(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

(3) K-3 I Like to Read series. Horse loves to dance, even without music; Buggy, a small bug, does not. But when Horse challenges Buggy to dance and then pumps some tunes ("What a fun song!"), Buggy and Horse boogie down until Horse tires out. Horse and Buggy's back-and-forth dialogue is simple and funny, as are the cartoon illustrations, which depict Horse doing the tango, the Charleston, the robot, and more on brightly colored backgrounds.

Reviewer: Mariko Turk

(4) K-3 I Like to Read series. Min's fellow-elephant friends are too hot to play. Min finds a creative solution to cool everyone off by engineering a machine to move water from a well to an empty pool. (Bafflingly, she doesn't use her trunk; and the presence of both a well and an empty pool in the savanna is unexplained.) Cheerful pen-and-ink and watercolor illustrations show the clever elephant's design process.

Reviewer: Miriam Steinberg-Egeth

(3) K-3 I Like to Read series. This fanciful large-trim early reader pairs McPhail's gentle pen-and-ink and watercolor illustrations with an extremely limited vocabulary ("A cow can jump. / A hippo can jump. / We can jump"). The seeming weightlessness of the various creatures in the pictures lends the book a pleasing silliness--particularly when the cow jumps over the moon and the hippo happily bounces along--but it doesn't overpower the simple reading lesson.

Reviewer: Dorrie Karlin

(3) K-3 I Like to Read series. A series of smiling animals each rides in a different-colored car: “I like my red car,” says a rhino in a compact; “I like my yellow car,” says a giraffe, neck sticking out of a roadster’s sunroof. Clear illustrations lead all the creatures to a car-wash party, complete with rabbit DJ. The easy reader's picture-book format, very simple patterned text, and high-interest topics are all kid-pleasers.

Reviewer: Elissa Gershowitz

(3) K-3 I Like to Read series. Squeak the mouse enjoys his simple yet wonderful life inside a family's house. While the children do homework and play in the kitchen, Squeak explores their toys (and spilled food!). The text, effectively, relies heavily on repetition; many pages contain only the word squeak. The detailed illustrations depict the interior of a comfortable-looking home, supporting early readers through visual humor and textual cues.

Reviewer: Miriam Steinberg-Egeth

(4) K-3 I Like to Read series. This beginning reader follows a mouse as he searches for food in a bustling metropolis, evades predators, and ultimately takes the subway carrying his prize: an enormous slice of pizza. Garland's pencil and digital illustrations have an odd plastic-like quality, but they successfully support the sight word–filled text. New readers may find humor in this spunky rodent's trek across a garbage-strewn city.

Reviewer: Morgan Stewart

(3) K-3 I Like to Read series. Frog tries to help Peeper, a bird with a broken wing, and Zeep, an alien with a broken spaceship, regain flight: "Peeper and Zeep go up. / Peeper and Zeep go down. / Frog will try again." Eventually their families come looking for them, and they all live happily together. The simple sentences and offbeat, naively styled illustrations explore themes of perseverance, friendship, and belonging.

Reviewer: Miriam Steinberg-Egeth

(3) K-3 I Like to Read series. A series of double-page spreads captures all the excitement of a gray squirrel's day in color photographs and brief action sentences: "I can jump," "I can eat"; and, when a hawk approaches: "I can run," "I can hide." The entry-level easy reader ends safely with the squirrel peeking out of his tree-trunk hidey-hole. Compelling, page-turning nonfiction for the very newest readers.

Reviewer: Martha V. Parravano

(3) K-3 I Like to Read series. A small child happily hugs her cat, her dog, a friend, a tree. The text consists of a single sentence on each page; the "I hug my..." structure repeats, with only the object nouns changing. McPhail's familiar pen and watercolor-wash illustrations, a variety of vignettes and full-page art, convey warmth and security. A positive, upbeat experience for the youngest readers.

Reviewer: Martha V. Parravano

(3) K-3 I Like to Read series. A dog waits at home by looking outside at a series of animals through a sliding-glass door. Finally, the dog's boy arrives and the dog is free to chase the one animal he's repeatedly barked at: a squirrel. Each double-page spread contains at most one sentence, a boon to new readers. Expressive watercolor, acrylic, and pencil illustrations amusingly capture the dog's alternating boredom and excitement.

Reviewer: Martha V. Parravano

(4) K-3 I Like to Read series. When young porcupine Pip wanders off in search of fun, Mother Duck asks him to sit on her eggs--which promptly hatch. The resulting tale of mistaken maternal identity is nothing new, but the lush illustrations, awash in blues, greens, and browns, infuse this story for brand-new readers with a warmth that reflects the bond between Pip and his temporary charges.

Reviewer: Rebecca Fox

(3) K-3 I Like to Read series. This entry-level easy reader consists of color photos of children interacting with adult and baby farm animals, accompanied by a brief, consistent text: "I like the pig"; "I like the piglet"; "I like the hen"; "I like the chick." The cast of children is matter-of-factly diverse, the photos ably capture the appeal of the animals, and the straightforward text will boost new readers' confidence.

Reviewer: Martha V. Parravano

(3) K-3 I Like to Read series. When a breeze blows a pinwheel into the open window of two young boys, one grabs hold and embarks on a journey through the air where he encounters a bevy of farm animals aloft on the same breeze. Cepada's friendly digital artwork and simple sentences ("Look. / I go up. / I see a hen") will encourage emerging readers through the easy-to-parse fantasy.

Reviewer: Kristy Pasquariello

(4) K-3 I Like to Read series. Told from the perspective of a screw living in a garage full of tools, this book uses simple words and short sentences to introduce tool purposes and tell the story of a boy building a treehouse. The personification of the tools is somewhat uneven, but the functional descriptions are clear. Bright digital illustrations follow the progress of the project and give the objects personalities.

Reviewer: Miriam Steinberg-Egeth

(3) K-3 I Like to Read series. Nate likes to skate, while Kate likes hats. The friends butt heads, but later apologize ("I was a brat") and discover they actually do enjoy each other's interest when they give it a chance. The simple controlled vocabulary, repeated phonic units, and generous white space squarely target emergent readers. Textured crayon illustrations depict the action, featuring animal characters with expressive, childlike faces.

Reviewer: Sheila M. Geraty

(3) K-3 I Like to Read series. To each of Bear's raves about the beach--"I like the sun"; "I like to swim"--Chipmunk replies, "Not me!" Meanwhile, winking watercolor and ink illustrations show what Bear misses: Chipmunk tossed by a wave, pinched by a crab, etc. A note-perfect punch line--"'Why did you come?' said Bear. 'I came to be with you.' said Chipmunk"--makes a pleasing valentine to friendship.

Reviewer: Nell Beram