I heard about this one over at 100 Scope Notes' Geisel Award predictions. The whole book is very supportive of beginning readers, from the introduction through the concluding note ("Great job! You are a reading star!"). ( )

Zip, an alien, zaps things out of his magic hat, including a bunch of birds. Chip is impressed but Bip is not, which makes Zip try all the harder. But some of his magical creatures might get out of hand!

This book is for the youngest readers, with repetition of words and rhymes. Honestly, I think it went a little overboard with the alliteration and rhyming words to the point that it seems more like tongue twisters than easy reading. The story is so slight it can barely be referred to as a plot.

The illustrations are okay; they are lively enough and portray Zip's emotions well, but I also feel like something is missing -- perhaps that's just because it's set on another planet with a fairly barren landscape. ( )