Publishd by Henry Holt and eCompany

Summary: When 3 decides there’s more to life than being a number, he goes off in search of a new career. He tries a great many options, including being the humps of a camel and the toes of an elephant.  Deciding  he prefers people to animals, he tries being a shoelace and the rim of some glasses.  An anchor?  A rake?  An airplane’s steering wheel?  3 tries them all before finally settling for getting bronzed and becoming a statue in the park.  At first, he is admired and appreciated, but gradually people stop coming to see him, and he realizes it’s time to move on.  In the spring he heads for the fair, but learns it’s not opening this year.  With no 3, there can be no triple scoops of ice cream, three-legged races, or music (“A one, and a two, and a….”).  3 finally realizes his rightful place is with the numbers, and 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9 are all more than happy to welcome him back.  40 pages; ages 3-7.

Pros:  A fun introduction to the importance of numbers in everyday life, as well as a bit of an I Spy, as kids will enjoy seeing where 3 is hiding in many of the illustrations.

Cons:  Be prepared for giggles as both a pigeon and a dog cover the statue of number 3 with numbers 1 and 2.

Published by Viking Books for Young Readers

Summary:  It starts out sounding like an ordinary story: “Snappsy the alligator wasn’t feeling like himself.  His feet felt draggy.  His skin felt baggy.”  But then, Snappsy himself interrupts.  “This is terrible!  I’m just hungry!  Why is this rude narrator trying to make it seem like I need a nap?”  The book continues, with the narrator telling the story and Snappsy getting annoyed and correcting the narration.  Snappsy goes to the grocery store, goes home, and shuts himself into his house.  The narrator presses on, and Snappsy reveals that the story has made his day sound so boring, he’s decided to plan a party.  Sure enough, he cleans the house and ends up with quite the shindig, attended by all the neighbors.  At last, even the narrator shows up, turning out to be a pretty fun party guest, but badgering poor Snappsy right up to the very last page.  40 pages; ages 4-8.

Pros:  This would be a hilarious read-aloud.  The usual narrative structure is turned on its head.  The cartoon illustrations are fun, with the narrator’s text written like a regular story and Snappsy’s in cartoon bubbles.  Comparisons with Mo Willems are apt.

Cons:  Those people who kind of remind me of the narrator.

Published by Greenwillow Books

Summary:  Waiting for spring can be hard.  There’s rain, mud, and sometimes, a brief return of winter.  But if you’re patient, you’ll see flowers blooming and eggs hatching, and you’ll feel the warm sun.  You’ll know it’s really spring when there are buds and bees and boots and bubbles; worms and wings and wind and wheels.  But you’re not done waiting, because then it’s time to wait for summer!  40 pages; ages 3-8.

Pros:  The husband and wife team of Kevin Henkes and Laura Dronzek has created a book that perfectly captures the slow unfolding of spring from winter. The soft, brightly-colored illustrations perfectly complement the brief, but descriptive, text. The spring endpapers at the beginning and summer ones at the end encapsulate the movement from one season to the next.

Cons:  Don’t read this book until at least late March, or you’ll be depressed when you look out your window.