In their second episodic four-chapter book, Clarabelle Chicken and Agnes Pig once again help each other overcome worries, this time while they celebrate holidays. Will the Maypole dance make Agnes dizzy? Will Clarabelle's too-scary costume ruin Halloween? As previously, the warmth of the quirky protagonists' friendship shines through both text and full-color illustrations, making it easy to overlook the episodes' simplistic resolutions.

K-Gr 2 Agnes and Clarabelle know everything is better when your best friend is there. These two friends are lucky enough to celebrate their holidays together. Each holiday provides different opportunities for problems to occur; the girls deal with allergies during the May Day fair, cope with nerves during the Fourth of July parade, and accidentally sleep through the New Year, but as true friends they always help lift each other up. Part of the new "Read and Bloom" line of titles for newly independent readers, this series by Griffin and Sheinmel offers short, episodic chapters with full-color illustrations on every page. For those transitioning to longer texts, these simple, character-driven story lines are easy to follow, and the charming illustrations let kids make the bridge from picture books to chapter books. VERDICT An excellent addition to all chapter book collections, ideal for brand-new readers. Brittney Kosev, Honey/Rush Elementary, Lubbock, TX