Horn Book Review
These gratuitous, obviously market-driven picture book editions of classic Harper I Can Read Books are nicely produced but all wrong. The texts were written for newly independent readers and suited the easy-reader genre perfectly (some were even among the genre's earliest manifestations); as picture books, they sound stilted. In some cases, the art has been blown up, creating a muddy look. Why mess with perfection? Stick with the original versions. From HORN BOOK Fall 1999, (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Kirkus Review
The enterprising young monkey who came up with Arthur's Christmas Cookies (KR, 1972) now conducts a tag sale to dispose of his old toys. Little sister Violet helps him make the price tags and hang arrow-shaped signs on the trees, and Violet turns out to be the only buyer when she talks Arthur into trading his bear -- the only old toy he didn't tag -- for ""thirty-one cents, my coloring book, my crayons, and half a box of Cracker Jacks with the prize still in it."" Even so, Arthur half regrets the deal until it occurs to him that he is Honey Bear's uncle and as such entitled to take H.B. and Violet out for an ice cream treat on the thirty-one cents. The recognition appeal of Arthur's reluctance to part with his bear will probably keep children following his story whether or not they are willing to accept his largely semantic solution. Copyright ©Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.