(2) PS Illustrated by Georg Hallensleben. A baby fox's parents teach him to find food, hide from his enemies, and "run like the wind." Banks's lullaby text speaks directly to young children, reassuring them that growing up happens naturally. Hallensleben's paintings depict lush surroundings in rich, natural colors, while his simple, solid animal figures express human emotion. Perfect for sharing at bedtime.

Reviewer: Lauren Adams | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2007

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Boris Kulikov. Inspired by his brothers' stamp and coin collections, which neither of them will share, Max decides to start his own collection of words. He cuts out words from newspapers and magazines until he can create sentences and stories that inspire his brothers. The quirky illustrations, with their exaggerated proportions and perspectives, bring this simple story to life.

Reviewer: Mark Adam

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Georg Hallensleben. When an old woman dies, her belongings, including a cat, are shipped to a city, but once there, the cat is abandoned. He starts walking and, at last, returns to his old house, where he's welcomed by two children. Banks uses a calm tone and precise details to describe the cat's trek. Color-saturated paintings reflect a loving view of France, both countryside and towns.

Reviewer: Susan Dove Lempke | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2004

(4) YA In the midst of her own adolescent rebellion, fourteen-year-old Rachel discovers a journal written by her older brother Jake, who died when she was seven. Although Rachel is rather cryptic herself and Jake's entries are not believably those of a teenage boy, the two together form a progressive narrative that leaves readers rooting for their climactic self-realizations.

Reviewer: Anita L. Burkam

(2) PS Illustrated by Tomek Bogacki. A rhythmic text and energetic pictures capture the anticipation of a favorite time of day--when Mama comes home from work. Papa happily dons an apron to make dinner, and children help tidy up to get ready for Mama's arrival. The left side of each spread describes the activity at home, while the right side follows Mama's trip through the city. The text speaks directly to the young child, for whom a parent's return is an everyday delight.

Reviewer: Lauren Adams | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2003

(2) PS Illustrated by Georg Hallensleben. A mother tiger settles her restless cub, who doesn't want to close his eyes, with quieting promises of fanciful dreams and assurances that she will be there when he wakes. The rich paintings depict a lush, inviting jungle setting, and the softly rounded animal forms are more friendly than realistic in both dream (a plaid whale) and waking (a smiling croc) worlds, a style suited to the soothing bedtime story.

Reviewer: Lauren Adams | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2002

(2) 4-6 The summer he turns ten, Dillon Dillon receives a life-changing answer to his inquiry about his double-barreled name: his parents died in a plane crash when he was a toddler; the man he thinks is his father is his uncle. During his subsequent interactions with a loon family, he parses his muddled identity. This is an emotionally intricate and symbolically charged novel with an original and memorable protagonist.

Reviewer: Nell Beram | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2002

(3) PS Illustrated by Tomek Bogacki. In the author and artist's second rebus book, icons replace one or two words in each sentence and are defined in a picture-glossary at the bottom of the page. The text is scattered in segments across the illustrations and can be difficult to follow. That said, the story (about a turtle afraid to cross the river because of a big hippo in the middle) is sweet and funny, and the softly colored paintings are simply beautiful.

Reviewer: Lauren Adams | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2002

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Georg Hallensleben. Banks and Hallensleben trace the history of time through the many transformations of a volcanic rock, now washed ashore by the sea. A small boy discovers the rock on the beach, and as he explores its surface, alternating spreads relate the rock's metamorphosis over millions of years. The shifting landscapes are beautifully evoked by Hallensleben, and the concept of a tangible object that shares the earth's history is effectively conveyed.

Reviewer: Lauren Adams | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2001

(3) 1-3 Illustrated by Isaac Millman. After mistakenly receiving a letter from the IRS demanding the payment of $112.15, nine-year-old Howie worries about the possibility of going to jail and even attempts to take out a bank loan to pay Uncle Sam. Treated with both humor and sympathy, Howie's misguided assumptions are at once amusing and believable. Expressive line drawings accompany each brief chapter.

Reviewer: Jim St. Claire

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Georg Hallensleben. Every night Alex's father goes to work as an engineer on a construction project, and Alex longs to go with him. Finally one evening Papa gives Alex a hardhat, and the boy accompanies his father to work. The crisp text and night-colored paintings depict the excitement of a construction site as Alex explores it with his father.

Reviewer: Patricia Riley

(2) 1-3 Illustrated by Isaac Millman. Nervous about being the new kid in third grade, Howie adopts the persona of Secret Agent Bean Burger and begins investigating crimes. He solves a case and wins admirers but soon finds he's more at ease as himself. Amiable illustrations accompany the short chapters of this light, readable story, which nimbly traces Howie's worries as well as the hopeful beginnings of new friendships.

Reviewer: Lauren Adams | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 1999

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Tomek Bogacki. Rebuses, identified in sidebars on each page, help tell the engaging folkloric story of the three title characters, who coexist unhappily in the same tree until it falls down and they must hunt for a new home. The book presents a lively incorporation of childlike artwork and text, although the page layout gets too creative at times, making it hard for the eye to know how to proceed.

Reviewer: Christine M. Heppermann

(1) PS Banks and Hallensleben's third collaboration evokes the powerful bedtime magic of 'Goodnight Moon': the opening scene finds a young child in a large but cozy room filled with familiar objects. However, the book then soars out of the house to take in the vast world. Banks's rhythmic text subtly conveys the theme of a great and wondrous world while never sacrificing the comfort and security of parental love, and Hallensleben's rich, luxuriant palette moves adeptly in and out of the home.

Reviewer: The Horn Book, Inc.