Twelve Plump Cookies — Larry Dane Brimner

Gr 1-2-Odd entries for beginning readers. Larry is always loud, so when his new baby sister comes home she is awakened from a sound sleep. Adult readers may be appalled when his parents give this infant to him to hold and walk her in an attempt to soothe her. Adinolfi's primitive cartoon illustrations do not soften the impact of this troubling scenario. In Math Machine, Max makes a device from scraps of equipment that counts shoes, socks, bees, peas, and busses. Squier's cartoon illustrations cheerfully depict the text, but the story is neither engaging nor funny. In Something Sweet, Sammy's grandmother asks him to bring her dessert; he tricks her with a lemon and a pickle before sharing a piece of chocolate pie with her. Petelinsek's stylized cartoons have curved lines that give Sammy a lumpy, pointed head and Grandma a grotesque face with a mouth nearly obliterated by her huge jowls. Cookies is the strongest entry, featuring a boy who bakes a dozen cookies and divides them up when more guests arrive, much as in Pat Hutchins's The Doorbell Rang (HarperCollins, 1986). Readers will enjoy Holm's cheery, expressive illustrations. These titles are unlikely to inspire readers to pick up another book.-Laura Scott, Farmington Community Library, MI Copyright 2005 Reed Business Information.