Addie's anxiety at the arrival of new neighbor Max--she's sure Max's dog is barking to chase her away, she screams that Max's bike ran into hers when it was the other way around--is not your usual zippy Early I Can Read situation: there's considerable weight on the pictures (for the emotional climate, for what Addie doesn't tell) and a good bit to read between the lines. Also, Truesdell's gangly Addle and Max have something like nine-year-old proportions, and a generally distraught air, that don't go with training wheels on the bikes or clutching at stuffed animals. But Addle and Max are comical and touching in their mutual wariness--gobbling up pizza and chocolate chip cookies in Addie's kitchen, without speaking--and in their mutual glee, when Addle shows Max her bike-crash bruises and he shows her that he lost a tooth. The tooth is ceremoniously buried under a tree, and dog Ginger makes plain her liking for Addie too. A natty little drama of dialogue and mood. Copyright ©Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

Addie is convinced that she will not like the new boy and his large dog who have moved in next door, but soon discovers she has made two new friends. Ages 4-8. (March) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved