More Mice? Splat the Cat: Twice the Mice by Rob Scotton, creator

DEAR BRICE,

WOULD YOU LIKE TO VISIT? WE COULD PLAY OUR FAVORITE GAME, MICE AND DICE!

YOUR BROTHER,
SEYMOUR

When Splat the Cat learns that his buddy Seymour the Mouse is missing his brother, he goes into instant host with most mode.

He breaks out the brie and the bleu and dons his Swiss cheese tee! He stays awake half the night trying to come up with a really wonderful way to welcome Brice!

At last he thinks he's got the perfect plan. He is sure he's got the perfect idea. It's twice as nice!

"I'LL MAKE A SCULPTURE OUT OF ICE!"

And the likeness of Brice is worth the work. Splat is ecstatic.

But the next morning, when Seymour and Splat dash downstairs to welcome Brice, the sculpture has melted quite a bit.

IT WAS NOW VERY SMALL.

And the impetuous Splat slips in the slippery ice water, Ker-SPLAT! Splat's big welcome falls flat.

But Brice is nice about his diminished likeness, declaring it the perfect size for a mouse, in the latest I Can Read Level 1 cat-astrophe, Splat the Cat: Twice the Mice (I Can Read Level 1) (Harper, 2015). Based on Rob Scotton's super-star cat, with text by Jacqueline Rasnick and Scotton-style illustrations by Robert Eberz, this beginning reader book gives early readers a workout with the -ICE sound and a new visit with the irrepressible Splat the Cat.

For more cool cat tales, pair this one with Splat's snow-job saga, Splat the Cat and the Snowy Day Surprise.

A Matter of Taste: I Really Like Slop! by Mo Willems

"PIGS REALLY REALLY LIKE SLOP.

IN FACT, EATING SLOP IS PART OF PIG CULTURE."

Perky Piggie is proud! She's produced a product which is the prototype of swine cuisine.

Her bowl of slop is green, and viscous, odoriferous, redolent of old shoes, everything you might expect of it, and for that final touch of authenticity--it has flies circling it.

"THE FLIES ARE HOW YOU KNOW IT'S RIPE!" SHE REPORTS.

"SHOULD IT SMELL LIKE THAT?" GERALD DUBIOUSLY ASKS.

Oh, yeah, Piggie insists. This slop is the real deal. It's the ultimate gourmet creation of her tribe. Would Gerald like to try it?

Of course he wouldn't! Gerald the elephant is clearly nauseated at the idea. It looks disgusting and smells even worse. But he can intuit that his best friend is totally invested in sharing the signature dish of the pig people. Friendship is on the line.

Gerald screws his courage to the sticking point. With his trunk he delicately extracts a tiny bite of the noxious potion. As a smiling Piggie looks on expectantly, with eyes squeezed tight, Gerald slowly moves the pea-green pearl of slop closer and closer to his tongue.

URK!

Gerald's reaction to the taste of slop goes on for several pages, with all the usual comic book squiggles and flops, tear-popping, X-shaped eyes, and nauseous spirals as the sensation overwhelms him. But when he can finally stand and his normal color returns, he turns to Piggie with a pronouncement:

"I DO NOT REALLY LIKE SLOP.

BUT I AM GLAD I TRIED IT

BECAUSE I REALLY LIKE YOU!"

Greater love hath no man, er, elephant, than to try a native food that makes him sick at the very sight of it, and in Mo Willems' latest in his outstanding and best-selling beginner reader series, I Really Like Slop! (An Elephant and Piggie Book) (Hyperion Books, 2015), Mo Willems takes on that most personal of tastes, food, as a test of friendship. Whether you love chestnut stuffing but are grossed out by oysters in the dressing in your holiday turkey, there are those times when eating something s-t-r-a-n-g-e is a test of acceptance, even love.

Picky eaters will all be in Gerald's camp in this one, but all sorts of eaters will be moved by Piggie's genuine eagerness to share with her friend. It is impossible not to rave about Mo Willems' subtle but hilarious cartooning skills, so skillful that the pictures alone tell the story, but the insight he reveals in the spare text of the story always feels just right--heartwarming and honest and so human. A true master of the beginning reader genre, Willems is clearly the equal of its creator, Dr. Seuss. Thank you, Mo!

