In this story, a girl meets an imaginary creature and invites him to come to her house for a snack and a game of ball. A more smoothly rhyming text and more information about the snerd would have made the story more compelling. Colorful illustrations on every page will help readers in first and second grades decode the text.

K-Gr 3-The title and cover art are intriguing with a curling, furry, purple tail beckoning readers inside. Then birdlike tracks visually cue readers into opening the book. Unfortunately, the rhyming story within is choppy and undeveloped. When Fern finds a strange creature under her porch, she looks in her book and finds that it's a Snerd, an animal that "will purr, bark, and chirp" and snorts and slurps when it eats its sweet snacks. The text does not expand on the "sweet snacks" they crave or on the rules of "Snerdball" that Fern and her new friend play. When the day ends, the Snerd leaves with a promise to return, and Fern asks that he bring other Snerds with him. Imaginative illustrations highlight the tale. The child's sweet face and the colorful, unusual creature keep the pages turning. Light and shadows give the art depth and a style that brings to mind Mark Teague's work. This book has great visual appeal but the story will leave readers wanting more details.-Melanie S. Wible, Kanoheda Elementary, Lawrenceville, GA Copyright 2000 Cahners Business Information.