Published by Tundra Books

Summary:  In this retelling of the classic fairy tale, Snow White finds refuge from the evil queen in a house inhabited by dwarfs.  Only this time, it’s not seven dwarfs, it’s 77.  Just learning their names (Elvis, Dudley, Bilberry, Kiki…) proves to be a chore, never mind fixing three meals a day and cleaning up afterward.  After a few days of this routine, Snow White decides the queen is a better option.  She requests two poison apples, and finally gets to enjoy a well-earned sleep.

Pros:  Fractured fairy tales are always fun, and kids will enjoy the 77 rainbow-hued dwarfs on many of the pages.

Cons:  The ending seemed a bit abrupt and unsatisfying to me.  Kids may not quite get it, even if harried parents do.

Published by Knopf Books for Young Readers

Summary:  As the title suggest, Miss Hazeltine has opened a home for shy and fearful cats, and it’s very popular with pet owners.  Their cats have all kinds of issues from a fear of mice to an inability to pounce, but the one that is scared of everything is Crumb.  He refuses to participate in Bird Basics, Scary Noises, Meeting New Friends, or any of the other trainings Miss Hazeltine offers.  That’s okay with her.  She lets him just sit and watch, and he proves to be a good observer.  One afternoon, when the other cats are sleeping, she goes out for more milk and doesn’t come back.  It’s Crumb who knows just what to do and leads the other cats on a rescue mission.  He alone knows what scares Miss Hazeltine and how to help her overcome her fears and find her way back home.  Upon their return, the cats change the sign on the house to Miss Hazeltine’s Home for Shy and Pretty Brave If You Ask Us Cats.

Pros:  Miss Hazeltine’s approach, to allow her cats to proceed at their own pace in overcoming their fears, seems like a very comforting one to cats or children.  Kids will enjoy the cartoonish illustrations and relate to the cats’ difficulties and ultimate success.

Cons:  The cats are a little too bug-eyed to be cute in the classic cat sense.

Published by HarperCollins

Summary:  “Now, how did it happen that I started rappin’?  Well, here’s my story in all its glory!”  The first time Rappy the Raptor tried to fly, he fell on his head; when he came to, he was talking in rhyme non-stop.  His parents took him to the hospital, where he underwent a battery of tests.  The final verdict?  The fall had nothing to do with it; Rappy was born to rap.  So Rappy leaves the doctors and nurses bopping and snapping their fingers, and goes on to his happy life of rhyme.  Recommended for ages 3-7.

Pros: Snappy rhyming text and lively cartoonish illustrations of dancing dinosaurs.

Cons:  If non-stop rhyming results in the number of tests that Rappy undergoes, it’s no wonder our healthcare system is troubled.

Published by HarperCollins

Summary:  Chu the panda is having a fun day at the beach with his parents until he sneezes.  Chu has extremely powerful sneezes, and this one breaks the ocean.  Unhappy fish and a family of merpandas wait expectantly for Chu to sneeze again and fix things up.  A tickly seagull feather and a fuzzy drink are tried, but no luck.  Finally, on the advice of a snail, Chu tries looking at the sun, and that does the trick.  The ocean goes back to normal, and Chu and his family enjoy the rest of the day.  Recommended for ages 3-7.

Pros:  Chu is adorable and the sneezing is issue is pretty funny, at least if you are 4 years old.  This is the third installment in the Chu series.

Cons:  It wasn’t quite clear to me from the illustrations what constituted a “broken ocean”.

Published by Roaring Brook Press

Summary:  A man tells the story of being stalked by a skunk.  After the skunk appears on his doorstep one morning, it begins to follow him everywhere—in a cab, to the opera, in the car right behind him on the Ferris wheel.  When the skunk corners him in an alley, the man escapes through a manhole cover and into the sewers.  He comes up in a different part of the city, buys himself a new house (where the illustrations become much more colorful), and is finally free of the skunk.  But in the middle of his own housewarming party, he finds himself wondering what has happened to the skunk.  He goes on a search, and on the final page, the tables are turned, and he is following the skunk.

Pros:  Why is the skunk following the man?  This book could be a springboard for a writing assignment.  It had a retro feel to it, Alfred Hitchcock illustrated by Roy McKie.

Cons:  I just didn’t get it.

Published by Scholastic Press

Summary:  Monkey is excited to enter the rhyming contest with the grand prize of a three-day cruise.  All he needs is to get Duck to create a rhyme with him.  Unfortunately, Duck will only say, “Quack!”  Finally, Monkey comes up with a solution—make a rhyme with words that rhyme with quack.  The two friends perform flawlessly, and a week later, they are headed out to sea.  Monkey tells Duck he knew they’d win.  “The two of us, we have a knack.  Don’t you agree?  And Duck said (turn the page) ‘Let’s get some ice cream.’”

Pros:  A quick-moving story full of fun rhymes, and the humor of Duck constantly blowing it by saying “Quack”…until that final page when he surprises everyone!

Cons:  You can’t really win a three-day cruise by winning a rhyming contest.

Published by Dreamscape Media

Summary:  One by one, family members are awoken by loud noises and strange smells.  Each time, it turns out to be the family dog Stanley, fixing the bathtub, making catfish stew, and repairing the TV.  Finally, just as the father is about to put his foot down and send Stanley to bed, there’s a loud explosion.  The final pages show the house rocketing to the moon, where Stanley apparently has a hot date with a pink poodle.  Ages 3-8.

Pros:  Readers will the funny rhyming story and seeing what Stanley the wonder dog is up to next.

Cons:  I’m pretty sure the moon’s atmosphere wouldn’t support a pink poodle.