Back to School: Ally-Saurus and the First Day of School by Richard Torrey

"WAKE UP, SLEEPHEAD!" SAID MOM.

"MY NAME IS NOT SLEEPYHEAD! IT'S ALLY-SAURUS!"

It's no secret what Ally's favorite subject is! She sleeps with a toy dinosaur, her pajamas have dino prints all over them, and with a ROAR! she jumps into her first-day outfit, sporting a dinosaur on her tee.

"YOUR PANTS ARE ON BACKWARD," SAID FATHER.

"THAT'S SO MY DINOSAUR TAIL CAN STICK OUT!" SHOUTED ALLY-SAURUS.

And the girl's got a point--a spiky pink, pointy Crayola-ed tail and crest are clearly visible on her person. She's a dino-devotee all the way.

"DO YOU THINK THERE WILL BE ANY DINOSAURS IN MY CLASS?" ALLY ASKED.

But it's not looking good for fellow dino fans at school. At snack time, Ally-Saurus shows the kids at her table how a dino chomps up her grapes with a ROAR. Her table mates seem to be all princesses, judging from their pink crayoned tiaras, the frou-frou on their dresses, and their tiny genteel bites.

Then it's time for alphabet practice, and Ally-Saurus roars out her contribution (D IS FOR DINOSAUR!) as the princess coterie looks on, a bit aghast. The teacher tries to smooth Ally's faux pas over.

"I THINK EVERYONE LIKES DINOSAURS," MRS. W. SAID.

"NOT AS MUCH AS PRINCESSES," VOLUNTEERS ONE OF THE TIARA TRIBE.

At free play, Ally-Saurus leaves the Cinderella set and joins the other oddballs, kids dressed as an astronaut, a lion, a pirate, and especially the dragon, who sports similar pink spikes and wings! Soon everyone is playing together, even the princesses, collaborating on a script for all their favorite characters.

Much is made of the cliques in upper elementary and middle school, but media-savvy preschoolers sometimes have their own favorite roles already sketched out, and Richard Torrey hints at that with his tongue-in-cheek crayon costumes that only kids can see in place, in Ally-saurus & the First Day of School (Sterling Books, 2015). Ally's enthusiasm is contagious among her varied classmates, as the kids feel free to be themselves and try out a few new personas as well on the first day of school.

Says Kirkus' starred review, "Torrey nicely tackles lots of first-day issues in this imaginative offering—making friends, getting along, keeping an open mind, the everyday routines of kindergarten—and he does so with aplomb. Ally is an empathetic guide for young children facing their own first days, no matter what or who they imagine themselves to be."

Beachin' Fun: Sea & Rex by Molly Idle

READY FOR A CAREFREE DAY IN THE SUN?

GATHER YOUR FRIENDS AND HEAD TO THE BEACH!

And when little Cordelia goes on an outing, she takes some formidable friends along, Rex and his prehistoric pals!

Nobody goes anywhere with Cordelia without instructions, however. And her little brother appropriately dressed as a pirate, listens as she runs through the rules.

STASH YOURSELF NEXT TO A LIFE GUARD, WHO WILL KEEP AN EYE ON YOU.

That seems like superfluous advice for a troop of cretaceous creatures led by a T. Rex, but Cordelia has more good advice.

USE PLENTY OF SUNSCREEN!

Oops!  Too late for Rex, who has already gone from green to bright pink. But with that detail taken care of, the group spreads out to find their own fun. Rex goes hunting for shells, but comes up with only a triceratops horn. Cordelia warns the swimmers always to jump in feet first, but Rex hits the waves for a bit of snorkeling. Now Where is he? Cordelia swims out to find Rex.

Soon it's time for the beach picnic, but...Oh, no!

Cordelia forgot to warn everyone back on the beach that sea gulls can be larcenous. One snatches the picnic basket, and another makes off with her little brother's Teddy bear. But there's no need to worry or fear; not when you have a T. Rex near! With lunch and plush lovey restored, it's a great day for all concerned.

WHEN YOU'RE SURROUNDED BY FRIENDS, LIFE'S A DAY AT THE BEACH!

