K-Gr 2-Full-color cartoon illustrations and vocabularies suitable for children learning to read are featured in these earnest offerings. In The Lonely Only Dog, Harry longs for a playmate. When his owners invite some friends with a canine for a visit, the pup is pleased but becomes jealous when his new friend uses his ball and eats from his bowl. He is relieved when the dog returns home, leaving him alone once more but no longer lonely. In Baseball Brothers, Timmy receives a boost to his confidence with help from his older sibling. Edgar Bear makes a mess of himself while trying to make A Present for Mama Bear. Ultimately, the only gift she wants is for him to take a bath-which he gladly does. The books are peopled with multiracial, multiethnic characters and Timmy's baseball team has girls and boys. Unfortunately, while adequate as beginning readers, the stories are ultimately forgettable.-Lisa Smith, Lindenhurst Memorial Library, NY Copyright 1999 Cahners Business Information.