(4) K-3 Twin brother and sister solicit stories from their grandfather, Papa Chagall, who entrances the kids with a string of vignettes that combine to give a persistently chipper overview of the artist Marc Chagall's life (more substantial biographical information is inside the back cover). Anholt's loose-lined art captures many of Chagall's motifs and embodies the levity of much of his work; actual reproductions are worked in.

Reviewer: Katrina Hedeen

(3) K-3 A boy's reclusive painter father invites his son to visit him in the French countryside. There the two Cézannes must forge a relationship. This tender look at a father-son bond also serves as an introduction to the French master and a celebration of unconventional thinking. Anholt's illustrations are executed in a style and palette recalling Paul Cézanne's.

Reviewer: Nell Beram

(3) K-3 Recovering from an illness, Matisse is cared for by Monique, a young nurse, who helps him resume painting. Later she becomes a nun, and Matisse designs the Chapelle du Rossaire to thank Monique and the nuns for caring for him. The energetic telling brings this fictionalized account of a true story to life. Reproductions of the artist's work happily co-exist within Anholt's own illustrations.

Reviewer: Patricia Riley

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Ross Collins. One night, Jack feigns sleep so that he'll be awake to enjoy his dreams. He stuffs his sack with what he sees--a mouse with wooden hair, telephones with beards--but returns home to find it empty. The story's conclusion--that "wide-awake dreams" are best--seems unnecessary, but everything leading there is delightfully original. The surreal images are well chosen if occasionally awkwardly executed.

Reviewer: Nell Beram

(4) K-3 Julie's runaway dog leads her into Claude Monet's garden, where she mistakes the famous artist for the gardener. After realizing the bearded man is Monet, Julie earns his friendship and a garden tour. Some of Monet's paintings are interspersed among Anholt's loose-lined illustrations. This doesn't have the charm of Linnea in Monet's Garden, but it's an appealing introduction to the artist.

Reviewer: Carolyn Shute

(3) PS Illustrated by Catherine Anholt. One stormy day, as tempestuous ape twins Chimp and Zee are trying to fold a sheet outdoors, a gust of wind carries them away. After a lengthy flight above Jungletown, they are rescued by their parents. With illustrations featuring bright images pasted onto colored paper, this book has a toddler-friendly balance of realistic everyday details (the monkeys argue endlessly) and wildly impossible adventure.

Reviewer: Maeve Visser Knoth

(3) PS Illustrated by Catherine Anholt. Monkeys Chimp and Zee hide from their mother while shopping in Jungletown. Their hiding place, what the young monkeys think is a large stone but is really an elephant, walks away with the monkeys aboard, but all are safely home by bedtime. The adventure has the right amount of tension and silly wordplay for the toddler audience, and the pencil, ink, and watercolor artwork on oversize pages is perfect for sharing with a group.

Reviewer: Maeve Visser Knoth

(3) PS Illustrated by Catherine Anholt. City-dweller Harry is fascinated by his grandfather's farm in the country. On his first visit, Harry feels a bit homesick until his grandfather lets him care for a baby lamb. The many details in this simple story will appeal to any young listeners who have ever wondered what it's like to live somewhere different. The warm illustrations are full of movement and charm.

Reviewer: Maeve Visser Knoth

(4) PS Illustrated by Catherine Anholt. Sophie eagerly waits through spring, summer, and fall for the baby her parents tell her will be born in the winter. Once he arrives, however, Sophie finds that a real baby is quite different from the rag doll she's been practicing with. The story is a bit too long (especially for younger listeners), but Sophie's feelings are convincingly portrayed. The warm, reassuring illustrations highlight the changing seasons.

Reviewer: Kitty Flynn

(4) PS Illustrated by Catherine Anholt. Billy is nervous about school and worried that he might cry, get lost, or not be able to tie his shoes. While a baby bird he has found slowly gets strong enough to fly away, Billy finds the courage to go to school and make friends. Although the message is too obviously stated, young listeners will enjoy the sprightly illustrations, which are cheerful without undercutting Billy's inner struggle.

Reviewer: Suzy Schmidt

(4) 1-3 Illustrated by Sheila Moxley. This freely fictionalized account tells about the girl who was responsible for the excavation of a fossilized ichthyosaur from a seaside location in England in the early 1800s. A short note adds that during her lifetime, Anning made a number of other significant fossil discoveries. The illustrations, in rich shades of blue, blue-green, and purple, feature some interesting compositions. Unfortunately, no sources are provided.

Reviewer: Martha Sibert

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Lynne Russell. Anholt's prose has far more liveliness than his protagonist Ella, a serious child who finds the sunshine within herself only after her grandmother gives her the key to her summerhouse, built as a reminder of her former island home. Russell's vivid, color-drenched pastels are equally adept at capturing character and evoking the fantasy island world of the summerhouse.

Reviewer: Jackie C. Horne

(4) K-3 Through lists, poetry, and art, each double-page spread explores one aspect of family life from "noise" to "holidays" to "sisters and brothers." There is plenty of humor and a range of emotion in the Anholts' view of family. The numerous small watercolor and ink sketches and homey details are reminiscent of the Ahlbergs' The Baby's Catalogue but lack its tight focus.

Reviewer: Maeve Visser Knoth