(3) K-3 Illustrated by Aleksandar Zolotic. When Faigel forgets how to make potato pancakes for Hanukkah, the hungry rabbi's advice leads to more latkes than any one person can eat. They solve the problem by inviting all the villagers to celebrate together. The original tale reads like a traditional Chelm story; the illustrations, which set the tale in what looks like early-twentieth-century Eastern Europe, have a more modern Disney-cartoon vibe.

Reviewer: Miriam Steinberg-Egeth

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Nuria Balaguer. In this extended parable based on a quote by Rabbi Hillel, a young man journeys to Jerusalem seeking a teacher who can teach him the Torah "while standing on one foot." After encountering naysayers, wise Rabbi Hillel finally provides the answer. Dialogue in bold typeface helps readers to focus on the key concepts, and striking, desert-toned collage illustrations support the allegorical tone.

Reviewer: Miriam Steinberg-Egeth

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Maryam Tabatabaei. A stranger arrives in Chelm on Passover. Let "all who are hungry come and eat," sure, but the villagers don't have much to share. The stranger produces a stone, promising to make matzoh ball soup...and you know the rest. Glaser's well-cadenced text and Tabatabaei's digital-looking art are as light as the Chelmites' matzo balls ("...so light they can almost fly").

Reviewer: Elissa Gershowitz

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Adam Gustavson. Lonely Hannah's new school is having a class picnic on a Saturday, but Orthodox Jews can't ride in cars on the Sabbath. When the whole class volunteers to walk with her, Hannah knows that she's made friends. The straightforward text and the painterly illustrations are stiff, but the Depression-era rural Minnesota setting is vivid and the message of acceptance universal.

Reviewer: Amy Kellman

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Jaime Zollars. Glaser details the winter survival techniques of a dozen different insects. Short, rhythmic lines explain each insect's adaptations (field cricket: "Safely hidden, you'd wait and wait"). Evocative paintings move from colorful fall to icy winter and finally burst into spring. The insects' point of view is emphasized in text and pictures, with nearby children also engaged in typical winter activities.

Reviewer: Frieda F. Bostian

(3) PS Illustrated by Daniel Howarth. The rabbit family that previously celebrated Hanukkah (Hoppy Hanukkah!) now joyously observes Passover. Siblings Violet and Simon participate in traditions such as reciting the Four Questions and preparing the Seder plate. The rabbit-children's infectious excitement comes across in both text and illustrations (though the cheerful, pastel-colored palette and bouncing bunnies may bring to mind another springtime holiday).

Reviewer: Rachel L. Smith

(3) K-3 Photographs by Shelley Rotner. A happy and diverse group of children turn kitchen scraps into compost. Practical but also full of wonder, the book illustrates the whole composting cycle. Clear photographs show every step, including kids working hard and getting dirty. The last pages provide information for families who want to start composting.

Reviewer: Miriam Steinberg-Egeth

(1) K-3 Illustrated by Claire A. Nivola. Glaser's account of how Emma Lazarus came to write her iconic poem is brief, yet telling--especially when complemented by Nivola's eloquent illustrations. Her rectilinear compositions and poses; generalized figures; and bright, limited palette capture New York City's opulent upper crust and the indigent yet dignified newcomers with equal skill. An author's note and the text of the poem are appended.

Reviewer: Joanna Rudge Long | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2010

(2) PS Illustrated by Daniel Howarth. A bunny family celebrates Hanukkah. Siblings Violet and Simon enter boisterously into the festivities, and their enthusiastic missteps ("Now let's light them!" says Simon of the menorah candles; "Not until the sun sets," answers Papa) allow readers to learn the holiday's rituals. The bunnies are winsome in their vividly colored people-clothes, and sunny yellow backdrops telegraph the book's feel-good holiday message.

Reviewer: Claire E. Gross | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2009

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Mia Posada. A second-person text ("You jut out your long toothy lip...") and collage-like illustrations take readers through a dragonfly's stages of growth from egg to nymph to adult. The presentation is effective, but the text tries too hard to be lyrical and the refrain--"Hello, growing dragonfly nymph!" "Hello, hungry dragonfly!"--quickly becomes tiresome. Back matter provides more information about the subject.

