(1) K-3 I Like to Read: Comics series. Emberley's familiar pink-and-green-pajama-wearing creature (see Let's Go!, rev. 1/23, and others) returns for another imaginative early-reader-comic mini-adventure, this time with a parent in tow. It's bedtime, and after selecting a story (one that alludes to the author's father, Ed Emberley's, Go Away, Big Green Monster!), the pair is interrupted by a blackout. When the flashlight's batteries begin to die, the parent takes the next logical step: climb an impossibly long ladder to gather stars from the night sky. But there are unintended consequences: namely, a sobbing moon afraid of the now-pitch-black night. In a joyful double-page spread, parent and child selflessly release a murmuration of bird-like stars back into the sky, once again leaving themselves in the dark. Cleverly, the parent coaxes the child up to the apartment's roof to enjoy the illumination of the returned stars, allowing the pair to share their long-awaited bedtime story. Emberley's strict adherence to whimsical kid-logic, along with the little creature's repeated declarations ("Too dark!" / "Too bright!"), read as respectful of children's fears, while the ever-changing panel configurations and layouts add complexity to the reading experience. Special attention is given to the manipulation of color to produce lighting effects throughout the book from sources as varied as stars, flashlights, windows, and the moon. Imaginative play brightens up bedtime rituals in this funny and sincere comic perfectly pitched for emerging readers.

Reviewer: Patrick Gall | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2025

(2) K-3 I Like to Read series. Geisel honoree Meisel (for I See a Cat and See Me Run) tells an amusing story of sibling rivalry in cartoons and minimalist speech-bubble dialogue. Before the main text begins, the younger sibling previews the story line with the shout, “I WANT IT!” On the title page, the smiling older sibling saunters in carrying a box overflowing with toys: “Mine.” In just those four words and two images, readers will understand the power dynamic. Meisel’s jaunty pen-and-ink drawings zero in on the plot, while the text maximizes the repetition of simple words. The older sibling plays with vehicles and a superhero action figure in a series of spot illustrations: “Go. Goal. Here I go. Go, go, go.” When the younger sib starts playing with a car the older one isn’t using (“Beep”), the older sibling jumps in (“Mine”). They scuffle over a blue dragon and a stuffed bunny (“I WANT IT. I WANT IT. I WANT IT”) before reaching a compromise. Meisel packs an impressive amount of activity and emotion into a handful of speech bubbles and images in this enjoyable beginning reader.

Reviewer: Adrienne L. Pettinelli | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2025

(2) K-3 I Like to Read: Comics series. Illustrated by Dan Yaccarino. This comics-style beginning reader offers a sci-fi take on sibling rivalry. Artist Lucy and inventor Nera live on the moon in separate halves of the same large house. One day the sisters, who “don’t get along,” both set their sights on picking the same Moon Blossom (Lucy to paint, Nera to study), which leads to an epic battle involving “flippity-flappy butterflies” and “creepy-crawly robot bugs.” Vibrant, chromatic illustrations match the kooky text, giving readers who need to work through some of the more demanding and less predictable words incentive to keep going. When a Galactic Groovy Green Goat that likes to “gobble up fancy flowers” shows up, Lucy and Nera call a truce to collaborate on saving the Moon Blossom. In the process, they learn that caring for the flower together and watching it flourish is more rewarding than fighting over it. This fantastical reader is a good choice for budding speculative fiction fans.

Reviewer: Adrienne L. Pettinelli | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2025

(2) K-3 I Like to Read: Comics series. Cepeda, creator of many excellent first-step beginning readers (I Hop; I Help; I Dig), offers a comic for more experienced readers. "What could go wrong?" a father asks his son while packing the car for a camping trip. Well, for starters, the campground is full, but the pair makes the best of a less-comfortable campsite down the road. When it turns out -- "Uh-oh" -- that Dad forgot the tent poles, they take the opportunity to sleep under the stars. Mostly minor setbacks (skunks, rain) force them to enjoy the experience they're having instead of the one they'd expected. Digital illustrations in aquas, greens, and browns have an ink-and-watercolor feel that suits the low-stakes outdoor adventure. Readers will need some fluency to navigate multiple word bubbles per page, multiple speakers, and compound and multisyllabic words with a number of sound blends and linguistic quirks. Most of the language is likely to be familiar, though, and the illustrations provide support for less common words, such as the night sky full of stars around "Venus...and the Big Dipper...and Capella...and Polaris." When father and son get home, Mom asks how the trip went, and the child shouts, "Everything went wrong...It was great!" A solid lesson for all of us on how to navigate life's little disappointments.

