Part of the All Aboard Science Readers series, this simple book includes the familiar account of kids picking yummy apples off trees that have grown from tiny seeds. But there's more. Not all the apples are the same. There are many kinds, and sometimes the seeds play tricks. A seed from a Rome apple may produce a tree that bears sour apples--or has no apples at all. Then the apple-grower uses his trick; he grafts a branch from the tree onto a sapling, which grows and eventually bears yummy, crunchy Rome apples. The surprising twist adds to the story of seed growth, making this an exciting way to bring botany to beginning readers. An outline of the basics that opens up questions.

In the latest Ruby Raccoon book, Ruby wakes up expecting to have a perfect day, but one by one her friends say they're too busy to hang out with her. Ultimately, it is a perfect day--"for being all by myself!" This tribute to self-reliance has substance beneath its deceptively simple sentences. The art is sweet and delicate without being too precious.