Canines Pickles and Roy show readers 'what to do -- and what not to do -- to stay safe' in these simple instructional volumes. The writing is friendly and direct, but the brevity of the texts occasionally leads to confusing safety rules; and most important, the illustrations, while humorous, often show the characters doing exactly what the text advises the reader not to do. Glossaries include poor pronunciation guides. (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

K-Gr 2‘Loewen outlines safety rules for youngsters, as Pickles and Roy, two cartoon canine pals, provide examples of both right and wrong behaviors. Bicycle offers very basic suggestions, beginning with selecting a bicycle of the correct size and wearing the proper equipment, including a helmet and suitable clothing. The book describes how to ride with traffic, and includes some elementary safety rules. Though briefer than Kyle Carter's On Bicycles (Rourke, 1994), this title is definitely useful. Traffic begins with an explanation of traffic lights and reminds children to stop at curbs, to look and listen, use crosswalks, avoid busy intersections, walk against traffic, and watch out for backing emergency or utility vehicles. Auto safety is also covered with regard to seat belts, keeping body parts inside the car, not bothering the driver, and checking for traffic before opening a door. Hitchhiking, hanging onto a moving vehicle, and playing near railroad tracks are offered as dangerous pastimes. This is a good update to Dorothy Chlad's When I Cross the Street (Children's Press, 1982; o.p.). Both books contain a glossary of words bolded in the text. These titles can be read alone or used by teachers to demonstrate safety techniques.‘Marsha McGrath, Clearwater Public Library, FL (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.