(2) K-3 Brett (whose many other Christmas titles include The Twelve Days of Christmas; Home for Christmas, rev. 11/11; and The Animals' Santa, rev. 11/14) pulls out all the stops for this lush and faithful retelling of ­Hoffmann's tale and Tchaikovsky's ­ballet, guiding readers through the story with clear visual references to the latter's music and the dances. Detailed watercolors on double-page spreads carry the plot, while narrative-filled borders show pertinent musical instruments and scraps of the score. Brett sets the story in a Russia filled with snowy exteriors and sumptuous scenes of the ballet's ­Christmas party, the dramatic ­vanquishing of the Mouse King, and the rest of Marie's magical adventures with the Nutcracker-turned-real-boy.

Reviewer: Martha V. Parravano | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2021

(3) K-3 Drawing on a trip to Okinawa, Japan, and an encounter with the New England Aquarium's famous octopus, Brett recasts "Goldilocks and the Three Bears" with a mermaid named Kiniro and three Pacific octopuses. The retelling is faithful, with just a few changes and the addition of a puffer-fish sidekick, but the lavish illustrations are pure Brett, playing extravagantly with undersea and Okinawan motifs.

Reviewer: Melinda Greenblatt

(3) K-3 A shaggy pony named Fritz is jealous of the snobbish, elegant horses who live in the town. When a bridge goes out, however, Fritz has the courage and steady temperament to cross the river and carry the children to safety. Brett's appealing, Scandinavian-inflected illustrations are set off in abundant white space, which balances the realistically detailed horses and fantastically embroidered human clothes.

Reviewer: Anita L. Burkam

(3) K-3 Problem: the Gingerbread Baby doesn't have a group of musicians with whom to perform in the Christmas Festival. His (human) friend Matti's solution: bake a band! New problem: the band looks dangerously delicious. There's lots going on visually, including much peripheral action. If you enjoy perusable pages, this is a gift that keeps on giving.

Reviewer: Shoshana Flax | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2016

(3) K-3 The badger family cannot pull their giant turnip out of the ground without the help of a series of neighbors. This loose retelling of a Russian folktale is illustrated with Brett's detailed paintings of animals dressed in traditional Russian costume. The text is straightforward and unadorned, the better to feast on the sumptuous pages.

Reviewer: Maeve Visser Knoth

(2) PS When Little Snow, a young white rabbit, asks the forest animals for clues as to their Santa's identity, everyone has a different theory. Border decorations on each spread hint at the answer, (wordlessly) extending the story. This elusive Santa is definitely real, making Little Snow's ultimate discovery truly satisfying. Brett's clean, precise watercolors show animals dressed in cozy Nordic vests.

Reviewer: Lolly Robinson | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2014

(4) K-3 Upon discovering Mossy, a turtle with a garden growing on her back, Dr. Carolina brings her to her museum. But Dr. Carolina's niece senses that Mossy misses pond life. The problem is solved too easily, but the illustrations offer a thrill akin to time travel: Brett's signature elaborate paintings capture Edwardian attire and natural elements in a crisp, woodsy palette.

Reviewer: Nell Beram

(2) PS When her cat Taffy disappears one winter, Annie puts out a corn cake to entice a new friend. A moose begins the parade of wild creatures that keep her company until spring and Taffy's return--with kittens. This edition has a new jacket that highlights Brett's familiar Scandinavian folk art–inspired illustrations, complete with ornamental borders that extend the lightly humorous story.

Reviewer: Elissa Gershowitz | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 1985

(2) K-3 Rollo, a wild and misbehaving young troll, runs away from home. After months living with owls, bears, and moose, he realizes he fits in best with his family. Just in time for Christmas, Rollo returns home a changed troll. Brett's signature borders surround her detailed illustrations of Rollo's journey. A visually appealing Scandinavian holiday story designed for repeat visits.

