(4) K-3 Illustrated by Shelagh McNicholas. Consider this story every tiny ballerina's dream come true: suspension of disbelief is required to accept that Tilly's dancer aunt would give Tilly a backstage tour so close to performance time then invite her on stage to dance during the curtain call. The first-person present-tense narration reflects Tilly's excitement, though the voice isn't always believable. Soft-focus illustrations are dominated by pink.

Reviewer: Amy Kellman

(3) 4-6 Illustrated by M. P. Robertson. Cleopatra comes to life through fictional journal entries written by her young handmaid. The pages also include brief captionlike facts and cartoon-style illustrations that feature Cleopatra's personality and romantic relationships with Rome's leaders. An eighteen-page nonfiction section follows, providing a straightforward overview of life in ancient Egypt. Despite the gimmick, this two-pronged approach works. Timeline. Glos., ind.

Reviewer: Lauren Maggio

(2) YA In a series of flashbacks, eighteen-year-old Flora recalls her childhood in a dreary boarding school in Borneo. In lyrical and almost sensuous prose, the heat, smells, and luxuriant growth of the island are described and provide a vivid background to a rather slender story line. The author has told a tale more imbued with mood and innuendo than with dramatic tension.

Reviewer: The Horn Book, Inc. | Horn Book Magazine Issue: June, 1982

(3) PS Illustrated by Shelagh McNicholas. Young Tilly describes her ballet class and then the show they have been practicing for. The simple text with its childlike tone will appeal to non-dance-class students as well as young balletomanes. Illustrations vary from action-filled but spacious double-page spreads to smaller spot art; all are filled with humorous, realistic detail.

Reviewer: Jennifer M. Brabander

(3) 4-6 Illustrated by Anita Lobel. Geras's captivating collection has been exuberantly illustrated by Anita Lobel. Things in Grandmother's apartment prompt her to recount wondrous stories (i.e., cutting up apples for strudel leads to "Bavsi's Feast," about a man who learns the true meaning of hunger). The stories are clever and wise; the relationship between the young narrator and her grandmother is deep and affectionate.

Reviewer: Terri Schmitz | Horn Book Magazine Issue: January, 1991

(3) 1-3 Cats of Cuckoo Square series. Illustrated by Tony Ross. In two slim novels, Callie's owners assuage her jealousy of the new baby by bringing her a kitten to mother, and Geejay's quick thinking at a desperate moment wins over a new neighbor who dislikes animals. The cats' dilemmas have enough tension to hold the interest of early readers, and the chapters describing the early lives of the cats help establish the characters. Humorous black-and-white drawings are included. [Review covers these Cats of Cuckoo Square titles: Callie's Kitten and Geejay the Hero.]

Reviewer: Anne St. John

(3) 1-3 Cats of Cuckoo Square series. Illustrated by Tony Ross. In two slim novels, Callie's owners assuage her jealousy of the new baby by bringing her a kitten to mother, and Geejay's quick thinking at a desperate moment wins over a new neighbor who dislikes animals. The cats' dilemmas have enough tension to hold the interest of early readers, and the chapters describing the early lives of the cats help establish the characters. Humorous black-and-white drawings are included. [Review covers these Cats of Cuckoo Square titles: Callie's Kitten and Geejay the Hero.]

Reviewer: Anne St. John

(4) PS Illustrated by Cliff Wright. This book's text consists of sentiments that trail from the line "I wish you...," e.g., "A path that goes from here / to everywhere. / Daydreams like birds / unfolding wide white wings." The slightly precious verse is accompanied by muted, naturalistic watercolors of a young rabbit, its parents, and its animal friends. While the sentiments are lovely, they are more likely to stir parents' emotions than to engage children.

Reviewer: Christine M. Heppermann

(3) 1-3 Illustrated by Tony Ross. Four feline friends help one another deal with the idiosyncrasies of their human families in these two tales. Blossom relates the horrible behavior of a six-year-old houseguest who blames the cat for her nasty pranks. In the second story, Perkins's owner wants him to pose for a painted portrait. The comical stories, printed in a large typeface, are accompanied by humorous illustrations.

Reviewer: Anne St. John

(1) YA Homer's immortal tales of Paris and Helen, Achilles and Hector, and Odysseus and the Trojan horse are recast in the form of a modern novel, using the heroes' fates as background and focus for the real subjects: the women of Troy. As in the epics, love and war are inseparable themes, though here the heroic shares space with the ordinary. Geras handles both her chosen perspective and her subject's grand themes with aplomb.

Reviewer: Anita L. Burkam | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 2001

(4) PS Illustrated by Catherine Walters. Ginger Kitten wanders through the house, seeking a comfortable place to nap, and each time he chooses a spot, it turns out to be the wrong place after all. Until, that is, he finds the lap of a child. Walters's artwork, which uses a primary- and secondary-color palette, perfectly captures the orange kitten's movements and mood. The rhyming text has an inconsistent meter, but the little kitten will draw readers in nonetheless.

Reviewer: Anne St. John

(3) 4-6 Illustrated by Eric Brace. Once again, Ozymandias the cat narrates the adventures of his wacky human family members, each of whom has a magical ability or characteristic. As Auntie Varvara, the vegetarian vampire, prepares to marry a wealthy werewolf, the rest of the Fantoras grapple with their own problems in unique ways. Although some of the humor is geared toward adults, the family's outrageous antics are sure to please.

Reviewer: Anne St. John

(3) 4-6 Illustrated by Eric Brace. Ozymandias the cat narrates a lighthearted novel about the family he lives with, who each have unique traits that get them in and out of difficulties. Grandma Filomena, for example, tells the future in the fabric she knits. In two amusing episodes, Marco, who can turn invisible, and Bianca, who can bring inanimate objects to life, deal out vengeance to the school bullies and have fun at the art museum.

Reviewer: Anne St. John

(3) 4-6 Eight opera plots (mostly from the traditional repertoire) by major composers are retold, and each is interpreted by a different illustrator--Louise Brierley, Emma Chichester Clark, Jane Ray, and five others. Each tale is told from the point of view of participants in the plot, and begins with a lively one-page introduction to the composer. Drawings of the costumes are sprinkled throughout the text.

Reviewer: Amy Kellman