Molly Idle's latest, a girl-and-her-dinosaur idyll on the shore, Sea Rex (Viking Books, 2015), shows the two unlikely buddies and friends shell-hunting and sand castle constructing, doing all the things kids love to do beside the sea.

Idle's illustrative style is like no other. Her colored pencil strokes are all broad and curvaceous, from Cordelia's little round tummy, to the sandy shore dunes, to Rex's voluminous rotundity, giving her stories a soothing fullness. This one, like her Caldecott-winning Flora and the Flamingo, has a serenity of line and its own joie de vive as an odd couple of pals find a new place to play together for fun in the sun.

Oh, The Places They'll Go! Where Bear? by Sophy Henn

THERE WAS ONCE A BEAR CUB WHO LIVED WITH A LITTLE BOY.

BUT OVER TIME, THE BEAR CUB GREW...

AND DID THINGS THAT BEARS DO....

A chubby little cubbie fits into a human house, but a full-grown bear can be a problem. He eats all the food in the fridge. He swamps the fish pond. He even growls scarily when he's angry, The boy takes stock of Bear. He's obviously outgrown the house.

"I THINK IT'S TIME WE FIND A PLACE WHERE YOU CAN BE BIG AND BEARISH.

BUT WHERE, BEAR?"

People love bears in circuses. But Bear doesn't love the circus.

The toy shop? The woods? The zoo? The jungle? A cave?

"NO!"

So... WHERE?

While they're thinking, the boy and Bear share a popsicle. Bear loves it! And the boy suddenly knows just where  a big white bear belongs. Bear concurs.

"SNOW!"

Of course. Bear is a polar bear and he finds a home closer to the North Pole a perfect fit.

The two best friends stay in touch with long telephone conversations, until one day Bear has a surprising suggestion that the two go somewhere together. But, where?

Sophy Henn's Where Bear? (Penguin Group, 2015) seems to end with a question mark, until and unless... the reader turns to the collophon page, where a small illustration shows boy and bear, from the back, carrying their luggage through a door which says DEPARTURES. Oh, the places they will go!

Henn's pudgy white bear and boy in striped polo shirt are mostly shown face to face as they work out the wrinkles in their unusual friendship. Friends have differences, and working out ways to stay friends is one of the marvels of friendship itself, and Henn's illustrations portray that negotiation process humorously and charmingly.  The New York Times reviewer says "Henn's sophisticated matte-toned illustrations make for a zippy take on the 'finding your place' genre."

Metro Elephant: Little Elliot Big City by Mike Curato

LITTLE ELLIOT LOVED LIVING IN A BIG CITY, BUT SOMETIMES IT WAS HARD BEING SMALL IN SUCH A SMALL PLACE.

HE HAD TO BE CAREFUL NOT TO GET STEPPED ON ON THE SUBWAY PLATFORM.

STILL, ELLIOT ENJOYED THE LITTLE THINGS.

It's not easy being a very small spotted elephant in the Big Apple. But Little Elliot takes pleasure in his snug little home, the excitement of the skyscrapers and the thronging sidewalks, and his daily strolls, looking at the wonderful things in the windows downtown. He bravely takes the subway even though he's only knee high to all the people in the crowd.

But Elliot's greatest longing is to have one of those glorious cupcakes in the bakery window. And though he holds his money high in his trunk and jumps up as high as he can, the counterman never notices him among the crowd buying pastries.

But then one day he meets someone who is smaller, much smaller than he is.

"HELLO, MOUSE. WHAT'S WRONG?" ASKED ELLIOT.

"I'M TRYING TO REACH SOME FOOD, BUT I'M TOO SMALL!" SAID MOUSE. "AND I'M SO VERY HUNGRY!"

Suddenly Elliot sees a small ally in the solution to his cupcake problem, in Mike Curato's fantasy story of friendship in the big city, Little Elliot, Big City (Henry Holt and Company, 2014). Elliot is a small polka-dotted toy elephant who goes surprisingly unnoticed in the hubbub of big city streets. Observing the metro scene is the chief charm of this book. Curato's big city has been aptly compared to Edward Hopper's cityscapes, and his muted palette and his portrayal of a small toy elephant, with the body language of a toddler, roaming a retro metropolis, provides a Paddington sort of charm to this old-fashioned story. The author pictures Elliot devising ways to reach the sink in his apartment, making his miniature way down to the sidewalk from his brownstone home, and, like a kid in a candy shop, admiring the goodies in his neighborhood bakery, al in delightful illustrations which create a warm and cozy ambiance to set off Curato's sweet story of friendship found (and cupcake shared).

