Ivy and Bean are the most unlikely pair of friends on Pancake Court. Ivy wears dresses every day. Bean only wears dresses on special occasions. Ivy always has her nose in a book; Bean can never sit still. Despite her mother's constant nagging, Bean is convinced that Ivy is too boring to be a good friend. However, when Bean requires a quick escape after a failed prank on her bossy older sister, Ivy comes to the rescue.

Ivy is not only a creative escape artist but also an aspiring witch. She's learning her craft from a large spell book, but she doesn't look like much of a witch to Bean, who thinks an authentic look is a vital part of casting successful spells. She paints Ivy's face, ties up her hair and fixes her witch's cloak. Now that Ivy looks more like a witch, Bean thinks she might not be so boring after all. In fact, Ivy might be just the person Bean needs to help cure her sister's bossiness. Ivy and Bean decide that a dancing spell is the perfect solution. They assemble the necessary ingredients and begin work on their potion. Will a common goal unite these two complete opposites?

Annie Barrows' simple and sassy text will draw in both the reluctant reader and the young bookworm. In this first book of a planned series, Barrows captures the spirit and imagination of a pair of seven-year-old girls, turning an ordinary cul-de-sac into a plethora of potential adventures.

Sophie Blackall, a winner of the Ezra Jack Keats New Illustrator Award, uses charming illustrations to complement the text. The facial expressions on Blackall's characters are especially delightful, giving the reader another facet of Ivy's and Bean's personalities.

Fans of Beverly Cleary's Beezus and Ramona will enjoy this cleverly written and illustrated tale of sibling rivalry and unexpected friendship.

Tracy Marchini works at a literary agency in Manhattan. Copyright 2006 BookPage Reviews.

Barrows's debut children's book energetically kicks off a series about two seemingly unlikely pals, just right for kids moving on from beginning readers. Bean's mother suggests that she play with Ivy, the new girl across the street, "She seems like such a nice girl." Seven-year-old Bean says she already has plenty of friends ("Nice, Bean knew, is another word for boring"). After all, Ivy's long, curly red hair is neatly pushed back with a sparkly headband, and she always wears dresses and reads books; headband-, dress- and book-shunning tomboy Bean muses that Ivy "had never once in her whole life climbed a tree and fallen out." But when Ivy offers to get Bean out of a jam with her older sister, Nancy, Bean takes Ivy up on it. Bean discovers that the not-so-boring, wand-toting Ivy is in training to become a witch, and working on a spell that keeps its victim dancing for life--which sets Bean thinking about the ideal fate for bossy Nancy. Blackall's (Ruby's Wish ) half-tone spot art and full-spread illustrations deftly capture the girls' personalities and the tale's humor, while also filling out fun details about Ivy's room and the neighbors' backyards. Barrows's narrative brims with sprightly dialogue and tidily ties everything together--both Bean and Ivy find a fast friend and set the stage for Ivy and Bean and the Ghost that Had to Go , scheduled for the fall. Ages 6-10. (June)

Gr 1-4 -Seven-year-old Bean likes stomping in puddles, climbing fences into neighbors' backyards, and playing tricks on her older sister, Nancy. She wears dresses as seldom as possible and avoids big books. Her new neighbor appears to be a quiet, orderly girl who sits on her front step day after day reading tomes. The two seem to have nothing in common, and Bean is not interested in getting to know Ivy, despite her mother's prodding to make friends with the nice girl next door. Then Bean gets into trouble, and Ivy helps her out. She discovers that Ivy is practicing to be a witch, and when they decide to cast a spell on Nancy, their friendship is sealed. With echoes of Beverly Cleary's "Ramona" series, this easy chapter book will appeal to children who are graduating from beginning readers. The occasional black-and-white illustrations highlight the text and provide visual clues. The characters are appealing, the friendship is well portrayed, and the pranks and adventures are very much on grade level.-Eve Ottenberg Stone, Cooper Lane Elementary, Landover Hills, MD