly old hag mask. Whimsical illustrations add an amusing contrast between the mean hag and the sweet girl.

Reviewer: Patricia Riley

(3) 1-3 Illustrated by Diana Cain Bluthenthal. This is the story of how Bertie ends up with a black eye, a missing front tooth, and a terrible haircut all in time for school pictures. The tone is light, and neither Bertie nor his family ever dwell on these superficial problems, concentrating instead on Bertie's good qualities. Bluthenthal's cheery sketches grace almost every page. The format, with plenty of white space, will appeal to young readers.

Reviewer: Maeve Visser Knoth

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Diana Cain Bluthenthal. Mavis learns that her chosen career, being a fairy godmother, is tricky business in this Cinderella spinoff. Preoccupied with magic, Mavis almost overlooks Cindy, a classmate who does "a lot of cleaning up at home." A Halloween party brings the pair together: Cindy needs a costume, and Mavis is just the one to whip it up for her, not with a wand but with a sewing machine. Bright, cartoonlike pictures extend the comic spirit of the story.

Reviewer: Carolyn Shute

(3) 1-3 Redfeather Chapter Book series. Illustrated by Diana Cain Bluthenthal. Although Hester tricks her little sister Edna into cleaning her room for her, and Edna taunts Hester with a chocolate bar she doesn't seem willing to share, the two obviously care about each other when all is said and done. Black-and-white cartoon sketches help keep the tone light throughout the four short chapters, each a different episode in the girls' relationship.

Reviewer: Christine M. Heppermann

(3) 1-3 Illustrated by Diana Cain Bluthenthal. Third-grader Molly schemes to get even with new student Florence Auchinschloss, who got her in trouble with the principal. But when Molly discovers what Florence keeps hidden in her backpack, the two girls learn they have something in common. Humorous illustrations highlight this fast-paced chapter book about honesty, acceptance, and friendship.

Reviewer: Cindy Lombardo

(4) K-3 Princess Josie wants a dog more than anything else in the world, but her parents say she must wait until she is more responsible. Josie proves herself after her brother's horse falls, and she helps care for it. Although references to Elvis Presley seem out of place in the medieval setting, the story is diverting.

Reviewer: The Horn Book, Inc.