Reviewer: Cynthia K. Ritter | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2011

(4) K-3 Hoppi the bunny hopes to win the egg-decorating contest and assist the Easter Rabbit on Easter. But Mother Robin's egg falls out of her nest, so Hoppi sacrifices his dream to rescue and protect it. It's Hoppi's act of kindness, however, that earns him the honor of helping the Easter Rabbit. Brett's saccharine text is well matched by her meticulous illustrations.

Reviewer: Rebecca Reed Whidden

(3) K-3 Set in Namibia, this enjoyable riff on "The Three Little Pigs" stars three dassies--furry, rabbit-sized creatures--who set up housekeeping near a mountain and find their lives threatened by a big, bad eagle ("I'll flap and I'll clap and I'll blow your house in!"). Brett uses an eye-catching variety of multicolored patterns, with side panels helping to tell the story.

Reviewer: Martha Sibert

(3) K-3 Brett brings new meaning to "making friends" in this sequel to Gingerbread Baby. The main character, a gingerbread cookie, embarks on a quest for companions. Meanwhile, a parallel story emerges from the decorative illustrations' borders: Mattie bakes a whole batch of gingerbread friends who surprise Gingerbread Baby in a concluding foldout illustration. A spicy extension of a classic tale.

Reviewer: Hannah Rodgers Barnaby

(4) K-3 Set in icy northern Canada, this Goldilocks retelling follows Aloo-ki as she makes herself at home in the igloo of three polar bears. Brett's characteristically well-detailed illustrations feature a large central picture bordered by vignettes detailing a subplot about Aloo-ki's lost sled dogs. The ending's a bit of a dud, but readers will be amused by what precedes it.

Reviewer: Frieda F. Bostian

(3) K-3 When Carlos can't see the animals he's seeking in the cloud forest, he puts down his homemade leaf umbrella, climbs a tree, and looks. While he's gone, the rainforest animals, led by Spanish-speaking Froggy, climb into his umbrella one by one and have an adventure in his absence. Lush, verdant illustrations update Carlos's progress and the umbrella's growing population.

Reviewer: Susan Halperin

(3) K-3 Noah's rosy-cheeked granddaughter succinctly narrates this adaptation of the familiar Bible story, focusing on her interaction with the animals as they board, crowd together, and then disembark to regenerate the earth. Brett's realistic watercolor and gouache illustrations capture the smallest details, and their borders, which resemble papyrus, both frame the story and balance the somber mood.

Reviewer: Christina Dorr

(3) K-3 After young Kyri invites a boy traveling with his polar bear in from the cold, some trolls try to gain entry to Kyri's hut so that they can gobble up her Christmas feast. They break in, and after they eat, drink, and make merry, one troll awakens the polar bear, who chases the trolls into the Arctic night illuminated by the northern lights. The story is full of suspense and humor, and Brett's fine details heighten the drama.

Reviewer: Carolyn Shute

(3) K-3 Daisy, the smallest and most maligned of six hens, accidentally floats away in an egg basket on the flooding Li River in China. She escapes a number of dangers and finds her way home to her roost--and uses her newfound courage to gain respect in the hen house. Brett's trademark illustrations add luster to the story, and readers will enjoy spying the animals hidden in the scenery.

Reviewer: Hilary Breed Van Dusen

(3) K-3 When an elf-like Tomten steals Henny's egg every morning, her pal Hedgie the hedgehog helps her trick the mischievous thief with substitutes, until Henny finally has a brood of her own chicks, hatched somewhat improbably by Hedgie. Red-and-white Scandinavian needlepoint borders frame detailed paintings depicting the main story, while inset medallions extend and interpret the well-paced action.

Reviewer: Frieda F. Bostian

(4) K-3 When a gingerbread baby escapes from the oven, he leads everyone except the boy Mattie on a wild chase. In her trademark decorative borders, Brett shows how Mattie stays home and bakes a gingerbread house, into which he secretly entices the gingerbread baby. Brett's detailed illustrations offer more interest than does the story--a moderately amusing new take on a familiar tale.

Reviewer: Martha Sibert