Willis, Jeanne 1959–

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Willis, Jeanne 1959–

(Jeanne Mary Willis)

PERSONAL: Born November 5, 1959, in St. Albans, Hertfordshire, England; daughter of David Alfred (a language teacher) and Dorothy Hilda Celia (a teacher of domestic science) Willis; married Ian James Wilcock (an animator), May 26, 1989; children: one son, one daughter. Education: Watford College of Art, diploma in advertising writing, 1979. Politics: "I don't support any of the parties." Religion: "I have my own beliefs."

ADDRESSES: Home—London, England. Agent—Rod Hall Agency Ltd., Fairgate House, 78 Oxford St., 6th Fl., London, England WC1A 1HB.

CAREER: Doyle, Dane, Berenbach, London, England, advertising copywriter, 1979–81; Young & Rubicam Ltd., London, senior writer, group head, and member of board of directors, 1980s.

MEMBER: British Herpetological Association.

AWARDS, HONORS: Top Ten Picture Books, Redbook, 1987, for The Monster Bed; Smarties silver medal, 2004, for Tadpole's Promise; Whitbread nomination, for Naked without a Hat; recipient of several advertising industry awards.

WRITINGS:

"DR. XARGLE" SERIES; FOR YOUNG READERS

Dr. Xargle's Book of Earthlets, illustrated by Tony Ross, Andersen (London, England), 1988, published as Earthlets, as Explained by Professor Xargle, Dutton (New York, NY), 1989.

Dr. Xargle's Book of Earth Hounds, Translated into Human by Jeanne Willis, illustrated by Tony Ross, Anderson (London, England), 1989, published as Earth Hounds, as Explained by Professor Xargle, Dutton (New York, NY), 1990.

Dr. Xargle's Book of Earth Tiggers, Translated into Human by Jeanne Willis, illustrated by Tony Ross, Anderson (London, England), 1990, published as Earth Tigerlets, as Explained by Professor Xargle, Dutton (New York, NY), 1991.

Dr. Xargle's Book of Earth Mobiles, Translated into Human by Jeanne Willis, illustrated by Tony Ross, Andersen (London, England), 1991, published as Earth Mobiles, as Explained by Professor Xargle, Dutton (New York, NY), 1992.

Dr. Xargle's Book of Earth Weather, Translated into Human by Jeanne Willis, illustrated by Tony Ross, Anderson (London, England), 1992, published as Earth Weather, as Explained by Professor Xargle, Dutton (New York, NY), 1993.

Dr. Xargle's Book of Earth Relations, illustrated by Tony Ross, Andersen (London, England), 1993, published as Relativity, as Explained by Professor Xargle, Dutton (New York, NY), 1994.

"CRAZY JOBS" SERIES; FOR YOUNG READERS

Annie the Gorilla Nanny, illustrated by Paul Korky, Orchard Books (London, England), 2005.

Gabby the Vampire Cabby, illustrated by Paul Korky, Orchard Books (London, England), 2005.

Jeff, the Witch's Chef, illustrated by Paul Korky, Orchard Books (London, England), 2005.

Lillibet, the Monster Vet, illustrated by Paul Korky, Orchard Books (London, England), 2005.

Norman the Demon Doorman, illustrated by Paul Korky, Orchard Books (London, England), 2005.

Vanessa, the Werewolf Hairdresser, illustrated by Paul Korky, Orchard Books (London, England), 2005.

Bert the Fairies' Fashion Expert, illustrated by Paul Korky, Orchard Books (London, England), 2005.

Iddy Bogey the Ogre Yogi, illustrated by Paul Korky, Orchard Books (London, England), 2005.

OTHER

The Tale of Georgie Grub, Andersen (London, England), 1981, Holt (New York, NY), 1982.

The Tale of Fearsome Fritz, Andersen (London, England), 1982, Holt (New York, NY), 1983.

The Tale of Mucky Mabel, Andersen (London, England), 1984.

The Monster Bed, illustrated by Susan Varley, Andersen (London, England), 1986, Lothrop, (New York, NY), 1987.

