Gr 1-2 A "lost" toy dinosaur causes an ugly rift between friends as one blames the other for its disappearance. The contretemps continues at school, but later Morgie discovers his younger brother had "borrowed" T-Rex as a bed companion. Embarrassed, he apologizes to Billy, and all is forgiven. (Morgie and family have golden-tan caninelike heads; Billy appears to be a white rabbit.) DePaola's simple text is geared to beginning readers, his softly colored signature illustrations have his distinctive appeal, and the inclusion of T-Rex guarantees an audience. A start off, perhaps, for classroom discussion, or a lesson about jumping to conclusions. Patricia Manning, formerly at Eastchester Public Library, NY

Grouchy Old Man Fookwire, who dislikes everything but birds, wages a battle of wits with the crafty squirrels that raid his birdfeeders. After the birds fly south, the squirrels attempt to make amends. The angular illustrations, showing contraptions created by Fookwire and the squirrels, are a good match for the tongue-in-cheek narrative.