(1) K-3 Illustrated by Marla Frazee. As an introduction by the late Hoberman­ explains, for this collection she selected favorite poems of hers “about animals and insects” from past books no longer in print and also wrote eight new poems. Frazee’s delightfully energetic pencil and watercolor illustrations bring together the verses into a cohesive new whole -- she sets them at an animal hotel, complete with a spa, yoga classes, and a chocolate fountain. Characters recur (the squirrel bellhops are kept busy), and some subjects are creatively reinterpreted (the extinct brachiosaurus can’t be a guest, but it can provide the shape for the ­playground slide). The poems themselves are full of whimsical wildlife observations (“I often wonder whether / The rhinoceros’s leather / Is as bumpy on the inside / As it is upon the skinside”) and satisfyingly show off Hoberman’s facility with wordplay and with rhyme, meter, and inventive line breaks (“birds / need / bird / seed / bird / seed / feeds / birds / birds / sing / bird / songs / songs / with / bird /words”). A hotel worth checking into—and a collaboration worth checking out.

Reviewer: Shoshana Flax | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2025

(2) PS Step into the monstrous, cheesy fun with an invitation to, you guessed it, a monster mac and cheese party with "no humans allowed." Parr keeps listeners involved with direct questions and choices--they get to decide what dish they would bring, and whether they would eat some of the monsters' creations. (Mac and cheese with stinky socks, anyone?) Finally, two humans arrive with their own (boxed!) contribution, and the monsters agree to let them join. Parr's signature bold lines and bright colors keep viewers' eyes wide and their minds engaged as he creates a lively book with a strong message: in the end, everyone is welcome. Two of his favorite recipes are included in the back matter.

Reviewer: | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2023

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Dan Santat. This collection of twenty-three irreverent, kid-pleasing poems by Miller (singer/songwriter of the alt-country band Old 97's) covers familiar subjects: a case for staying home "sick" from school, a tyrannical Little League coach/dad, sibling rivalry, etc. With expressive caricatures and varied compositions, Santat's boisterous illustrations amp up the absurdity and enhance the subversion. A solid offering, providing an all-star lineup of mostly relatable, occasionally thought-provoking, and always entertaining reflections.

Reviewer: Kitty Flynn | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2019

(3) PS After naming several scenarios that can inspire anxiety ("When someone is being mean. / When it's dark," etc.), Parr offers constructive solutions ("Try doing something to keep yourself busy, like talking to someone special. / Taking deep breaths," etc.). Once again, the emotionally in-tune Parr and his megawatt-bright cartoon-style art are here to help young readers through a rough patch.

Reviewer: Nell Beram

(2) 4-6 Illustrated by Manu Montoya. In this installment Reynie, Sticky, and Kate are now teens, and cranky telepathic genius Constance is almost a tween. The henchmen of Mr. Curtain escape from prison and plan to free their boss from the maximum-security KEEP, but Mr. Curtain has poisoned Mr. Benedict, the children's mentor, to force the Society to attempt a rescue. It's a puzzle-lover's extravaganza, with codes, riddles, and clues to solve and security measures to be finessed.

Reviewer: Anita L. Burkam | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2019

(3) PS Brother describes a range of brotherly attributes: "Some brothers like to play house. / Some brothers like to play trucks." Sisters get the same treatment: "Some sisters help in the kitchen. / Some sisters help in the garage." The gender-role-subverting odes to siblinghood are supported by Parr's customary we're-all-okay message and his signature emotive cartoon art in a marvelously bombastic palette. Review covers these titles: The Brother Book and The Sister Book.

Reviewer: Nell Beram

(3) PS Brother describes a range of brotherly attributes: "Some brothers like to play house. / Some brothers like to play trucks." Sisters get the same treatment: "Some sisters help in the kitchen. / Some sisters help in the garage." The gender-role-subverting odes to siblinghood are supported by Parr's customary we're-all-okay message and his signature emotive cartoon art in a marvelously bombastic palette. Review covers these titles: The Brother Book and The Sister Book.

Reviewer: Nell Beram

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Naoko Stoop. A red starfish named Hoshi longs to shine in the sky rather than be stuck in the ocean. While Hoshi is surrounded by unique, colorful, and magnificent creatures in her watery environment, it takes a glowing anglerfish to teach Hoshi that to truly shine requires happiness, which comes from within. Mixed-media illustrations on plywood add depth and luminance to the message-driven story.