The Long Blue Blazer, illustrated by Susan Varley, Andersen (London, England), 1987, Dutton (New York, NY), 1988.

Toffee Pockets (poems), illustrated by George Buchanan, Bodley Head (London, England), 1992.

In Search of the Hidden Giant, illustrated by Ruth Brown, Andersen (London, England), 1993, published as In Search of the Giant, Dutton (New York, NY), 1994.

The Lion's Roar, illustrated by Derek Collin, Ginn (London, England), 1994.

The Rascally Cake, illustrated by Paul Korky, Andersen (London, England), 1994.

Two Sea Songs, Ginn (London, England), 1994.

The Monster Storm, illustrated by Susan Varley, Andersen (London, England), Lothrop (New York, NY), 1995.

Dolly Dot, Ginn (London, England), 1995.

Flower Pots and Forget-Me-Nots, Ginn (London, England), 1995.

Wilbur and Orville Take Off, illustrated by Roger Wade Walker, Macdonald Young (Hemel Hempstead, England), 1995.

The Princess and the Parlour Maid, illustrated by Pauline Hazelwood, Macdonald Young (Hemel Hempstead, England), 1995.

Tom's Lady of the Lamp, illustrated by Amy Burch, Macdonald Young (Hemel Hempstead, England), 1995.

The Pet Person, illustrated by Tony Ross, Andersen (London, England), 1996, Dial (New York, NY), 1996.

The Pink Hare, illustrated by Ken Brown, Andersen (London, England), 1996.

What Do You Want to Be, Brian?, illustrated by Mary Rees, Andersen (London, England), 1996.

Sloth's Shoes, illustrated by Tony Ross, Andersen (London, England), 1997, Kane/Miller (Brooklyn, NY), 1998.

The Wind in the Wallows (poetry), illustrated by Tony Ross, Andersen (London, England), 1998.

The Boy Who Lost His Belly Button, illustrated by Tony Ross, Andersen (London, England), 1999, Dorling Kindersley (New York, NY), 2000.

Tinkerbill, illustrated by Paul Cox, Collins (London, England), 1999.

Susan Laughs, illustrated by Tony Ross, Andersen (London, England), 1999, Henry, 2000.

Take Turns, Penguin!, illustrated by Mark Birchall, Carolrhoda (Minneapolis, MN), 2000.

Parrot Goes to Playschool, illustrated by Mark Birchall, Andersen (London, England), 2000, published as Be Quiet, Parrot!, Carolrhoda (Minneapolis, MN), 2000.

What Did I Look Like When I Was a Baby?, illustrated by Tony Ross, Putnam, 2000.

Do Little Mermaids Wet Their Beds?, illustrated by Penelope Jossen, Albert Whitman (Morton Grove, IL), 2001.

No Biting, Panther!, illustrated by Mark Birchall, Carolrhoda (Minneapolis, MN), 2001.

Be Gentle, Python!, illustrated by Mark Birchall, Carolrhoda (Minneapolis, MN), 2001.

No Biting, Puma!, Carolrhoda Books (Minneapolis, MN), 2001.

The Boy Who Thought He Was a Teddy Bear: A Fairy Tale, illustrated by Susan Varley, Peachtree (Atlanta, GA), 2002.

Don't Let Go!, illustrated by Tony Ross, Andersen Press (London, England), 2002, G.P. Putnam's Sons (New York, NY), 2003.

The Truth or Something (novel for young adults), Henry Holt (New York, NY), 2002, originally published in England as The Hard Man of the Swings.

Rocket Science, Faber Children's Books (London, England), 2002.

Sleepover!: The Best Ever Party Kit, illustrated by Lydia Monks, Candlewick Press (Cambridge, MA), 2002.

I Want to Be a Cowgirl, illustrated by Tony Ross, Henry Holt (New York, NY), 2002.

The Beast of Crowsfoot Cottage ("Shock Shop" series), Macmillan Children's Books, 2003.

Naked without a Hat (young adult novel), Faber & Faber (London, England), 2003, Delacorte (New York, NY), 2004.

Adventures of Jimmy Scar, Andersen Press (London, England), 2003.