Reviewer: Adrienne L. Pettinelli | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2024

(3) K-3 I Like to Read series. A grandfather tells his grandson about two small animals who love Tewa'á:raton (lacrosse). Mouse and Squirrel are rebuffed when they ask to join Team Four Legs and Team Wings. But Eagle has an idea that lets the flightless duo soar, leading Team Wings to victory and to Mouse’s and Squirrel’s new names: Bat and Flying Squirrel. Crisply rendered illustrations reward repeat readings. Mohawk author-illustrator David (Who Will Win?, rev. 3/23) offers beginning readers another entertaining Indigenous tale; helpful information precedes the story.

Reviewer: Kitty Flynn

(3) K-3 I Like to Read: Comics series. Ebbeler uses a dash of mythology and the comics format in this story about Nick's first day at Icarus Elementary, creating a beginning reader with a controlled ­vocabulary that doesn't feel rudimentary. Young readers will pore over the front endpapers that depict the school as a shadowy labyrinth on a parchment background. The story itself shifts into a traditional comics look in the digital illustrations, with thick lines, bright colors, and speech bubbles. This is where we find Nick contemplating entering the school, when along comes Gus, a minotaur, and it's his first day too. Gus's solution to finding their classroom? "Charge!" The text is primarily sight words, many repeated. Expressive faces, energetic pacing, and the just-right amount of detail in the images create a level of humor and action that is more elaborate than the words on the page. Experienced readers will get as much enjoyment out of this story as new readers will.

Reviewer: Adrienne L. Pettinelli | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2025

(1) K-3 I Like to Read: Comics series. Pickle (a dog) and a bird friend decide to drive to Clover Farm to get some strawberries and fresh cream, but soon after they set out, the car breaks down. Instead of listening to the bird's advice ("check the engine"), Pickle exclaims, "This car is junk!" and starts a quest to purchase a new car. This beginning reader in comics format has two to six panels and multiple lines of dialogue per page, so it's best for readers who are building independence; short words and ample repetition support practice. The digital illustrations are in restful shades of blue and green that are a fine match for the story's gentle tone. The use of patterns -- particularly polka dots -- adds a sense of whimsy and visual interest as Pickle goes through the trials and tribulations of car shopping. He wants the fast car until he gets pulled over on his test drive; then he knocks over a bin of oranges while trying out an oversized SUV. And let's not even talk about the price of the fancy car. Eventually, Pickle's mechanic suggests that perhaps filling the old car's gas tank and getting a tune-up might be a better solution. Amusing and highly entertaining.

Reviewer: Adrienne L. Pettinelli | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2024

(1) K-3 I Like to Read series. "Bear has fast legs. Turtle has a fast mind. Who will win the race?" An elder, Tota, tells a trickster story in a beginning reader that succeeds both as a learning tool for new readers and as a layered tale to appreciate over repeat readings. When we meet Turtle, he's standing in a power pose surveying the racecourse on a frozen lake, while on the opposite page, Bear executes an impressive warm-up routine. The digitally created art, in a cartoon style with an edge of realism, is appealing and supports the minimal text, which uses repetition and sight words without overwhelming new readers. Bear bounds over the ice while tricky Turtle swims below, popping up to periodically exclaim, "Here I am!" Bear's evolving facial expressions will be familiar to anyone who's run a tough race, and astute observers will notice that the markings on Turtle's shell are different each time he surfaces. All is revealed in the end, and wily but good-natured Turtle shares his prize. Author David, a member of the Haudenosaunee Kanienkehaka (Mohawk) people, includes words from the Kanienkeha language for added interest and context. There is a notable lack of beginning reader books from an Indigenous perspective, and this book is most welcome.

Reviewer: Adrienne L. Pettinelli | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2023

(1) K-3 I Like to Read: Comics series. Emberley's crew of critters (I Did It!, rev. 9/22) returns for another exciting early-reader comic. This fast-paced story begins before its title page with a caped reptile launching a paper airplane. The plane's circuitous flight crosses two pages and multiple panels and ends at our friendly monster, toy elephant, masked raccoon, shimmery robot, and tiny penguin. It's a party invitation, inspiring the friends to immediately take off for the bash with a collective "LET'S GO!" A series of setbacks (from fatigue to snow to large bodies of water) impedes the crew's progress; however, cooperation and creative problem-solving prevail. The creatures use scraps of paper torn from the very pages of the book they are in to create skis, boats, and more and continue their journey. Emberley's cartooning is complex and compelling, while the dialogue-only text is intentionally repetitive and charismatic. Energetic pencil illustrations convey a strong sense of animation between fluctuating panel configurations and page layouts. The digital coloring is expressive, shifting between modeled realism and completely flat blocks of color--signaling shifts in tone, time, and/or setting. Imaginative, playful, and deceptively unassuming, this comic for early readers serves as a respectful (and exceedingly entertaining) introduction to the comics format.