Hibernation Helper: A Bed for Bear by Clive McFarland

IT WAS ALMOST WINTER, AND BERNARD WAS GETTING SLEEPY.

THERE WAS JUST ONE PROBLEM.

HOW COULD BERNARD POSSIBLY BE EXPECTED TO SLEEP IN THE BEAR CAVE?

IT WAS TOO NOISY AND TOO CROWDED.

Mom and the other cubs were already denning down, but Bernard, apparently a picky sleeper, picks up his pillow and heads out to find a better crib in which to crash!

Frog reports that his pad is possibly available, but when Bernard tries to hop onto one of the lily pads by the shore, he finds that a lake bed is WET!

There's a beehive, but it's obviously too busy and buzzy, and he accepts Bird's offer to try out his nest. Bernard makes a mess of it, while deciding it's too windy for sleeping up there. He nearly wrecks Rabbit's burrow, only to discover that it only accommodates his upper half. Hedgehog is no help, since he sleeps rough in the rain, and when Bernard beds down in Badger's sett, he promptly gets a firm eviction notice.

Then Mouse, who's been watching at a discrete distance all along, finally comes forth with a suggestion. Bernard is ready to accept any assistance at this point, and Mouse leads him back the way he came, to a familiar-looking cave. And by this time, his eyes barely half open, Bernard sees his mom's den in a new light, in Clive McFarland's humorous look at hibernation, A Bed for Bear (Harper, 2014). McFarland's narration and illustrative style has the dry, deadpan humor of Bonnie Becker's delightful A Visitor for Bear (Bear and Mouse). McFarland's artistic style is quite different, being stylized and digitally enhanced, but offers the same wry approach that charms the reader. And as a bedtime story, this one has the advantage of easing the listener closer and closer to that good nighty-night.

I Get By With A Little Help From My Friends: Hooray for Hat! by Brian Won

GO AWAY!

I'M GRUMPY!

Elephant awakes in a deep funk! His own private cloud of gloom hangs over his head as he sits up in bed.

Even a cheery ding-dong from the doorbell doesn't break his mood as he stomps down to the door.

But there's no one there. What is there is a large box with a perky red ribbon. Who could resist looking inside?

Inside the box is a hat wearing a hat wearing a hat, wearing a hat.... A hat unlike any other hat!

IT WAS HARD TO STAY GRUMPY NOW.

This quintuple-decker topper has a top hat (complete with cup holder and cuckoo clock), crowned with a kingly crown, topped with a red mortarboard (with its own red-and-white striped awning), under a wide-brimmed red-white-and blue sun hat with feather, set off with a party hat with tassel on top.

Nobody could be grumpy wearing such a hat, and Elephant smiles broadly as he dons his mystery gift and sets off to show it off to his friends.

But it must be blue Monday in the forest. Friend Zebra is in a definitely down mood. In fact, he is GRUMPY! But Elephant is too upbeat to let Zebra get him down. He reaches up with his trunk for the party hat and sets it jauntily on Zebra's head. Zebra doffs his blues and the two share smiles.

It's off to share their fun with their friends, but as in turn they find Turtle withdrawn into his shell, Owl moping in his dark hole in his tree, and Lion depressed inside his den.

There's nothing for it but for Elephant to share his wonderful hats with all his friends. Turtle gets the sun hat, Owl appropriately gets the mortarboard, and of course Lion gets the crown.  Only Lion does not smile:

"I CAN'T CHEER WHILE GIRAFFE IS NOT FEELING WELL."

Giraffe is definitely down in the mouth, with his gloomy face buried in the foliage of a tree.

And, alas! Elephant is out of hats. What to do?

The conclusion of Brian Won's mood-altering Hooray for Hat! (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2014) is a happy and heartwarming heads-up for the power of friendship, as all the friends doff their hats and repack them into the gift box for Giraffe. Who could remain melancholy wearing that stack of hats? Not Giraffe, and it's a big shout-out for hats and friends in this winning new picture book.