New Shoes, Andersen Press (London, England), 2003.

When Stephanie Smiled, illustrated by Penelope Jossen, Andersen Press (London, England), 2003.

Zitz, Glitz and Body Blitz, illustrated by Lydia Monks, Walker Books (London, England), 2004.

Shhh!, illustrated by Tony Ross, Hyperion Books for Children (New York, NY), 2004.

I Hate School, illustrated by Tony Ross, Atheneum Books for Young Readers (New York, NY), 2004.

Bits, Boobs and Blobs, illustrated by Lydia Monks, Walker Books Ltd. (London, England), 2004.

Snogs, Sex and Soulmates, illustrated by Lydia Monks, Walker Books Ltd. (London, England), 2004.

Manky Monkey illustrated by Tony Ross, Andersen Press (London, England), 2004.

The Magic Potty Show with Trubble and Trixie, illustrated by Edward Eaves, Pan MacMillan, 2004.

Misery Moo, illustrated by Tony Ross, Henry Holt (New York, NY), 2005.

Tadpole's Promise, illustrated by Tony Ross, Atheneum Books for Young Readers (New York, NY), 2005.

Operation Itchy, illustrated by Penny Dann, Candlewick Press (Cambridge, MA), 2005.

Never Too Little to Love, illustrated by Jan Fearnley, Candlewick Press (Cambridge, MA), 2005.

Secret Fairy Talent Show ("Secret Fairy" series), illustrated by Penny Dann, Orchard Books (London, England), 2005.

Dumb Creatures, illustrated by Nicola Slater, Macmillan Children's Books, 2005.

Daft Bat, illustrated by Tony Ross, Andersen Press (London, England), 2006.

Really Rude Rhino, illustrated by Tony Ross, Andersen Press (London, England), 2006.

Dozy Mare, Andersen Press (London, England), 2006.

Mayfly Day, Andersen Press (London, England), 2006.

Gorilla! Gorilla!, illustrated by Tony Ross, Atheneum Books for Young Readers (New York, NY), 2006.

Rat Heaven, Macmillan Children's Books, 2006.

Delilah D. at the Library, illustrated by Rosie Reeve, Clarion Books (New York, NY), 2007.

Who's in the Bathroom?, illustrated by Adrian Reynolds, Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers (New York, NY), 2007.

Grill Pan Eddy, illustrated by Tony Ross, Andersen Press (London, England), 2007.

Killer Gorilla, Andersen Press (London, England), 2007.

Writer of educational CD-ROM scripts for Dorling Kindersley; writer for television series, including Marvelous Millie, 1999; The Ark, 2002; Dr. Xargle, HTV/Cinar; Maisy, Polygram; Dog and Duck, United Films; and The Slow Norris, HTV/United.

SIDELIGHTS: British children's writer Jeanne Willis has penned a number of critically acclaimed books that instruct as well as amuse. A former advertising executive, Willis once said: "I had a very vivid imagination as a child. I think I felt everything deeply, and in many respects that was good. My happiness, my excitements, seemed to be bigger emotions than other children felt. The bad side of the coin is obvious: deep hurt, dreadful fears. Fear is the downside of having an active imagination. Because I was not confidently articulate, I exorcised these intense feelings on paper. I still do. One day somebody pointed out that such things were commercially viable, so they found their way into stories. One day I shall publish my poetry—my adult poetry. In the meantime, I have to go and feed my toads. Reptiles and amphibians are dear to my heart."

Born in 1959, in Hertfordshire, England, Willis is the daughter of two teachers. As she once recalled: "I grew up in a very safe, suburban environment. I went to a wonderful school which had a huge wheatfield growing next to our playground. I was a useless mathematician, but was one of the first to read and write creatively. I belonged to the World Wildlife Guard (now the Worldwide Guard for Wildlife) and had a bedroom full of strange creatures—locusts, stick insects, newts, caterpillars, etc. The fascination with these beasts has remained with me all my life. Indeed when I got married our blessing was held in the Aquarium at the London Zoo in front of the shark tank."

