Scholastic: No Kisses, Please!

Noodles the puppy faces a new kind of problem. Auntie Judy has arrived for a visit, and he is determined to avoid getting a kiss! When his attempt to hide in the garden fails, Noodles comes up with a hilarious and messy plan.

Scholastic: More Spaghetti, I Say!

Mmmm! Spaghetti! Minnie the monkey can't get enough! Poor Freddy wants to play with her, but Minnie won't stop eating spaghetti! She could eat it all day - by itself, or with other foods. She could eat it by the truck-full, ski on it, hide in it...uh oh! Minnie feels sick! She ate too much! Freddy takes the bowl away, and - what's this? Now Freddy is eating spaghetti and won't play with Minnie!

Reading level: Ages 4-8
32 pages

Scholastic: Arnie, the Doughnut

Arnie is proud to be chocolate-covered, with bright-colored candy sprinkles. His first day on the planet is a big one. He is 1) cut into a ring 2) deep-fried 3) cooled 4) iced 5) sprinkled and 6) named Arnie. What he doesn't realize is that step 7 is being eaten by a human. So, when a customer, Mr. Bing, starts to put him in his mouth, he screams, "What are you doing?" Arnie is further crushed when he calls the bakery to warn the others only to discover that all the other pastries are "aware of this arrangement."

Reading level: Ages 4-8
40 pages

Scholastic: The Rain Came Down

An unexpected rainstorm blows into town. This makes the chicken squawk, which makes the cat yowl, which makes the dog bark, which makes the man yell, which makes the baby cry, and so on until everyone in town is in a bad mood. Will anything make the day brighter and stop all the fighting?

Scholastic: Alice The Fairy

Donning a fairy costume inspires a little girl's imagination in this droll picture book. Alice speaks for herself, claiming she can fly, can change her dad into a horse, can make herself disappear, and can turn oatmeal into cake by pouring on fairy dust. There are elements of danger, such as broccoli poisoned by the wicked Duchess (Mom) and baths (fairies hate baths), as well as mischief ("…my mom made cookies for my dad. So I turned them into mine") and mishaps ("Once I accidentally turned my white dress into a red one"). Alice knows that Permanent fairyhood requires a lot of tests, attending Advanced Fairy School, and learning how to "make clothes get up off the floor and… line up in the closet," so she'll "probably be a Temporary fairy forever."

Reading level: Ages 4-8
32 pages

Scholastic: Smile a Lot!

A green frog has a mouth full of bright white teeth, which readers see often because he grins so much. He advises children to smile to help them get through life's ups and downs, including making friends, tricking tough guys, getting past a bad spelling test, visiting the dentist, and more. This is somewhat of a touchy message. Smiling and being positive in sticky situations can't hurt, but, realistically, kids need to know that such a strategy may not keep the tough guys away. Although Carlson suggests other behaviors to go along with the upbeat feelings, she does so subtly and some children may not pick up on those actions. That said, this title is best suited to adults and children together so that a discussion can ensue. Most of the bright, full-color illustrations are framed and rest above the text. The exceptions to this pattern are on pages that highlight the boldly printed words, "Smile a Lot!" They show the frog below the phrase, in a more open, outgoing pose, without any frame.

Reading level: Preschool
32 pages