(3) K-3 Illustrated by Guridi. Ali lives in the desert with his ailing great-grandmother, who has one last dream: she longs to see the ocean. The next day, Ali sets off with a bucket to fulfill the wish. This tearjerker (imported from France) about the immeasurable value of heartfelt gifts is all the more affecting because the adorable, jug-eared little Ali, poised against sand-swept mixed-media landscapes, is so lovable.

Reviewer: Nell Beram

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Guridi. "The day I started school, I fell in love." In this Spanish import, a boy describes his feelings for a bird-loving girl in his class, which culminate in his decision to wear a bird costume to school one day. It's unfortunate that in this unusually perceptive story's first few pages, it's not clear from the dark-pencil and Photoshop art who (or what) is narrating the tale.

Reviewer: Nell Beram