Willis first won acclaim for her "Professor Xargle" series of science books for early elementary grades. Initially published in England, each of them reappeared under a slightly revised title for American audiences. Their premise is the same throughout: the misinformed alien professor of the title tries to explain the odd life forms on Earth. He takes a scientific tone, but his lectures are full of comical errors. In Dr. Xargle's Book of Earthlets, he strains to enlighten his class of fellow aliens about infant humans. He moves on to Dr. Xargle's Book of Earth Hounds, Translated into Human by Jeanne Willis, discussing dogs on the planet and how humans spread newspapers on the floor for their young "houndlets" to read. The professor tackles the subject of cats in Dr. Xargle's Book of Earth Tiggers, Translated into Human by Jeanne Willis. He tells the class that these felines exhibit bizarre behavior that includes planting "brown stinkseeds" that never grow and leaving "squishy puddings" on the stairs in which humans then trod. Willis's "writing is fresh and fun, the scope of her imagination limitless," enthused a Publishers Weekly critic reviewing the American edition, Earth Tigerlets, as Explained by Professor Xargle.

Willis noted that her "Dr. Xargle" series is simply the result of realizing how absurd human and animal behavior is, and also a desire to believe in "the alien." "I'm sure they exist. In fact, I'm sure they're here already. I often get the feeling I'm on the wrong planet, so perhaps I'm one." In Willis's Dr. Xargle's Book of Earth Mobiles, Translated into Human by Jeanne Willis, Xargle enlightens the class on the various modes of transportation on Earth, such as the very popular "stinkfumer," his term for the automobile. Dr. Xargle's Book of Earth Weather, Translated into Human by Jeanne Willis tackles meteorology. Humans, the professor explains, cope with wet weather by growing large rubber feet that they then have difficulty removing. During hot weather, they enjoy lying in what appears to be nests of brown sugar. "Subtle as well as slapstick humor will appeal to a wide variety of ages," noted Claudia Cooper in her assessment of Earth Weather, as Explained by Professor Xargle for School Library Journal. Dr. Xargle's Book of Earth Relations, the last title in the series, was published in the United States as Relativity, as Explained by Professor Xargle. Here the alien academic talks about human families and how they "belong to each other whether they like it or not."

Willis has also written poetry, including the volume Toffee Pockets. Featuring a number of poems about grandparents and grandchildren, the collection was described by Books for Keeps contributor Judith Sharman as "easy to read and comforting to hear." Other titles from Willis have used rhyme to tell a story for young readers, such as In Search of the Hidden Giant. In this story, a narrator and his sister trek through a forest determined to find the giant they believe lives there. They find many clues—tree roots, they assume, are strands of his hair, while the crackling of tree branches overhead seem to signify his presence to them. In a review of the U.S. edition, a Publishers Weekly critic noted that In Search of the Giant is deliberately vague, but "it often exemplifies a way of seeing that naturally delights children."

In The Rascally Cake Willis presents the rhyming tale of Rufus and his attempt to bake a Christmas cake. He uses so many dreadful ingredients that it turns into a monster and chases him. Wendy Timothy, in her review for School Librarian, called it "wonderfully horrid." Willis also uses humor in The Pet Person, a book about a dog's birthday wish for a "person" of his own. His dog parents try to dissuade him, reminding him that such creatures often develop revolting habits, such as eating at the table. In Sloth's Shoes, Willis describes a birthday party in the jungle for Sloth, who is so slow in getting there that he misses it entirely. In Tinkerbill, Willis's heroine, Sally, learns her parents are expecting a brother or sister for her. Unhappy about this coming change, she makes a wish and believes it comes true when she begins to suspect that her new infant brother is a fairy. Andrea Rayner, writing in School Librarian, called Tinkerbill "a funny story about sibling rivalry," and one that "is not censorious about the child's jealousy."

Willis also created an amusing storyline for What Did I Look Like When I Was a Baby? After a little boy asks his mother the title question, she replies that he looked bald and wrinkled like his grandfather. Across the subsequent pages, young animals in the jungle posit the same question to their mothers. Only the bullfrog is traumatized by the photograph of himself as a tadpole, and his friends must sing a song to get him to come out of hiding. "Ross's cartoonlike illustrations complement the puns and double entendres in the text," noted a Publishers Weekly reviewer.

