Six stories originally published in the ""Yoko and Friends School Days"" series for new readers now appear together in this large picture-book collection. The new format makes the didactic stories less suited to beginning readers, and the illustrations, done in Wells's style, are less subtle than her best work. (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted. All rights reserved.

PreS-Gr 2-Wells presents an anthology of six stories first published as individual volumes, starring Yoko, the Frank twins, Timothy, Noisy Nora, and their unflappable teacher, Mrs. Jenkins. Each chapter aims to teach a new rule to promote classroom harmony. "Mama, Don't Go!" addresses Yoko's separation anxiety. "Doris's Dinosaur" and "Make New Friends" offer encouragement to children who follow a different drummer. "Bubble-Gum Radar" tackles teasing, and "The Secret Birthday" speaks to gossiping. "The School Play" teaches ingenuity in the face of disappointment. While some of the stories are stronger than others, all of the lessons are gently told in lighthearted prose. Wells's signature watercolors, produced by John Nez and Jody Wheeler in the interior pages, illustrate the beginning-reader text. The selections are nearly identical to the originals, except for a slightly larger format and the axiom at the head of each story. Unfortunately, most of the principles feel contrived to fit the stories into the context of the collection. Others are written in such a way as to make them unclear and difficult for the intended audience, such as "Teasing hurts like hitting. It always goes under the guise of joking." Libraries that have the original editions need not purchase this repackaged version. Those who missed them the first time around may want to acquire this title for the sake of convenience.-Rachel G. Payne, Brooklyn Public Library, NY (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.