Reviewer: Patrick Gall | Horn Book Magazine Issue: January, 2023

(2) K-3 I Like to Read: Comics series. Meisel (See Me Play, rev. 7/19; and others) is an accomplished creator of early-reader picture books; in his first comic for beginning readers, Dog and Cat are napping when the sky darkens and the first rumble of thunder wakes them. Dog reacts with wide-eyed fear; insouciant Cat plays with a mouse toy. As the thunder grows louder, Dog tries several hiding spots--behind the couch, under a cushion, in a closet--but can't find a place that feels safe. Cat, meanwhile, keeps playing. (When Dog screams, "HIDE! HIDE!" Cat calmly replies, "I found my duck.") The pen-and-ink illustrations are expressive and humorous, and Meisel captures the body language of animals--particularly Dog, who we see shake, cower, and become increasingly undone. The book uses three types of lettering: one for narration, another for speech bubbles, and a third for sound effects in the illustrations. The narration text is a lighter blue in yellow text boxes (potentially harder for new readers to spot); however, the words ("Dog is scared") aren't telling anything the illustrations aren't making clear, so children of all reading abilities will be able to follow the story. In the end, Dog falls asleep and dreams about chasing the storm away, and upon waking, it's gone. Dog feels like a superhero, Cat continues to be unconcerned, and readers will be amused.

Reviewer: Adrienne L. Pettinelli | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 2023

(2) K-3 I Like to Read: Comics series. A red-nosed creature wearing a green-and-purple-striped onesie attempts a series of activities: building a tall block tower, climbing a rope and a tree, catching a ball. Each try begins with optimism ("I can do it!" "Can I do it?" "I want to do it!" "I think I can do it") but ends with frustration and discouragement: "I can't do it!" Early efforts at bike riding seem similarly destined for disappointment--but the positive difference in outcome is a product of perseverance. Although the results aren't yet mastery level, the protagonist--with a little help from friends raccoon, robot, elephant, penguin, and alligator--gains confidence and enjoyment without the pressure of perfection. The all-dialogue text, with just a handful of words in total, is easy to read and will give new readers, too, the self-assurance finally enjoyed by our main character. Lively cartoony illustrations with plenty of white space provide humor and relatability. The creature's emotions are on full display (e.g., when it kicks over the block tower; walking, slumped shouldered, away from an uncaught ball), making its ultimate triumph that much sweeter.

Reviewer: Elissa Gershowitz | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2022

(2) K-3 I Like to Read Comics series. The Super Duper Seven includes Electro-Elephant ("I can charge your phones"), Hypno-Hippo ("I put bad guys to sleep"), and Hungry Kitty, who keeps eating the smaller team members. This creates an ongoing branding ­problem, as the Seven become Six and then Five, and the team has to keep buying new shirts. When the heroes run out of money and begin to have (understandable) difficulty recruiting new members, they must consider forming an alliance with a superhero they'd previously rejected. This mid-level beginning-reader comic is silly fun. The cycle of introducing and reintroducing the team allows for repetition that adds to the humor, especially useful with some of the more challenging phonetic feats (words like polka, quarter, and elephant). Hamilton draws with a thin, loose line, and his characters feature tiny eyes in giant heads, visually setting a playful tone. The panels are rich with detail, but the illustrations also clearly support the plot for less confident readers. With their somewhat-less-than-super power--e.g., the hero of the story, Polka Don, can make things with string--this group has its origin in many a children's grassroots club. Long may the Super Duper...Four reign!

Reviewer: Adrienne L. Pettinelli | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 2022

(2) K-3 I Like to Read: Comics series. In this beginning reader in comic format, a kid named Molly pouts when instructed to clean up her toys. She is soon distracted by the sight--and sound--of a Hulkish green giant stomping outside. The giant, named Jack, is also a child; Jack plays with Molly's home, neighborhood, and even Molly herself as if everything were a toy, moving items and people around haphazardly. After the giant ignores his parents' call to tidy up and join them for a picnic, Molly eventually stands up to Jack: "Stop! This is a giant mess! This is your mess. You must pick it up." Jack reluctantly follows Molly's direction, but runs away before the job is complete, leaving some silly visual surprises for readers to discover. The narrative is told exclusively through sequential art, rendered digitally with a clean line, purposeful paneling, and a vivid palette. Humor abounds in the visual imagery; for example, Jack mistakes a construction vehicle for a dragon and is shown shoving items under the grass. Parts of the dialogue repeat through the characters' parallel stories, and word balloons afford beginning readers an opportunity to read with the comfort of hefty white space. Sound effects and exclamations written outside of balloons add detail but might be challenging for some new readers to follow. At story's end, Molly offers to assist with the remaining mess, encouraging us to consider the character's (possible) growth: "Mom! Can you help?"

