Hoping to make some money during his holiday visit to Grover's Corner, N.J., Henry devises a household poll.  Okayyy, if babysitters really are wanted... Even a boy ;-) can make a success of the most troublesome Baby-Sitting jobs. Henry’s challenges include a boy out to hurt him; a fiendish, disappearing girl; apparent fires; trailer thefts; and escaped animals! Worse, the obnoxious, older Sebastian twins add splatters, floods, ghosts and job theft to his troubles. Changing events keep the reader's interest and reiterate the theme: thoughtful, honest work brings success and can be fun!

Each of the five stories in this little anthology present a point about the vagaries of individual behavior that a child can understand. Frog and/or Toad each make some wrongful judgment that leads to a smarter understanding. Parents can ask their children what that approach might be. The stories do not raise much tension, yet they are still interesting in a way that Winnie the Pooh is not.

Franklin seeks borrowed self-esteem by making a boast to his friends that he cannot keep. Realizing his error, he resolves not to make such boasts again. Wanting to recover his own respect, and that of his friends, he comes up with an interesting solution. The story focuses on a theme of honesty and of making the best of a bad situation, rather than on the deeper error of seeking self-esteem through the approval of others. Parental guidance might bring out the latter.

This anthology exemplifies medieval literature, in a form young readers can understand. The simplified stories are of heroism, of initiation to manhood, of fate and mystical forces. Some are fables and others are stories of justice. They are as much a learning experience *about literature* as they are literature themselves (this was scored as a Discovery work). Because the stories have plainly unbelievable elements, young readers can grasp that the ideals pursued should be seen as suspect.

A young girl notices how the wind zooms down hillsides, races through streets, and scatters seeds. It helps birds, butterflies and baby spiders soar. It snaps sheets and flags, drives rain and sailboats and more. "I want to play like a windy day." she thinks. Asch's bright illustrations mix depth and two dimensional objects in a way some may find surreal. He successfully makes the wind seem like a mischievous little girl, entertaining and benevolent.

It's time for Franklin to ride his two-wheeler without training wheels. He observes his friends and mistakenly thinks they find it easy, but a closer look helps him grasp that others find various things difficult too. Imagine a porcupine rollerblading, and you get the idea. Porcupine suggests Franklin use rollerblading pads, put pillows beside the walkway for crash landings, and to keep on trying!

Toddler Harold draws his way into a moonlit stroll in a world of his own design. Unexpected events –a too scary dragon, a tumble into water and getting lost– combine to make his walk exciting yet ultimately it remains a matter of his own design. Although he, literally, draws every scenario with his purple crayon, and saves himself from their difficulties. it is clear that the metaphor is not about whim, so much as design.

Kitten Cat could not fly from the clothesline, and the birds laughed. She could not open nuts, nor hop on lily pads, nor crow like a cockerel. Dejected she cries to her mother "I can't do anything. I'm only a cat!" Springing proudly to her feet, Mom announces "Only a cat indeed! ...follow me." Here appears the unmistakable theme: Kitten Cat should learn her own talents, rather than risk disappointment copying the skills of others.

Escaping his unhappy stepfather, David stows aboard a U.S. airplane at an Edmonton airport. David, unexpectedly, is bound for the same destination as a pair of rare whooping cranes flying to their nesting pond... in the Northwest Territories! Tragedy strikes both sets of travelers. David and his strange but valued companion must fight for their lives. This story of determination and intelligence in the face of ever growing difficulties, offers readers a great character and an excellent vocabulary.

Have you seen bugs? A little observation shows us that they are not all dull, leggy, jointy, ugly things. Oppenheimer and Broda team up to show how bright and variable the 'bug' world really is. Terrific illustrations complement the nicely rhymed text: "Dark as bark / green as grass / see through bugs / with wings like glass." Get this to your child before his/her peers teach him to fear what they do not understand!