Hooray! Bunny Pearl and mouse Wagner are back with a new installment of stories, jokes, friendship and eye tests. Yes, eye tests. Eagle-eyed new readers who spot a scientific diagram of the eye in the background while Wagner squints ferociously at the giant writing on the board know that Wagner is in for a challenge this time. Though he fails the eye test spectacularly, Wagner insists he is "never, never, never" getting glasses! Pearl is there with encouragement, though, even when older kids make fun of his new specs. Children will laugh when the rest of Wag's classmates come up with a unique way of showing solidarity with their friend. A familiar story arc is made fresh through the loving watercolor illustrations, in which every emotion is shown through the eyes of these fast friends. The school setting allows for chalkboard reading, which adds to the fun for kids flexing their muscles with print. Ample white space, endearing characters, occasional jokes and speech bubbles mark this early-reader series as one to watch. (Early reader. 4-7)]] Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

When the teacher writes "Eye Test Today" on the board and Wagner squints and reads "Eye...Toast...Toady," friend Pearl is pretty sure that he's got an appointment with the eye doctor in his future. Despite a spirited rendition of "E-I-E-I-O" rather than a proper identification of the letters on the chart, Wagner does indeed have to get glasses. Although Pearl tells a newly bespectacled Wagner that he now looks cool and his classmates think he looks "great," "smart," and "like Wagner with glasses," two older boys make fun of him. Perfectly capturing those fragile feelings of childhood, McMullan shows Wagner's hesitation to stand out from the crowd, his pride in being praised, and his delight when his friends defend him and best the bullies. Soft watercolor and pen-and-ink create a gentle mood and depict unfamiliar reading vocabulary, such as scarf and pepperoni. Topping off a fine friendship and a fine story is newly confident Wagner, boldly proclaiming, "The name's Four Eyes." betty carter (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

K-Gr 2-After a vision screening at school, Wagner learns that he needs glasses. Although he is apprehensive about his classmates' reaction to his new look, Pearl puts a decidedly positive spin on his perceived misfortunes. She says that with glasses, he can look like a rock star, a scientist, or an actor. The added bonus is that the world will no longer look fuzzy. After Wagner's bout with name-calling bullies and Pearl's perfect reaction to the incident, their teacher makes wearing glasses the hot trend at school in an unexpected way. Not only will readers find a genuine tale of friendship and a respect for uniqueness in these pages, but also the anatomy of a pair of glasses and tips for glasses wearers. With its solid story line; controlled vocabulary; and detailed ink, watercolor, and colored-pencil illustrations, this book is an essential addition to the series.-Lindsay Persohn, Crystal Lake Elementary, Lakeland, FL (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.