(2) PS Illustrated by Will Hillenbrand. A big storm threatens a small island in the middle of a wide river. Most of the animals -- heron, otter, frog -- recognize the warning signs and know what to do. "But Turtle-Turtle did not. He was too new to know what to do." Washes textured with splatters and ribbons of color create the feel of volatile island weather. Turtle-Turtle, with his wide eyes and green shell outlined in rainbows, appears particularly small and vulnerable on the page. As the other animals hurry away, he tries to find refuge within his shell. "'Stay,' whimpered Turtle-Turtle, tucking in tight." The force of the darkening storm grows with every page-turn, especially in contrast to the small protagonist, whose concerned yellow eyes peek out from the shell. When waves and wind finally cast him into the river, he spins and struggles underwater across a dynamic double-page spread. Eventually, he recovers enough to hold his breath and open his eyes. From there, the other animals return to help, offering swimming strategies and encouragement ("Paddle," "Kick away") until Turtle-Turtle makes it to land. The crisp text with its repetition and onomatopoeia pairs well with the colorful digital art full of pattern and movement, making this a rewarding and exciting adventure for even very young listeners. The story closes with an appreciation of friendship and an especially bright rainbow. Both the dedication and an author's note from Will Hillenbrand offer insight into the story's origin.

Reviewer: Julie Roach | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2024

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Will Hillenbrand. On the day Zee is born, a small shoot emerges in a clay pot on her parents' Christmas tree farm. It is quickly designated as "Zee's Tree," and the two grow up together, with Zee being the tree's primary caregiver. Without a hint of anthropomorphism, Rusch makes targeted comparisons. For example, Zee goes to kindergarten with a new outfit and "new look"; concurrently, her tree gets a pruning. When both the tree and Zee are eight, Zee is big enough to decorate her now-fully-grown Christmas tree all by herself. Hillenbrand's soft-hued mixed-media illustrations not only reflect the text but also clarify and expand the narrative. Small expository notes, set apart from the main text, provide further scientific information. Appended with an index, a bibliography, and instructions for the care of live ­Christmas trees.

Reviewer: Betty Carter | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2021

(3) PS Illustrated by Will Hillenbrand. "Snow! Snow!" When little corgi Oscar decides to take himself for a walk (his boy didn't feel like going outside), he meets dog Daisy out with her girl. The two new furry friends bound off into the woods, but at home they're asking, "'Where's Oscar?' 'He's run away!'" Parallel story lines add some tension while assuring listeners that, "back in the woods," Oscar and Daisy are having a grand time making a snow dog, ice-skating, and building an igloo. Hillenbrand effectively uses panel illustrations to advance the story and add variety to the snow-covered scenes.

Reviewer: Kitty Flynn

(4) PS Illustrated by Will Hillenbrand. Clueless Bear (from Sleep, Big Bear, Sleep! and Sneeze, Big Bear, Sneeze!) returns for another rhyming story, this one about sharing. Big Bear misunderstands an old oak tree's admonitions to share and thus keeps his berries to himself until he (rather abruptly) gets the memo: "Well...you could have told me before!" Hillenbrand's expressive and appealing illustrations give the book its charm.

Reviewer: Cyrisse Jaffee

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Will Hillenbrand. In this cumulative counting tale, "one tiny island just big enough for me...and Annie McPhee" rapidly grows crowded as dogs who think they are frogs, pigs in wigs, etc., take up residence. Internal rhymes add bounce to an otherwise bland text. Not all animals appear on each spread, but quirky details abound in Hillenbrand's graphite and digital illustrations.

Reviewer: Rebecca Fox

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Will Hillenbrand. Bear and bunny best friends ("the bear is sure the bunny is a very small bear" and vice versa) find a pet to care for together: a frog they mistake for a kitten. With muted, whisper-soft illustrations, the gentle story removes distinctions between bear and bunny, frog and kitten, reinforcing that the simple tenants of love, friendship, and caring know no bounds.

Reviewer: Rebecca Reed Whidden

(2) PS Illustrated by Will Hillenbrand. Bear finds something "orange and long and pointy" on the rock outside his cave (even the youngest readers will recognize a carrot). Bear solves the mystery of who left it step-by-step, leaving a series of gifts for his secret admirer and hoping to see who comes to claim them. Hillenbrand's soft earth-toned illustrations are a perfect match for Pinkwater's child-friendly text.

Reviewer: Kathleen T. Horning | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 2012

(3) PS Illustrated by Will Hillenbrand. One blustery fall day, Big Bear (Sleep, Big Bear, Sleep!) thinks his sneezes are causing seasonal changes (e.g., leaves falling from the trees, geese flying away). It's really the wind, who doesn't hesitate to set Big Bear straight: "I DO IT ALL--I'M THE AUTUMN BREEZE!" The clueless bear's misunderstandings are endearing, and Hillenbrand's autumnal mixed-media illustrations are reliably eye-pleasing.