With a simple textual refrain which will strike a chord with kids and gloriously simple but evocative digital illustrations done in a dynamic pastel palette, not to mention the vertical double-page spreads which depict Elephant and Giraffe modeling  their multi-layered chapeau, this brief story celebrates the power of the gift of mood-altering friendship. Hats off to Brian Won!

Flying High: Freddie and Gingersnap by Vincent X. Kirsch

TO A LITTLE DINOSAUR LIKE FREDDIE, IT LOOKED AS IF THE OTHER DINOSAURS HAD THEIR HEADS IN THE CLOUDS.

Freddie is obsessed with seeing what is up there in the wild blue yonder. But Freddie is a long-neck, not a pterodactyl, and he hasn't got either patience to wait or the wings for flying.

Gingersnap, a little purple girl dragon, has the wings, but she hasn't gotten the hang of getting off the ground with them yet.

The two meet rather suddenly when Gingersnap tries to launch herself into the wild blue yonder and lands right on Freddy. The two face off, baring their little fangs and twirling their spiny tales, eyeball to eyeball, growling their fiercest little growls.

Then the chase is on!

But what starts as a face-off quickly turns into a fun game, and round and round they go, as they take turns catching each other and wiggling free. But just as Freddie gets a good hold on Gingersnap's tail, the two tumble over a cliff, endng with twin kerplops, into an unfortunately placed brier patch.

There's got to be a better way to play!

The two new friends decide to join forces and work on the flying thing together, and with Freddie's unique encouragement, Gingersnap's flaps finally turn into flight, and they both see what's above those clouds at last, in Vincent Kirsch's Freddie & Gingersnap (Hyperion Press, 2014).

A little green dino and a purple dragonette are improbable pals, but as many childhood friendships do, rivalry turns into teamwork, and a lasting bond is born. Kirsch's energetic artwork eschews the conventionally softly rounded shapes usually assigned to little dinosaurs and young dragons, and their spiky and sinuous bodies give this little story its wryly comic edge. Youngsters will especially enjoy Kirsch's well placed three-page vertical gatefold depicting Gingersnap and Freddie's long fall from the cliff, and by the time Ginger gets it together and flies high with her friend on board, kids will be rooting for this unlikely twosome all the way. "This stylish tale of an unlikely friendship has an infectious rhythm," says School Library Journal.

We Go Together....: You Are the Pea, And I Am the Carrot by J. Theron Elkins

WE BELONG TOGETHER.

A MATCH THIS GOOD IS RARE.

TOGETHER WE'RE JUST BETTER.

WE'RE AN APPETIZING PAIR.

Peas and carrots make a delish dish. But how about mac 'n' cheese, biscuits and jam, yogurt and blueberries, zesty dressing and a lettuce wedge, or a hot dog with relish?

Young readers will relish J. Theron Elkins' brand-new pea parable of perfect blendship in food and friendship, You Are the Pea, and I Am the Carrot (Abrams, 2013). Caramel and vanilla bean ice cream, ice cubes and sweet tea, pancakes and syrup, and burgers and chips, all combos that have a natural affinity for each other, are emblematic of the ways of friendship, illustrated with simple wit and and appeal by Pascal LeMaitre. But there's a little more than a salute to the Food Channel here, as Elkins' human narrators enjoy comparing their pairing with favorite food combos, thanks to LeMaitre's tongue-in-cheek cartoons. Good friends stick together like peanut butter and jelly in a lunch box sandwich. A showcase of inventive foodie anthropomorphism and sweet silliness," says Publishers Weekly.

Now You See Him, Now You Don't! A Funny Little Bird by Jennifer Yerkes

ONCE THERE WAS A FUNNY LITTLE BIRD.

MOST OF THE TIME IT WAS AS IF HE WAS INVISIBLE.

And except for his pointy orange beak, his black button eyes, and his long dark legs, he is. Invisible, that is.

It is only when he stands in front of something colorful that his shape can be discerned, white against the background. Being nearly invisible is hard. Other birds shun him as just too weird.

So the little bird gets busy, plucking up a colorful feather, flowers, spiraling tendrils, and shapely foliage from the area around him with which to adorn (and delineate) himself.  Now he is more visible and he attracts attention.  A stealthy mouse passing by is amazed!