Reviewer: Carolyn Shute

(4) PS Along with his characteristic rainbow-colored people and animals, Parr uses simple rhyming sentences ("Love your walk. / Love your talk. / Love giving a hand. / Love taking a stand") to convey this positive if over-broad plea for acceptance of self and others. The feel-good preschool-friendly book will likely find a receptive audience with fans of his work.

Reviewer: Bridget McCaffrey

(3) PS "I love my teachers because..." Twenty solid reasons follow, from "Teachers encourage you to be creative" to "Teachers read to you" to "Teachers have lots of celebrations." In his trademark bold-hued cartoony art, Parr's cast of characters features kids and adults with skin colors well off the human spectrum.

Reviewer: Nell Beram

(3) PS This book features Parr's signature funny humans and animals in bright colors sporting wild hairdos and amusing clothes. The refrain "JUST BE WHO YOU ARE!" is shouted out after exhortatory phrases such as "Be silly. / Be brave. / Dance! / Learn! Play! Discover! Read!" and "Be the best that you can be!" For encouraging young kids to be themselves, Parr can't be beat.

Reviewer: Melinda Greenblatt

(2) 4-6 Reuben Pedley discovers an antique pocket watch with the power to turn the bearer invisible. As Reuben seeks the history of the watch and why villain The Smoke is so desperate to get his hands on it, the plot builds with a clean, comprehensible line that makes the over-five-hundred pages read effortlessly. Black-and-white illustrations lend a slightly gloomy, timeworn air.

Reviewer: Anita L. Burkam | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 2016

(3) PS "It's hard to say goodbye to someone. / You might not know what to feel." So begins Parr's primer on coping with loss (he never uses the word), featuring a goldfish who is suddenly alone in its bowl. Frill-free sentences, gentle humor, simple illustrations with saturated colors--it's classic Parr, but aimed at young grievers (and suitable for all ages).

Reviewer: Nell Beram

(4) K-3 It's Mr. Peanuts's turn to visit Cousin Squirrel in this Christmas-themed follow-up to The Secret Life of Squirrels. Once again, a bland and conflict-free story plays second fiddle to the appealing (if odd) art: a back page explains that there is no digital manipulation in the vivid color photographs of real squirrels engaging with dollhouse-scale props arranged, and often created, by Rose.

Reviewer: Nell Beram

(3) PS "It's okay to change your mind. / Everyone is ready at a different time"; "It's okay if you are clumsy. / You might invent a new move." Following his books devoted to peace, being different, and more, Parr continues his winning streak with another feel-good offering in which just-beyond-stick-figure, full-watt-color characters (people and animals) introduce preschoolers to an abstract concept.

Reviewer: Nell Beram

(2) YA Alix's grieving process is cut short when she discovers that her recently deceased girlfriend, Swanee, had another girlfriend, Liana. Alix slowly makes peace with the idea that while she loved Swanee, Swanee may not have loved her back; a budding romance between Alix and Liana is sweet and healing. A fresh and interesting take on grief, unhealthy relationships, and self-discovery.

Reviewer: Claire E. Gross | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2014

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Theodora Richards. With Barnaby Harris and Bill Shapiro. In a rock-and-rock picture-book memoir, the Rolling Stones' lead raconteur recollects his childhood introduction to the guitar, courtesy of his doting and eccentric grandfather, Gus. Richards has an ear for the music in a sentence, and his daughter shows blooming talent with her pen-and-ink sketches splashed with color. Richards reads his tale on the accompanying CD.

Reviewer: Nell Beram

(4) K-3 Before Cousin Squirrel visits, Mr. Peanuts tidies house, makes the bed, takes a bath, and bakes a cake. Together they eat pancakes, go for a wagon ride, play chess, picnic, and more. Wild squirrels interacting with miniature objects in domestic settings make for amusing photographs that, together with an appended behind-the-scenes look at how they are made, somewhat compensate for the thin plot.

Reviewer: Rebecca Reed Whidden

(3) K-3 In Red Knit Cap Girl's third book, she and her animal friends turn a nook under a tree into a library. The whisper-calm narrative describes the sweet collaboration: animals give books to the cause, sheep donate blankets for cozy reading, and Beaver contributes a homemade bookshelf. Stoop's unmistakable mixed-media illustrations on plywood have an enticing, mildly luminous look.

Reviewer: Nell Beram

(4) PS In this follow-up to Red Knit Cap Girl, the heroine responds to an SOS from a polar bear cub that has floated away from its family on an ice floe. The shimmery illustrations, which were created on plywood, are lovely, but without very much tension along the way, the success of her mission to bring the cub home feels too inevitable.

Reviewer: Nell Beram