This page is dedicated to the new and youngest reader in your family. Experiencing the world of books is a great adventure and one she is sure to love.  Move over the title of the book you are interested in to see the book picture and star review.

I’m Dirty!
By Kate and Jim McMullan
Age: Preschool through Grade 2
With a style familiar to fans of Im Mighty! (2003) and I Stink! (2002, both HarperCollins), McMullan introduces a sassy backhoe loader who relishes his dirty job. He brags about his equipment and then heads to work, where he cleans up an abandoned lot. Cleaning up this mess? Easy as pie. Make that a MUD pie. Counting down from 10 to 1, the backhoe removes the alliterative trash: 4 cat-clawed couches, 3 scuffed-up signs, 2 tossed-out toilet seats, 1 wonky washing machine. Then, he pulls out a tree stump, takes a mud bath, and back-drags his bucket over the dirt. Throughout the story, the machine becomes progressively dirtier, with a repeating motif of mud. The text flies about the pages, changing size, shape, and orientation. With its saucy tone and dynamic color cartoon illustrations, this picture book exudes energy. Review by Suzanne Myers Harold, Multnomah County Library System, Portland, OR

Rainstorm
By Barbara Lehman
Age: Preschool through Grade 2
In a mansion by the sea, a lonely boy finds a mysterious key under a chair. Curious to discover what it opens, he tries each lock until finally he succeeds in opening a large trunk with a ladder inside. As he climbs down the ladder, he finds himself in a passageway beneath the sea that eventually leads him to a lighthouse where a group of children and their dog become his instant friends. They have lunch, play ball, fly kites, and play on the beach until it is time for him to retrace his steps. This wordless story is straightforward but not predictable. The mystery of the key, the discovery of the passageway, and the obvious enjoyment of the children at play are all pleasantly depicted in brightly colored, simple watercolor, gouache, and ink illustrations that combine full-page images, spreads, and pages of sequential panels. There are nicely done details such as the elaborate dinner service placed on the table at the mansion and the spiral stairway at the lighthouse. This appealing rainy-day tale will stir the imagination of those who have ever looked for something to do on a gloomy day. Review by Carol Schene, formerly at Taunton Public Schools, MA