Reviewer: Elissa Gershowitz

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Will Hillenbrand. A gamboling hound bursts through the screen door of a farmhouse, setting mayhem into motion and leaving the exhausted young narrator to make things right. This hugely entertaining cumulative tale in rhyme boasts wonderfully composed, highly narrative mixed-media illustrations that are chock-full of humorous details.

Reviewer: Amy Lois Cohn

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Will Hillenbrand. A backwoods peddler barters for a wedding dress for his daughter. Although the sequence of trades seems unnecessarily random, and the ending is adult (implying a reluctance on the bridegroom's part not earlier evident), the author's language is lively and engaging, and the refrain ("And one fine trade it is!") should hold readers' interest. Warm, cheerful watercolors add appeal and humor.

Reviewer: Martha V. Parravano

(2) PS Illustrated by Will Hillenbrand. Big Bear is ready to call it a summer, but he's a bit hard of hearing. Each time Old Man Winter reiterates his titular command, the sleepy creature mishears. Wright's verse has a chuckle-worthy lilt. Hillenbrand picks up on the tall-tale humor in ample double-page spreads; he also makes the expansive wilderness, with its deepening winter tones, quite lovely.

Reviewer: Joanna Rudge Long | Horn Book Magazine Issue: January, 2010

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Will Hillenbrand. When Baby Dragon's mother visits his grandmother, she tells Baby Dragon to wait by a fern until morning. Waiting isn't easy, and when sneaky Crocodile offers to help Baby Dragon find his mother, temptation gets the better of him. Ehrlich crafts a charming tale of patience and pluck, and Hillenbrand's pictures provide just the right depiction of a brave little hero.

Reviewer: Hannah Rodgers Barnaby

(3) PS Illustrated by Will Hillenbrand. The pleasant poem, originally part of a collection published in 1959, moves month to month, describing the year from a little girl's viewpoint. Playful mixed-media illustrations use color and clever perspectives to add energy to the slight text. Simple but satisfying, the book will bring smiles to the faces of young children and the grownups who read to them.

Reviewer: Elizabeth Shaver

(3) PS Illustrated by Will Hillenbrand. Cat thinks the moon is made of milk; Hen says it's an egg; Butterfly, Dog, and Mouse have different ideas (sugar, butter, flour). Rosie isn't sure, so they visit Gran and learn that they're all partially correct. Hillenbrand's uncluttered patterned illustrations complement this traditionally structured story that ends with a delicious batch of cookies. Gran's recipe for sugar cookie moons is included.

Reviewer: Rebecca Reed Whidden

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Will Hillenbrand. Before birthday-girl Grandma runs her errands, she implores Granddad not to make a fuss: his cakes have been getting bigger every year. He disregards her wishes and creates a doozy, using the back of a pickup truck as his mixing bowl. The expansive art and inventive Western-flavored rhymes propel this yarn. A recipe for a scaled-down whopper cake is included.

Reviewer: Nell Beram

(2) PS Illustrated by Will Hillenbrand. In this companion to Please Say Please!, Penguin, whistle in beak, referees the playground shenanigans and gently corrects each animal's rule infraction. The illustrations feature clean lines against white space, using bright colors not only for the playground equipment but also for some of the animals. Young listeners will be entertained by the "accidents."

Reviewer: Bridget McCaffrey | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 2006

(3) PS Illustrated by Will Hillenbrand. Two young pigs eagerly awaken one morning to the sounds of the garbage truck outside their bedroom window. Lively descriptive language--"Gooey, gloppy. / Slimy, sloppy. / Truck's a rolling bug buffet"--and a bright green bottomless pit of a garbage truck with red headlights for eyes and a gaping "mouth" add to the thrill as the pigs watch the garbage collectors at work.

Reviewer: Christine M. Heppermann

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Will Hillenbrand. With breezy authority, this book reveals how war, celebration, and misguided preservation efforts forced the removal of the Declaration of Independence from place to place, the artifact suffering such indignities as heat stress, fading, and smoke exposure. It's an amiable account, chatty and full of rhetorical questions. Hillenbrand's bright mixed-media line-and-color illustrations borrow from the conventions of old political cartoons.

Reviewer: Vicky Smith | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 2005

(2) PS Illustrated by Will Hillenbrand. A lively group of animals--large, friendly looking figures colored with ink and crayon--arrives at Penguin's house for dinner, and the text solicits opinions on how they should behave. A natural read-aloud, with a generous helping of onomatopoeia, this is one dinner party that will leave participants begging for more--using polite, inside voices, of course.

Reviewer: Christine M. Heppermann | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2004

(2) PS Illustrated by Will Hillenbrand. Seventeen Irish playground rhymes for calling someone out are gathered here in a tale about the O'Learys and their ten children. Hillenbrand depicts the family as bouncy and jolly, with bright colors against white backgrounds. The premise of the book is quite ambitious (a story told completely in nonsense rhymes), but the pictures tie the disconnected rhymes together, telling a lively bedtime story.

Reviewer: Susan Dove Lempke | Horn Book Magazine Issue: January, 2005