The Boy Who Lost His Belly Button was described as "another whimsical offering from Willis," by School Library Journal reviewer Carolyn Janssen. The youngster wakes up one day, realizes that his navel has disappeared, and ventures into the jungle to look for it. He asks various animals, including a gorilla, lion, elephant, and even mouse, each of whom display their own belly buttons. He finally learns that a crocodile has stolen his navel and bravely enters a swamp to retrieve it—a scene that possesses "a cinematic-like tension," according to a Publishers Weekly critic. Another Willis title, Susan Laughs, is a rhyming tale about a little girl and her everyday activities and various moods. Only on the last page is she shown in her wheelchair, but the text reminds readers that she is "just like me, just like you." Hazel Rochman, writing in Booklist, praised a message conveyed "without being condescending or preachy."

Willis also penned a series of picture books for very young readers about to embark on the preschool adventure to help them learn the rules of the classroom. Parrot Goes to Playschool features a parrot who talks incessantly, but finally gets his beak shut temporarily when he eats his elephant classmate's caramels. In Take Turns, Penguin! an ostrich teacher does not seem to notice Penguin's self-centeredness, but the other animal classmates step in to solve the problem themselves. Other titles in the series include No Biting, Panther!, No Biting, Puma!, and Be Gentle, Python!

Don't Let Go! is the story of a girl who asks her father to teach her to ride her two-wheel bike so that she can ride from her house, where she lives with her mother, to his, thus imparting a separate message about letting go and returning to those whom we love and who love us. The little boy of The Boy Who Thought He Was a Teddy Bear: A Fairy Tale spends his years with bears after being deposited with them by fairies. When they return him to his mother, he discovers that being a human is just as much fun.

The child in I Want To Be a Cowgirl tells her father that she wants to trade in her girly girl city lifestyle for a Western image and goes so far as to cut a pair of chaps out of their rug, acquire a cowgirl hat, and play guitar under make-believe Texas skies before her fantasy runs its course. Willis wrote a guide to help girls planning an overnight with their friends titled Sleepover!: The Best Ever Party Kit. The book contains ideas, recipes, games, invitations, beauty tips, and even ghost stories.

Mick Stokes is the narrator of Willis's young adult novel set in postwar London, The Truth or Something. Mick grew up not knowing what happened to his baby sister, nor the truth about his father, who later sexually molests him, and his unstable mother, who serves time in jail. Eventually, he learns about his life and his large family, then moves on to find his place in the world. School Library Journal reviewer Todd Morning wrote that "the book brilliantly captures a child's voice and point of view, subtly changing as the boy matures into an adolescent." Booklist contributor Anne O'Malley wrote that this is "a powerful novel with an appealing protagonist who struggles with the cruel hand dealt to him."

Naked without a Hat is the story of Will Avery, a developmentally slow nineteen-year-old man who leaves home and his mother to live with roommates Rocko, James, landlady Chrissy, and Zara, the Irish gypsy with whom he has a sexual relationship. The Adventures of Jimmy Scar is the story of how Jimmy is taken by Gemma Diamond, a young girl who avoids being placed in foster care and learns self-sufficiency from a female hermit named Monti, who lives in the forest. And When Stephanie Smiled demonstrates how the smile of a girl can brighten the mood and academic performance of a young boy.

Willis pushes the envelope with her rhyming I Hate School. Protagonist Honor Brown says that the teachers "throw us out of windows" and "make us walk on glass." A Publishers Weekly reviewer wrote that children will "identify with and chuckle at her sense of drama." Never Too Little to Love features a tiny mouse who stacks one thing on top of another to reach the object of his affection, who bends down to kiss him, with the help of paper folds when his tower collapses. The award-winning Tadpole's Promise is another love story about a caterpillar and a polliwog who vow to love each other and promise never to change. The mother mouse in Gorilla! Gorilla! misinterprets the intent of the gorilla who follows her across the world in an attempt to return her lost baby. School Library Journal contributor Kathleen Kelly MacMillan noted that in addition to being a fine story, this last story "subtly conveys a great message about prejudices to boot."

