Books published by publisher Scholastic Book Clubs Softcover Book and Audiocassette Tape

Best-selling author and illustrator Robert Munsch and Michael Martchenko create another madcap adventure about a little girl named Julie, her love of makeup, and how she learns that "less is more." Julie has saved up lots of money--$100! Depsite her mother's concerns, Julie spends it all on cosmetics, including plenty of lipstick, eyeshadow, and perfume. Once it's on her face, she fancies herself as pretty as a movie star, but her parents' reactions are less than complimentary. The same goes for the mailman, who falls right over! After she washes it all off, her mother and father think she's merely using less of it, and praise her looks--and Julie slyly ends up selling all of the products to the neighborhood kids for her new hobby--dress up!

In the spirit of Margot Apple's Sheep in a Shop, this humorous litany of what might happen if one takes exotic pets out for a stroll, shopping, to the beach, or on any number of outings makes for a comic cautionary tale. Brief rhymes, one for each situation, describe the action, which is perfectly complemented by the wacky artwork. Illustrations in bright colors and outlined in thin, scratchy lines depict exaggerated people and beasts in all sorts of silly situations: An outsize pig wallows in a planter outside a mall that boasts stores such as House of Socks and Pencil Mart; rotund passengers bail out of an airplane after the skunk sets up a stink; an outrageously plump bride with a beehive hairdo looks astonished to find a duckling in her punch; and so on. Kids will like the outlandish pictures and giggle at the goofy advice.

Three generations of the Hog family set out to attend an operatic performance of Pigoletto. They emerge from a pale-yellow house and stroll down the lawn to their sedan. "The car sputtered. The car snorted. The car would not start." They seek other unsuccessful modes of transportation, starting with young Horace Hog's two-wheeled scooter. "Six Hogs on a scooter makes an interesting sight." However, by the time the group finally decides to catch a bus, the opera has ended, and they must reverse their journey. "Six Hogs sleeping at a bus stop makes a very interesting sight." Nash wryly pictures the hog sextet in their Sunday best, grinning despite the setbacks; a picture of Grandma Hog spinning on roller skates is especially entertaining.

The activities of a homebody and an enthusiastic world traveler are contrasted in illustrations brimming with humor. Two anthropomorphic pigs live in the country setting of Woodcock Pocket. There, Puddle turns his head to the sun streaming in his kitchen window as he makes popcorn on the stove. Meanwhile, Toot peers at the globe with a magnifying glass, planning an ambitious trip. He asks Puddle along, but goes forth alone, and from then on, the experiences of the two are laid side by side on the double-page spreads. A monthly postcard from Toot is reproduced over an illustration from his year-long adventure: scaling cliffs in the Alps, visiting an Italian pastry shop, and taking a camel ride through Egypt. A sort of reply comes from a scene of Puddle savoring events on the home front: gathering maple sap for syrup, playing in spring mud, painting a self-portrait, and trying out a Halloween mask. In Hobbie's expert watercolors are dozens of inventive touches -- Puddle wearing a shower cap in the bath, Toot floating among hippos, some of his limbs breaking the surface in a subtle mimicry of their stances, funny allusions to famous art or locales. The book and its heroes are endearing, and readers will want to see more of Woodcock Pocket soon.

Get ready for a return trip to that "nice icy land." Typically overenthusiastic and clueless, Tacky the penguin draws the lead part in a performance of "Goldilocks and the Three Bears," even though he doesn't quite understand what a "play" is. The big day arrives, and so does the audience, a raucous, ill-behaved bunch of penguin chicks from Mrs. Beakly's School. They pay no attention until Goldilocks appears, or rather "Tackylocks," as they call her. With a huge, blond wig and full costume, Tacky stumbles on stage, knocking over props; eats all of the porridge; and stacks the three chairs one atop the other to search for dessert. The audience cheers with delight when the chairs and Tacky crash to the floor. Worn out by now, he takes all the bedding and sinks into slumber in Baby Bear's cozy bed. The other players do their best to carry on, but when they pull and toss the many covers and pillows, Tacky shouts "PILLOW FIGHT!" and the chicks join the players in the melee. Munsinger's watercolor illustrations perfectly capture the hilarity with body postures and facial expressions. Each picture is a story in itself, especially the arrival of the misbehaving audience. This silliness will delight Tacky's loyal fans and win a lot of new devotees, and they'll all be watching eagerly for the next adventure.

