(4) K-3 Illustrated by Ken Wilson-Max. A tree narrates this biography of the African American botanist and educator, describing his childhood interest in plants and his desire to attend school. The tree has some hokey lines ("I'm just a tree so I don't know what a president is"), but the book is a serviceable introduction to Carver. Bright acrylic illustrations show the man among flowers and trees. End matter provides additional information.

Reviewer: Tanya D. Auger

(4) PS Illustrated by Ken Wilson-Max. In this board book edition, O'Connell's simple words ("The baby goes Splash / The baby goes Splash Splash Splash Splash") and Wilson-Max's bright, bold illustrations still have the power to attract readers. Those familiar with the original, however, will miss the sixteen omitted pages and will find this version a bit choppy.

Reviewer: Kitty Flynn | Horn Book Magazine Issue: January, 2004

(3) PS Illustrated by Ken Wilson-Max. "We can star / in our own band. / I'll bang the pot, / you clank the pan." In this gleeful follow-up to I Can Do It Too!, a sister shows her little brother how to paint, wait patiently, use the slide, and enjoy other big-kid activities. The simple rhymes bounce, and Wilson-Max's trademark illustrations rich with brush strokes will delight preschoolers.

Reviewer: Nell Beram

(3) PS Illustrated by Ken Wilson-Max. Joshua loves water. "Splash!" is the word chanted by him as he jumps in a puddle, feeds the ducks on the river, and glides with Granny down a big slide into a pool. Creative text placement and vibrant color paintings with bold black outlines add energy to the lively excursion enjoyed by a young boy and his grandmother.

Reviewer: Sheila M. Geraty

(3) PS Illustrated by Ken Wilson-Max. A boy makes his handprint with paint, then creates four colorful turkey collages. When the turkeys come alive, he saves them from Foxy the fox by setting them free but then must lure them back to their Popsicle-stick pen. The whimsical illustrations for this clever, imaginative book feature handprint turkeys scurrying around on legs made of toothpicks.

Reviewer: Martha Sibert

(3) PS Illustrated by Ken Wilson-Max. A series of rhymes about various family members' abilities are paired with a young African-American girl's triumphant cry of "I can do it too!" and corresponding images of her proudly pouring juice (although she spills some), etc. This is preschooler manna: Wilson-Max's mural-like illustrations, exhibiting brush strokes reminiscent of a child's first tempera-paint attempts, perfectly capture the girl's justifiably outsize delight.

Reviewer: Nell Beram

(2) PS Illustrated by Ken Wilson-Max. "The baby goes Beep / The baby goes Beep Beep / The baby goes Beep Beep Beep Beep." For each familiar baby action--singing a song ("la"), reading a book ("flip"), heading to bed ("shh")--this chant becomes cumulative. The catchy beat of the simple text along with the deeply colored paintings with strong black outlines make this book an attention-getter for either a baby in the lap or a group of squirmy toddlers.

Reviewer: Jennifer M. Brabander | Horn Book Magazine Issue: January, 2004

(3) PS Illustrated by Ken Wilson-Max. This songlike account of a father-son tickle session in a family of color is narrated by the younger half in Caribbean-inflected verse ("me papa tickle me feet"). Preschoolers will find the text's mirthful mood infectious. The rhymes are reinforced by childlike images of the giddy diaper-clad toddler at the mercy of his father's big, brown hands, painted in Wilson-Max's thick brushstrokes with bold black outlines.

Reviewer: Nell Beram