Reviewer: Elisa Gall | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2021

(2) PS I Like to Read series. Two friends sitting outside on a summer's day have very different opinions about insects. The girl, armed with a magnifying glass and a field guide and gazing admiringly at a butterfly, ladybugs, ants, and a damselfly (among others), declares that she loves insects. The boy, having been chased away from his sandwich by houseflies, says he hates insects. As this simple and clever book unfolds, each child offers facts supporting their viewpoint. Some insects hurt plants, while others eat the insects that do so; some insects are "so ugly," others pretty; some make unpleasant sounds, others nice ones. At book's end, twilight has descended, the fireflies have come out, and...has the boy come around to his friend's point of view? The book's text is entirely composed of dialogue. But even though no quotation marks are used, because of the strength of each child's opinions, there is never any doubt who is speaking--except on the final, ambiguous spread. Vocabulary in this beginning-reader picture book is controlled but feels very natural. Illustrations in colored pencil, gouache, and watercolor capture the flora and fauna of a garden while keeping viewers connected to the human characters. A final double-page spread identifies each insect pictured in the book. Love it!

Reviewer: Martha V. Parravano | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2021

(3) K-3 I Like to Read series. There's heavy traffic on the roads and on the water, but everyone must "Stop" to make way for nine little web-footed pedestrians. The text features nine distinct words and helpful repetition ("Cars go. Trucks go. Fire trucks go") and is well supported by the lively illustrations for a satisfyingly simple story. The vehicles' attention-getting colors and patterns offer lots to notice on repeat readings. Transportation buffs will get a lot of mileage from this zippy early reader.

Reviewer: Kitty Flynn

(3) K-3 I Like to Read series. A bunny, two mice, a bird, a squirrel, and an owl emerge from a hollow tree to enjoy a snow storm. When too much snow piles up ("Snow is heavy"), a branch breaks, causing the bird to fall into a deep drift. Oh, no! The cartoonlike illustrations show the other animals gathered around a bird-sized hole: "Friends try to help." An effective page turn resolves the tension as the bird pops out of the hole: "...birds can fly." Subtle details in the illustrations (the sky changes from pale morning colors to vibrant sunset orange and pink) extend the story and enhance the wintry atmosphere.

Reviewer: Kitty Flynn

(2) K-3 I Like to Read series. An amiable yellow dog (from Geisel Honor–winning See Me Run) joins dogs chasing a tennis ball through a park. But then a beaver's tail and a bird start the ball (and the dogs) on an outlandish journey; a humorous circular ending returns the dogs to the park. Limited vocabulary, repetition, and clear clues in the lively watercolor illustrations give new readers support while also keeping them enormously entertained.

Reviewer: Martha V. Parravano | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 2019

(3) K-3 I Like to Read series. This picture book–size early reader lists activities friends Pig and Cat enjoy doing together: reading, bike-riding, painting, etc. But when Pig's other friend Dog shows up, Cat feels left out. Happily, the situation is quickly resolved, and now "Pig and Cat and Dog are pals." Very simple text and childlike crayon and colored-pencil illustrations explore this common childhood conflict in a way accessible to preschool listeners and emerging readers alike.

Reviewer: Katie Bircher

(4) K-3 I Like to Read series. As boating elephant Mike naps, his pet fish jumps out of his fishbowl and into the ocean. Fish Pat enjoys the adventure until a shark arrives; "Pat needs help," which arrives in the form of Mike (who himself later needs help to resurface). Told in a combination of expressive paintings, simple sentences, and speech-bubble interjections, this rather unexciting story is nevertheless suitable as an easy reader.

Reviewer: Kari Allen

(3) K-3 I Like to Read series. As Tate draws pictures, he ignores his dog playing nearby. On alternating spreads, readers can spot lots of objects ("But there is no Pup") within the pictures Tate has drawn. Tate learns his lesson after Pup runs away ("Now Tate will always draw Pup"). With its very simple text, detailed illustrations, and interactive picture-puzzle elements, this easy reader will keep new readers' interests.

Reviewer: Kari Allen