Willis once remarked that her books "arrive in my head when they're ready, sometimes they write themselves. I did start a novel, but suddenly the characters started to misbehave and I lost control of them. It was quite frightening, it was a little like dabbling with the occult. If they were alter-egos, then they were better destroyed. I didn't want to be a part of their world."

Willis later told CA: "I have been interested in writing for as long as I can remember—I'm not sure what started it, but I have been doing it since I was five without a break—I have preserved copies of my first ever work of fiction written in 1965 in pencil and stitched together with a needle and green cotton.

"What influences my work? Pretty much everything—everywhere I go, everything I see, everyone I talk to can be turned into a story. I have too much material. It is exhausting. I pray for Writers Block (and I bet my editors do too.) I usually write from nine in the morning til three in the afternoon. If I'm writing a novel, I may do nights and forget to go to bed. I usually have several books on the go at any time—a mixture of novels, picture books and novelty books.

"The most surprising thing I've learnt as a writer is that the books I work at the least are the best loved. Also that sometimes, when I re-read my own material, I can't remember having written some of it—which is rather nice because it's like reading someone else's book. My favourite picture book is probably Tadpole's Promise because it has all the elements I would hope to find in a picture book-great illustrations, an interesting format and a surprise ending."

BIOGRAPHICAL AND CRITICAL SOURCES:

PERIODICALS

Booklist, July, 1994, Julie Corsaro, review of In Search of the Giant, p. 1956; June 1, 1998, Annie Ayres, review of Sloth's Shoes, p. 1785; August, 2000, Hazel Rochman, review of Susan Laughs, p. 2151; December 1, 2000, Gillian Engberg, review of Be Quiet, Parrot!, and Take Turns, Penguin!, p. 727; December 15, 2000, Connie Fletcher, review of What Did I Look Like When I Was a Baby?, p. 829; March 15, 2002, Kay Weisman, review of I Want to Be a Cowgirl, p. 1265; June 1, 2002, Anne O'Malley, review of The Truth or Something, p. 1710; July, 2004, Michael Cart, review of Naked without a Hat, p. 1835; February 1, 2005, Ilene Cooper, review of Never Too Little to Love, p. 966.

Books, April-May, 1996, review of The Pet Person, p. 26; summer, 1998, review of The Wind in the Wallows, p. 19.

Books for Keeps, March, 1993, Gill Roberts, review of Dr. Xargle's Book of Earth Tiggers, Translated into Human by Jeanne Willis, p. 11; May, 1993, Jeff Hynds, review of In Search of the Hidden Giant, p. 36; November, 1993, Judith Sharman, review of Toffee Pockets, p. 11, and Jessica Yates, review of The Long Blue Blazer, p. 26; May, 1994, Jill Bennett, review of Dr. Xargle's Book of Earth Weather, Translated into Human by Jeanne Willis, p. 12; July, 1995, Jill Bennett, review of Dr. Xargle's Book of Earth Relations, p. 11; July, 1999, Margaret Mallett, review of Tom's Lady of the Lamp, p. 3.

Books for Young Children, summer, 1991, Leonie Bennett, review of The Tale of Mucky Mabel, p. 5.

Guardian (London, England), January 7, 2004, Dina Rabinovitch, "Author of the Month: Jeanne Willis."

Horn Book, September, 1994, Hanna B. Zeiger, review of In Search of the Giant, p. 582; July-August, 2002, Susan P. Bloom, review of The Truth or Something, p. 474.

Junior Bookshelf, December, 1994, review of The Rascally Cake, p. 209; April, 1995, review of In Search of the Hidden Giant, p. 69.