Reviewer: Becky Levine

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Nancy Cote. Rachel's mother is too busy to make latkes, so Rachel talks her elderly neighbor into cooking some. The two make a mess, but Mrs. Greenberg assures Rachel that it's a "wonderful" mess: "My house hasn't felt this lived-in in years!" Colorfully patterned illustrations ably show Rachel's frazzled parents and their messy though cozy home, contrasted with Mrs. Greenberg's sparklingly clean house.

Reviewer: Jeannine M. Chapman | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2004

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Gay W. Holland. Numerous illustrations in meticulous, accurate detail from varying points of view recommend this book. But its text, though a balanced introduction to honeybees, oscillates distractingly between forced rhymes and prose ("Others guard and / protect the hive. / They sting if an animal / comes too close. / So I'm careful to stay / a safe distance away"). A question-and-answer section is appended.

Reviewer: Frieda F. Bostian

(4) K-3 Celebrate the Seasons! series. Illustrated by Susan Swan. In this celebration of summer, a loosely rhyming text, occasionally lacking in rhythm, expounds on the joys of summer. A young girl takes advantage of what nature has to offer in the warm months: catching fireflies, experiencing thunderstorms, and watching plants grow taller than she is. Colorful and dimensional art bursts with activity. Suggestions for nature activities are included.

Reviewer: Hilary Breed Van Dusen

(4) K-3 Celebrate the Seasons! series. Illustrated by Susan Swan. A boy explores the natural world around him and discovers all of the classic signs of spring. Poetic text highlights the sights, sounds, and smells of the season, but lacks the drama and energy necessary to sustain interest. Bright cut-paper collage illustrations extend the text. A list of simple nature activities is included.

Reviewer: CHristine Sarrazin

(4) K-3 Celebrate the Seasons! series. Illustrated by Susan Swan. Cheerful cut-paper collage illustrations enliven this third installment in a series celebrating the seasons. Typical characteristics of winter such as cold and snow receive more than ample coverage; more interesting is the brief review of winter's effects on animal habitat. Meandering free verse with occasional rhyme lacks consistency and rhythm. A list of suggested nature activities is appended.

Reviewer: CHristine Sarrazin

(4) K-3 I Love the Seasons! series. Illustrated by Susan Swan. Glaser's poetic text celebrates the sights, sounds, and activities of fall: jumping in leaves, watching animals prepare for winter, and planting bulbs for next spring. Though it's distracting that the text rhymes only intermittently and even then often just vaguely, Swan's cut-paper illustrations are bursting with color and movement, reminding us that even autumn is full of life. Seasonal activity ideas are appended.

Reviewer: Emma Loy-Santelli

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Gay Holland. A boy narrator finds a monarch egg on a leaf and ostensibly observes its maturation into a butterfly, then describes her migration and subsequent return, all the while--cloyingly--referring to her as his "friend." The pale but richly detailed colored pencil illustrations are a good match with the poetic prose. An end section answers common questions about monarchs.

Reviewer: Erica L. Stahler

(4) PS Illustrated by Loretta Krupinski. A simple text presents the life cycle, habits, and characteristics of frogs for young listeners. The often-static green-brown illustrations give close-up perspectives of frogs jumping, swimming, croaking, catching bugs, and avoiding predators. A question-and-answer section at the back of the book provides more information about where frogs live, different types of frogs, conservation efforts, and more.

Reviewer: Kitty Flynn

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Gay W. Holland. In a simple, poetic text, a girl describes a garden spider's physical characteristics and behavior. Though the text is sometimes awkward (and overuses the word thread), the girl's affinity for the creature will impress young naturalists. Holland's rich, textured colored pencil illustrations are realistic and appealing. An illustrated six-page section at the end adeptly answers common questions about spiders.

Reviewer: Emma Loy-Santelli