(4) PS Hopper, a frog, doesn't click with the other pond dwellers. After a turtle suggests that he's really a prince, Hopper heads off in pursuit of a princess to kiss. He meets a dog who's no princess, but it turns out that friendship outranks royalty. This sweetly amusing spin on the classic tale features illustrations less artful than the story.

Reviewer: Nell Beram

(3) K-3 I Can Read Book series. Illustrated by Joe Mathieu. Max the duck has a case of spring fever. When owner Irene leaves him with a list of chores, Max dizzily mixes them up, like sweeping the grass and watering the floor. Luckily, Coco the cat and Bebe the parrot are there to undo Max's upside-down chores. The kooky illustrations of the cross-eyed spring-fever sufferers complement the giggle-inducing text.

Reviewer: Julie Bartynski

(3) K-3 I Can Read Book series. Illustrated by Joe Mathieu. Story by Lori Haskins Houran. Just as duck Max is feeling useless, demanding aunts Pat, Dot, and Flo arrive. Max is eager to help, but he quickly finds himself exhausted. After the visit he's grateful for some rest--and for Irene's anticipation of his needs. The story, with its familiar cartoon illustrations, isn't as gleefully zany as Urbanovic's picture books, but it will still make new readers giggle.

Reviewer: Gail Hedges

(4) K-3 "How much trouble could a puppy get into, anyway?" In his fourth book, duck Max helps his canine friend Brody baby-sit his niece, Anabel. After Anabel wears Brody out, Max gets involved and discovers how much trouble an energetic puppy can be. It's fairly predictable, though the humorous illustrations are adept at portraying Anabel's exuberance and the sitters' exhaustion.

Reviewer: Cindy Lombardo

(3) K-3 In his third story, duck Max convinces Irene to shelter a desperate alligator from a zoo detective. Though the skittish pets are wary of the reptile's ravenous appetite, they, too, aid the outlaw gator, culminating in an "I'm Spartacus"-type ending. Humorous sound effects--"Ah! Yikes! Eek! Gasp!...Thunk! ow! Thunk!"--paired with energetic illustrations make this a solid addition to story times.

Reviewer: Sheila M. Geraty

(3) K-3 Determined to create the perfect soup, Duck goes to his garden to pick some chives. Meanwhile, his friends arrive and, seeing a feather in the soup, they think Duck's fallen in. Hoping to save Duck, they dump out his masterpiece. Cheerfully busy illustrations show the animals searching frantically through the vegetables while cool-customer hound Brody--and readers--recognize their overreaction.

Reviewer: Patricia Riley

(3) K-3 Irene welcomes Max the stray duck into her pet-friendly home when he needs a place to stay for the winter. When his behavior changes from charming to annoying, however, she and the pets have second thoughts. But after he leaves, who knew how empty life would be? Humorous cartoonlike drawings illustrate this friendly family tale.

Reviewer: Cindy Lombardo