A classic informational early reader gets a substantial, long-overdue update. Kirkus criticized the 1985 edition for conveying outdated and misleading information—chivalrously leaving the stodgy colored-pencil illustrations unmentioned. All of that has been addressed here. Revised by the late Milton's brother Kent, the text highlights or at least names over a dozen dinos, from the diminutive Citipati to the humongous Argentinosaurus, "as big as a house, longer than three buses, and as heavy as thirteen elephants!" Prehistoric contemporaries that were not dinosaurs also get nods, as do modern paleontology, the great extinction and the continued survival of birds: "So the dinosaur days go on." Tempesta's cover painting of a brightly patterned Triceratops being attacked by a T. Rex with a feathery spinal fringe opens a suite of equally dramatic group and single portraits. They feature mottled monsters viewed from low angles to accentuate their massiveness and reflect current thinking about feathers and coloration. Eye candy and intellectual nourishment alike for newly independent readers. (Informational early reader. 6-8)

PreS-Gr 3Follow the Monsters! has simple vocabulary, large print, colorful monster illustrations and a snappy text which rhymes. Beginning readers can follow the Muppet monsters on their way to Sesame Street up in the air and back on the ground, ``out of the country and into the town.'' Dinosaur Days , for more advanced independent readers, is a history of dinosaurs. Smaller print, expanded vocabulary and informative details characterize this title. Pronunciations are included throughout the text. Colorful illustrations of dinosaurs accompany the text. A Dozen Dogs is a read-and-count story featuring dogs of varying size, shape and color who weave a story of canine adventure at the beach. Each colorfully illustrated page, featuring cartoon-style artwork, is brimming with dogs just crying to be counted. Preschoolers will have ample opportunity to test their counting skills on dogs swimming, fishing and frolicking on the pages of this book. Joan Hamilton Bowman, Bucks County Free Library, Bensalem, Pa.