Kirkus Reviews, June 1, 1991, review of Earth Tigerlets, as Explained by Professor Xargle, p. 738; December 1, 1991, review of Earth Mobiles, as Explained by Professor Xargle, p. 1541; May 1, 2002, review of The Truth or Something, p. 670; August 15, 2002, review of The Boy Who Thought He Was a Teddy Bear: A Fairy Tale, p. 1239; April 15, 2003, review of Don't Let Go!, p. 613; April, 2004, review of Naked without a Hat, p. 403; June 15, 2004, review of I Hate School, p. 583; May 15, 2005, review of Tadpole's Promise, p. 597; May 1, 2006, review of Gorilla! Gorilla!, p. 470.

Publishers Weekly, June 7, 1991, review of Earth Tigerlets, as Explained by Professor Xargle, p. 64; May 30, 1994, review of In Search of the Giant, p. 56; February 23, 1998, review of Sloth's Shoes, p. 76; May 22, 2000, review of The Boy Who Lost His Belly Button, p. 91; October 2, 2000, review of What Did I Look like When I Was a Baby?, p. 81; February 4, 2002, review of I Want to Be a Cowgirl, p. 76; May 20, 2002, review of The Truth or Something, p. 68; August 12, 2002, review of The Boy Who Thought He Was a Teddy Bear, p. 299; September 9, 2002, review of Sleepover!: The Best Ever Party Kit, p. 71; April 7, 2003, review of Don't Let Go!, p. 66; May 31, 2004, review of Naked without a Hat, p. 75; June 28, 2004, review of I Hate School, p. 49; December 6, 2004, review of Never Too Little to Love, p. 59; May 9, 2005, review of Misery Moo, p. 70; May 15, 2005, review of Tadpole's Promise, p. 597.

Reading Today, August, 2000, Lynne T. Burke, review of Susan Laughs, p. 32; April-May, 2006, David L. Richardson, review of Tadpole's Promise, p. 32.

School Librarian, August, 1992, Margaret Banerjee, review of Toffee Pockets, p. 111; April, 1994, Wendy Timothy, review of The Rascally Cake, p. 154; February, 1996, Teresa Scragg, review of The Monster Storm, p. 17; February, 1997, Trevor Dickinson, review of The Pink Hare, p. 22; April, 1999, Andrea Rayner, review of Tinkerbill, p. 201.

School Library Journal, April, 1991, John Peters, review of Earth Hounds, as Explained by Professor Xargle, p. 106; August, 1991, Rachel S. Fox, review of Earth Tigerlets, as Explained by Professor Xargle, p. 157; March, 1992, Joan McGrath, review of Earth Mobiles, as Explained by Professor Xargle, p. 226; April, 1993, Claudia Cooper, review of Earth Weather, as Explained by Professor Xargle, p. 104; March, 1995, Ronald Jobe, review of Relativity, as Explained by Professor Xargle, p. 195; August, 1998, Christy Norris Blanchette, review of Sloth's Shoes, p. 147; April, 1999, Carol Schene, review of What Do You Want to Be, Brian?, p. 110; May, 2000, Carolyn Janssen, review of The Boy Who Lost His Belly Button, p. 158; November, 2000, Linda M. Kenton, review of Susan Laughs, p. 137; January, 2001, Kathy M. Newby, reviews of Be Quiet, Parrot! and Take Turns, Penguin!, p. 112; September, 2001, Melinda Piehler, review of Be Gentle, Python!, p. 209; May, 2002, Todd Morning, review of The Truth or Something, p. 163; July, 2002, Ruth Semrau, review of I Want to Be a Cowgirl, p. 102; December, 2002, Barbara Buckley, review of The Boy Who Thought He Was a Teddy Bear, p. 112; June, 2004, Johanna Lewis, review of Naked without a Hat, p. 152; August, 2004, Marian Creamer, review of I Hate School, p. 104; September, 2004, Sally R. Dow, review of When Stephanie Smiled, p. 182; October, 2004, Beth Jones, review of The Adventures of Jimmy Scar, p. 182; May, 2005, Joy Fleishhacker, review of Tadpole's Promise, p. 104; June, 2005, Rachel G. Payne, review of Misery Moo, p. 131; October, 2005, review of Tadpole's Promise, p. S32; July, 2006, Kathleen Kelly MacMillan, review of Gorilla! Gorilla!, p. 90.