Unfortunately, the little bird is now visible to a feral fox and a wandering weasel, and to them he now looks like dinner!

Luckily the little bird enlists the help of the mouse to solve his problem. When he wants to be seen, he stands in front of the mouse, and when he wants to hide from hungry predators, the mouse runs to hide and leaves the funny little bird blending with the background and virtually invisible again.

An invisible protagonist is an odd premise for a picture book, but in Jennifer Yerkes' A Funny Little Bird (Sourcebooks/Jabberwocky, 2013), the author's minimalist and modish  illustrations provide a fascinating study of what it means  really to be seen for what you are. A quirky, sophisticated story which is a fascinating treat for the eyes. As School Library Journal says, ""Sophisticated vocabulary and elegantly understated art...a sweet and lovely package."

Friend to the End? Z Is for Moose by Kelly Bingham

ZEBRA IS WRITING AN ABC BOOK.

With best friend Moose eagerly looking on, Zebra starts out predictably. A = Apple. B = Ball. C = Cat. No surprises... but so far so good.

But Moose can't wait to get into the act. He pushes his way onto the page, displacing Duck.

"NO, MOOSE DOESN'T START WITH D," Zebra says sternly.

"YOU ARE ON THE WRONG PAGE."

It's not that Moose doesn't know his alphabet. He just can't wait to get into the act. He annoys the Elephant by peeping over the page frame, prodding him with an antler. He pokes his way on the H page and tries to appropriate the Hat for his own head.

Zebra testily points out once more that it's not his turn and proceeds doggedly on through the alphabet. Moose impetuously substitutes himself in Kangaroo's pouch, a tight fit which totally confuses the little Joey. When he gets through L for Lollipop, Moose, sure it's time for his entrance, intervenes again, saying "Here it comes!"

But here it doesn't come. Moose does NOT get the expected M page to himself; Mouse gets that gig. Moose is miffed, and just a little bit hurt as well. As the alphabet winds down to its last letters, Moose redoubles his efforts to put himself in the picture, sprawling over the Truck and sobbing when Whale fills the whole page. Zebra comes down to Z, and Moose despairs. Z is certainly going to be reserved for author Zebra, and it looks like Moose is not going to make the cut! Not only will he not be in the book, but this must mean that Zebra is not his friend anymore.

It's A for Amazing that their creators continue to come up with ways to present the well-worn alphabet in fresh and funny ways, but author Kelly Bingham and Caldecott winning artist Paul O. Zelinsky have certainly made the A-team with their new collaboration, Z Is for Moose (Greenwillow, 2012). As Mo Willems and Lane Smith have done in their recent titles, the two play with the very limitations of the book, as Zelinsky's meddlesome Moose constantly pushes his way onto the page, high-stepping over the blackline page frame, hanging over it, and strolling innocently into the illustration with sappy sangfroid. Zelinsky dresses his Zebra ironically, in a referee's striped shirt as he tries to bring some order to Moose's efforts to insert himself into the sequence of the alphabet. Bingham adds giggle-producing dialogue into the illustrations themselves with her speech balloons, as when the little kangaroo looks askance at the huge and hooved interloper in his place in mom's pouch, and querulously whimpers, "Mommy, who's THAT?" This is a D for Delightful alphabet book, which works as straightforward teaching tool as well as a humorous look at ways to work out the kinks in a friendship.

And oh, yes! Moose does get his own moment on the Z page as Zebra's best friend.

Kirkus Reviews come through with their own suggestion: "Just label it F for Funny!"

Wombat Wanders: Diary of a Baby Wombat by Jackie French

MONDAY, EARLY MORNING: Slept. LATE MORNING: Slept. Woke up. On top of Mom. Bounce! Mom decided it was time to PLAY...OUTSIDE!

What is a toddler wombat to do? It's afternoon; he's full of energy, but Mom says take it outside, please. Luckily the little wombat finds a playmate, a dimpled human toddler who shares his water hose, his sandbox, his bottle, and agreeably sets out to help Little Wombat dig himself a bigger hole.

