(4) K-3 Illustrated by Hazel Mitchell. Pearl's classmates can always count on her to supply the right word. But she's literally speechless when she uses up the last one in her word treasure chest. The strained story, which involves a "word tornado," is a transparent bid to sell readers on the joys of language. It's also an opportunity to festoon Pearl's environment with words in eye-pleasing ways.

Reviewer: Nell Beram