The jungle is usually a peaceful place but not when Clovis, a small tiger, is around. He loves to sneak up on the animals and startle them with the "roaringest" roar in the world. One day, while he is sipping at a stream, the animals turn the tables and join in a cacophonous clamor that jolts him right up a tree. A truce is declared and the jungle settles down in peace again-well, "most of the time." The lively rhythmic text, which takes full advantage of alliteration and repetition, makes this book a storyteller's delight. Children will relish joining in with the tiger's roar and the refrain, "Suddenly-there was Clovis!" as the page is turned from a scene of peaceful somnolence to one of chaos. Taylor's full-color, cartoon illustrations can be overly busy-they are most successful when the artist uses double-page spreads and particularly excellent in capturing the moment of flurried surprise that results from the roar. This title is appropriate both for group sharing and one-on-one reading. Clovis's enthusiasm for the surprise will strike a chord with youngsters, and the lesson about "doing unto others-" will resonate with both adults and children who share this tale.

The author and the illustrator of Bugs! and Skunks! present another hilarious book with a slapstick rhyme, this one about snakes taking over a small boy's world. The creepy creatures start off as a heap under his bed; then they slink down the stairs, shimmy up the walls, hide, and jump out of books and cabinets. Words and pictures wallow in the shudders. Maybe snakes do have some uses: as garden hoses, for cleaning ears, as nifty stethoscopes. But just as the boy is getting used to the invaders, he opens up the shutter to find a huge glaring eye, and then a great, terrifying boa squishes him in its coils. Is that final close-up a capture or an embrace? Munsinger's ink-and-watercolor images extend the silliness. They are packed with nonsense detail and yet clear and accessible for preschoolers, who will recognize the creepy delight of slimy monsters hissing in their ears.

Twisting the words of the old "Five Little Monkeys" song, this picture book concerns a little boy who's trying to get to sleep. Soon five rather cuddly looking, bug-eyed monsters troop in and boot him out of his bed, which they use as a trampoline. When one falls off and bumps his head, the boy calls the doctor, who yells through the phone: "No more monsters jumping on the bed!" Cowed, the little monsters trundle off, but just as the boy is getting to sleep, four new monsters barge in looking for fun, then three, then two, and finally, one. Taking charge, the boy dispatches them all. Lively cartoon drawings, colorful washes, and many comic touches make this bright, sassy picture book a natural for story time. Great fun, though probably better as a wake-up book than a bedtime story.

Honey Bear sits despondently on a rock, wondering if everyone except his mother has forgotten his birthday. "Surprise!" shouts his furry extended family and best friend as Mother brings out a birthday cake garnished with leaves and berries. As the young bear wonders what to wish for, each member of the party makes a suggestion in which they have a vested interest (e.g., his sister tells him, "Wish for lots of time to play. Especially with me"; his father advocates a wish "for a big salmon the next time we go fishing"). In a limited palette of greens, browns and grays, Pfister depicts each of these would-be wishes coming true. Finally, Honey Bear makes his own wish "that all his birthdays could be as happy as this one!"

Bart the sand ant has spent his whole life moving mounds of sand from one tunnel to another in an underground nest. He and the other ants have never seen the sky or felt the rain. One day, Bart feels the outside world beckoning him, and he flees the nest without being noticed. He quickly finds out that the world is full of wonder and joy, and of danger, as he narrowly escapes becoming lunch for a frog and almost drowns in a rain puddle. Bart begins to regret his escapade and heads home. The entrance guard questions him but then reassures him that "sometimes an ant just needs to look at the sky" and looks the other way as Bart gets back to work. After listening all summer to his tales of the sun, rain, and bees, fellow sand ant Floyd decides to go exploring and Bart joins him. The richly colored illustrations of the outside world contrast sharply with the browns and tans of the nest. Deep green grass and bright yellow flowers are seen from an ant's perspective. The insects are dressed as people, complete with hard hats and safety glasses. The message -- that it's good to take time for oneself -- is not subtle or indirect. Bonny Becker has written the perfect story for our hectic, over-scheduled lives. Nina Laden's illustrations bring the bustling insect world to life with humor and verve.