FRIDAY MORNING: Found a GIANT hole. (The toddler's front door) SATURDAY MORNING: Somebody stole our hole! (The front door is closed!) Mom says we'll dig the best hole EVER!

And they do, a hole that comes up right under the house and right inside his friend's bedroom-- a cozy place for tired tots to catch a nap!

In Jackie French's Diary of a BABY Wombat (Clarion, 2010), the latest of her Wombat books which began with French's delightful Diary of a Wombat and continued with its nonfiction companion volume How to Scratch a Wombat: Where to Find It . . . What to Feed It . . . Why It Sleeps All Day, illustrator Bruce Whatley again whips up just the right wombats for this decidely droll addition to the daily adventures of a diary-devoted marsupial from Down Under, sure to make youngsters laugh.

Ah Choo for Two! Pigs Make Me Sneeze by Mo Willems

aa-CHOOO!

--sneezing.

OH, NO!

Gerald the elephant can't stop sneezing all over his friend Piggie. These serial sneezes can only mean one thing--Gerald must be allergic to his best friend!

With the consequences of that fate too terrible to contemplate, Gerald takes himself off to Dr. Cat for a more definitive diagnosis. Alas, apparently cats make him sneeze, too, even if one of them is his personal physician. But wait! Allergies aren't the only cause of sneezes! Dr. Cat finds that his diagnosis--the common cold--is strangely welcome, and Elephant hurries back to tell his friend that it's all right to visit with him after all, only to find that Piggie is sneezing, too.

Yep! It appears Gerald shared his cold with Piggie, just like good friends do!

Comedy is full of comical odd couples, one dour, conscientious, and methodical, the other carefree, impulsive, and inventive--think Oscar and Felix, Frog and Toad, Desi and Lucy--and Mo Willems' similar characters, Elephant and Piggie, have surely kept their creator busy concocting their new adventures. In Willems' latest, Pigs Make Me Sneeze! (An Elephant and Piggie Book), (Hyperion, 2009) Gerald's sneezes keep bowling little Piggie over, and in his lauded beginning reader series, Elephant and Piggie, Mo Willems keeps bowling over reviewers and young readers alike. Simple but expressive illustrations and a brief text which expresses a world of meaning in few words make these early readers worthy inheritors of the Dr. Seuss tradition.

Forthcoming soon are two more entries from Willems: just out in late January is his I Am Going! (An Elephant and Piggie Book) and in June Can I Play Too? (An Elephant and Piggie Book) to add to this highly collectible set.

Author/illustrator Willems, the recipient of both a Caldecott Honor Award for his Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus! and Theodore Seuss Geisel Awards for books in the Elephant and Piggy series, is also known for his delightful and best-selling Knuffle Bunny: A Cautionary Tale (Bccb Blue Ribbon Picture Book Awards (Awards)) and Knuffle Bunny Too: A Case of Mistaken Identity.

Dark and Stormy Night: Bear Feels Scared by Karma Wilson

In the deep dark woods,
By the Strawberry Vale,
A big bear lumbers
Down a small crooked trail.

It's a darkling evening, cold, cold, cold, and a bear with a growling tummy needs to be in his warm snug lair. But when Bear turns back for home, things just don't feel right:

Bear shakes and he shivers
As a storm starts to howl.
Bear mutters, "What's that?
Are there spooks on the prowl?"

Bear huddles in the partial shelter of a leafless tree and he has to admit

Bear feels scared.

Back in Bear's warm, firelit cave, the cookies are waiting and the tea kettle is steaming, but his friends are growing worried. "There's a storm," cries Hare. "Shouldn't Bear be home?" Bundling up against the wild weather, toting a lantern, they set out to search, Owl and Wren looking high, and the rest looking low, until at last their "Ho, Bear, are you there?" falls on his ears, and the rescue party greets the lost Bear with their own bear hugs.

Later that night,
All clustered in a heap,
Bear spins stories
While his friends fall asleep...

...And Bear feels safe.

Karma Wilson's and Jane Chapman's newest, Bear Feels Scared, arrives just in time for the approaching scary season. Not a Halloween book per se, this latest in the series provides a slightly spooky setting along with a comforting message about fear of the dark and stormy night. Pair this one with Jonathan Allen's "I'm Not Scared!": for a pair of stories that put the old darkness dragon to rest.