TRUE COMPANIONS
Favorite characters and series come to the fore this fall. Hedgie Blasts Off! by Jan Brett brings back the star of Hedgie's Surprise, who here is an aspiring astronaut in charge of the cleaning crew at Star Lab. When Big Sparkler, a volcano and huge tourist attraction on the planet Mikkop, begins to lose its sparkle, it's up to Hedgie to save the day, and he triumphs in a glittery gatefold. (Putnam, $16.99 32p ages 4-up ISBN 1-399-24621-5; Sept.)
Maisy the indomitable mouse returns for a universal experience in Maisy, Charley, and the Wobbly Tooth by Lucy Cousins. Charley's tooth may be wobbly, but his friends are steadfast: they all accompany him to the dentist, who explains that a new tooth will grow in place of his loose baby tooth. (Candlewick, $12.99 32p ages 2-5 ISBN 0-7636-2904-9; July)
First introduced in Little Red (now in paperback), the spunky redhead returns for Little Red's Summer Adventure by Sarah Ferguson, the Duchess of York, illus. by Sam Williams. Here the gal sets out for the River Noodle Boating Bonanza; the winner will get the magical key to the wonky wooden wagon. But when a magpie makes off with the prize, Little Red and her pals must set things right. (S&S, $15.95 40p ages 3-6 ISBN 0-689-85562-1; Little Red S&S/Aladdin, $6.99 paper 1-4169-1853-1; July)
The popular Bear first introduced in Bear Snores On is back for a fourth episode, headed to the swimming hole and looking for a buddy in Bear's New Friend by Karma Wilson, illus. by Jane Chapman. Youngsters will enjoy the play on the friend who's hiding (an owl) and the repetition of Bear's "Who?" (S&S/McElderry, $16.95 40p ages 3-7 ISBN 0-689-85984-8; July)
Another popular ursine clan heads for a seaside cottage in The Berenstain Bears Go on Vacation by Stan and Jan Berenstain with Mike Berenstain, where swimming, sand castles and fishing await. (HarperCollins, $12.99 32p ages 4-8 ISBN 0-06-057431-3; July)
PW called Joey and Jet, James Yang's debut book, "visually enticing." Now boy and dog are back for a fun-filled frolic in the galaxy, Joey and Jet in Space. Yang uses the full-bleed spreads to capacity, filling the (outer) space with UFOs and space beings sure to capture kids' imaginations. (Atheneum/Jackson, $15.95 32p ages 2-5 ISBN 0-689-86927-4; July)
After her brother, Arthur, dares D.W. that she "couldn't be perfect for one whole day," the younger aardvark sibling models good behavior in D.W.'s Guide to Perfect Manners by Marc Brown, saying "please" and "thank you," cleaning her room, and saying "excuse me" when she "sneeze[s], burp[s] or fart[s]." (Little, Brown, $15.99 32p ages 3-6 ISBN 0-316-12106-1; July)
Continuing the oversize art book series begun with Art Up Close (about which PW wrote, "Art lovers will enjoy this inviting exercise"), Claire d'Harcourt takes on more than two dozen paintings in her third title, Masterpieces Up Close: Western Painting from the 14th to 20th Centuries. Gorgeous reproductions of paintings from da Vinci's Mona Lisa (circa 1505) to Warhol's 1964 silkscreen, Marilyn (images of Marilyn Monroe) entice art lovers to examine details, enlarged and explained by the author, and to learn about the artists in brief biographies. (Chronicle, $22.95 64p ages 5-up ISBN 0-8118-5403-5; July)
Outraged that their father has made cucumber sandwiches again, the siblings first introduced in Zelda and Ivy (in a starred review, PW wrote, "Rare for a book about siblings, its sympathies reach out to readers regardless of their birth order"), pack their bags in Zelda and Ivy: The Runaways by Laura McGee Kvasnosky. Always in synch with her audience, the author does not let the sisters stray far (they peek at their parents through the hedge) in the title story; the other two involve creating a time capsule and magic potion. (Candlewick, $14.99 48p ages 6-9 ISBN 0-7636-2689-9; July)
Having paid tribute, via clever collage caricatures, to Commanders-in-Chief in What Presidents Are Made Of, Hanoch Piven now turns to some of the great names in sports for What Athletes Are Made Of. Muhammad Ali demonstrates "Athletes are made of big mouths" (a portrait shows his lips made of a megaphone, alongside a couple famous quotes), Kareem Abdul-Jabbar "great minds" (question-mark-shaped tools and magnifying glasses comprise his eyeglasses) and Martina Navratilova, sporting a Statue-of-Liberty crown, represents "free spirits," accompanied by a brief description of her defection from Czechoslovakia. (Atheneum/Seo, $16.96 40p ages 6-10 ISBN 1-4169-1002-6; July)
Picture Book REPRINTS
Sixteen Cows Lisa Wheeler, illus. by Kurt Cyrus. Harcourt/Voyager, $6 ISBN 0-15-205592-4. It's romance on the range after a tornado destroys a fence and a cowgirl's eight cows mix with a cowboy's matching herd. " Rubbery rhymes and humorous lists of cow-names keep the pages turning at a lively clip," PW said. Ages 3-7. (July)
Three Cheers for Hippo!; Snail Saves the Day John Stadler. Star Bright, $5.95 each ISBN 1-59572-046-4; 1-59572-045-6. Hippo saves his friends from being devoured by alligators in the first; the star of Hooray for Snail! returns in the second to make football history for his team. PW said these books "will please and engage beginning readers." Ages 4-7. (July)
The Journey Sarah Stewart, illus. by David Small. FSG, $6.95 ISBN 0-374-40010-5. An Amish girl visits the big city for the first time and recounts the day's activities, comparing them to life back home. In a starred review, PW said, "Readers will feel as though they have made a fast friend in this likable young heroine." Ages 5-up. (Aug.)
Dinosaur Valley Mitsuhiro Kurokawa. Chronicle, $7.95 ISBN 0-8118-5232-6. PW called this "a book to entice even die-hard dinosaur fans." Ages 6-10. (July)
Fiction REPRINTS
Last Shot John Feinstein. Random/ Yearling, $6.50 ISBN 0-553-49460-0. Two teenage sportswriters try to uncover a blackmail scheme at the NCAA Final Four. "Young basketball fans will most appreciate the caper, but mystery buffs will also turn these pages eagerly," according to PW. Ages 12-up. (July)
Billy the Kid Theodore Taylor. Harcourt, $6.95 ISBN 0-15-205651-3. PW said in a starred review, "Taylor smoothly fuses solid storytelling with the stuff of legend." Ages 12-up. (Aug.)
Sisterland Linda Newbery. Random/ Laurel, $6.50 ISBN 0-553-49450-3. When Hilly's grandmother comes to live with her family, Hilly must come to terms with such big topics as disease, racism, adultery and the lasting effects of WWII. "The sheer abundance of plots and subplots keeps the pages turning," wrote PW. Ages 12-up. (July)
