Lyle and the Birthday Party (by Bernard Waber)

Helping prepare for Joshua's birthday party, Lyle feels the pangs of jealousy. His moody behavior, combined with a series of misunderstandings, lands him in the hospital. But there he finds the cure lies in helping others. The lesson comes on strong, but the story and pictures are still entertaining.

Though the language isn't overly complicated, there is a lot of dialogue in this story, which make it more of a challenge to read aloud than other entries in the series. The path that leads Lyle to the hospital may confuse younger listeners, who will certainly need an explanation of hospital rules, here carried to an absurd extreme.

There's a lot of story here for Waber's art to enhance, and not all of it is up to his usual standards of detail and interest. But it works as a package, the message is a good one, and children still enjoy the story.