Four more emergent-reader episodes featuring little Annie, her "big, big brother," Simon, and bucketloads of sibling togetherness. O'Neill opens with a thematic link to Annie and Simon (2008). Simon (still) has trouble telling Annie's drawings of a crayfish and a dragonfly apart but answers her skeptical response to his claim that frogs have knees ("Oh, Simon. Tee-hee. Tee-hee. Tee-hee-hee") with nature facts until she admiringly asks him if he knows everything. "Well," says Simon, "I hate to brag." In subsequent episodes, Simon's sneeze unleashes a patiently borne flood of little-sister TLC; Annie's efforts to get her dog Hazel to purr end abruptly when she sees the neighbor's cat stroll by with a mouse in his mouth; and the sudden disappearance of a wagonload of horse chestnuts left on the porch sparks a bit of detective work. In the author's informal, loosely brushed watercolors, the gangly figures fit comfortably in outdoorsy suburban and cozy domestic settings. Their mutual attachment is clearly expressed in gestures, expressions, eye contact and, in the final scene, a tender smooch on the head by Simon: "You know," he says, "you're my favorite little sister." "I know," says Annie. Would that all sib relationships were so harmonious. (Early reader. 5-7)

The second entry in the Annie and Simon series features four little stories. In the first, Annie and her teenage brother look for living things down by the river. In the second, Annie nurses Simon after he sneezes. The third episode features the family dog, while the fourth concerns a wagonload of horse chestnuts and a neighborhood squirrel. But in all these amusing tales, the topics are secondary to the affectionate sibling relationship portrayed. Bright, lively watercolor paintings help bring these likable characters to life. Though designed for beginning readers, this appealing book would also make a good read-aloud choice for younger siblings.

In their second chapter book, young Annie spends time with her considerably older brother Simon, helping him spot "living things" at the lake; taking care of him after he sneezes; and trying to teach their dog to purr. Skillfully crafted conversations illuminate their affectionate relationship without resorting to sentimentality. Like the text, the abundant watercolors portray the two with sensitivity and understated humor.

Four more emergent-reader episodes featuring little Annie, her "big, big brother," Simon, and bucketloads of sibling togetherness. O'Neill opens with a thematic link to Annie and Simon (2008). Simon (still) has trouble telling Annie's drawings of a crayfish and a dragonfly apart but answers her skeptical response to his claim that frogs have knees ("Oh, Simon. Tee-hee. Tee-hee. Tee-hee-hee") with nature facts until she admiringly asks him if he knows everything. "Well," says Simon, "I hate to brag." In subsequent episodes, Simon's sneeze unleashes a patiently borne flood of little-sister TLC; Annie's efforts to get her dog Hazel to purr end abruptly when she sees the neighbor's cat stroll by with a mouse in his mouth; and the sudden disappearance of a wagonload of horse chestnuts left on the porch sparks a bit of detective work. In the author's informal, loosely brushed watercolors, the gangly figures fit comfortably in outdoorsy suburban and cozy domestic settings. Their mutual attachment is clearly expressed in gestures, expressions, eye contact and, in the final scene, a tender smooch on the head by Simon: "You know," he says, "you're my favorite little sister." "I know," says Annie. Would that all sib relationships were so harmonious. (Early reader. 5-7)

PreS-Gr 2 Annie, a prereader, loves to draw and has an incredibly patient, attentive big brother; their interactions are chronicled throughout four chapters in this book for fluent beginning readers. The first chapter takes place at a lake where the siblings look for living things for Annie to draw: a frog, a crayfish, a clam, and a dragonfly. Simon gently suggests that she make some changes to her work and provides some interesting facts about the creatures. In the second chapter, Annie is convinced that Simon is sick because he is sneezing and has a warm forehead. Her efforts to care for him require her brother's help, but he is finally able to rest when he reads a book to Annie. In the third chapter, Simon postpones looking at Annie's new pictures until he reads "three hundred and six" more pages of his book while reclining in a hammock. Annie impatiently waits and becomes distracted by the neighbor's cat, and wishes her dog, Hazel, had some feline attributes. She tries to convince Simon that she has taught Hazel to purr. In the concluding chapter, Simon and Annie gather horse chestnuts and later must track them down when a squirrel buries them. Readers will enjoy the clever, humorous ending for each chapter, and adults may appreciate opportunities to extend the tales with informational texts about aquatic and domestic animals. Expressive, distinctive watercolor paintings depict the love and activities these siblings share in a quaint frame house in the country. Laura Scott, Farmington Community Library, MI