(4) K-3 Illustrated by Paul Morin. In this invented creation story that borrows elements from Native American tradition without explanation or documentation, medicine man Woksape asks the Great Spirit for mountains, forests, and an inland sea but is told that they have been given to other regions. This paean to the landscape of the Dakotas suffers from its stilted, portentous language, but the expansive acrylic paintings are quite handsome.

Reviewer: Melinda Greenblatt

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Paul Morin. "You are Maasai. You stand on one leg, like a stork, in the sun." As the second-person narrative describes the waiting savanna, photo vignettes and heavily textured mixed-media artwork capture dynamic, painterly animals and the Maasai people. The animals are waiting, of course, for the seasonal rains. The writing is a tad portentous for so obvious a result, but the art (while sometimes garish) achieves unique effects.

Reviewer: Anita L. Burkam

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Paul Morin. From raccoons to gun-wielding humans, there are threats everywhere to the endangered American crocodile. The straightforward, simple text, which tells the story of one female crocodile, and the realistic, luminous oil paintings capture the beauty of the mangrove swamp where this female mates, builds a nest, and hatches her young. An endnote gives further details of the plight of this descendant of the dinosaurs.

Reviewer: Rebecca Reed Whidden

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Paul Morin. In the Florida Everglades, a panther hunts for prey to bring back to her kittens. London's terse free verse and Morin's vivid paintings convey the tension and suspense of the panther's quest, as well as a compact overview of the flora and fauna of the Everglades. An informative endnote summarizes the Florida panther's life cycle and struggle with extinction.

Reviewer: Jim St. Claire

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Paul Morin. Unique in its approach, this version of the Genesis creation story depicts the interaction of the father and the son--God and Jesus--as they create the world and all that is in it. The sweeping, textured paintings make generous use of primary colors, particularly a deep, rich blue that suggests the boundless depths of the heavens, the sky, and the sea. A splendid collaboration.

Reviewer: Anne St. John