(3) 1-3 Illustrated by Patrick Benson. In this well-imagined tale set along the Silk Road, Yazul learns about kite-making from his grandfather and uses that knowledge to save his father's han (walled settlement) from bandits. A particular time and place are not specified, but complex relationships between the family's three generations feel authentic. Pages are beautifully presented with ornate borders and illustrated in tones of blue and brown.

Reviewer: Melinda Greenblatt

(3) 4-6 Illustrated by P. J. Lynch. Issa finds a baby in the desert and lovingly raises the girl, teaching her to be a guide like himself; when Issa goes blind, Mariama becomes his eyes. One day the kind pair guides a band of travelers who change their lives. The imagined West Africa setting is enchantingly crisp in both the poetic prose and in Lynch's lavish watercolor and gouache paintings.

Reviewer: Katrina Hedeen

(3) 1-3 Illustrated by Juan Wijngaard. Tashi shares her fruit with the wild monkeys near the tea plantation where her mother toils. When her mother falls ill, the monkeys bring Tashi "cloud tea," which she sells for enough money to solve her problems. Inspired by Himalayan legends, this original tale has a timeless feel. Delicate ink and gouache paintings and ink vignettes display rural mountain life.

Reviewer: Melinda Greenblatt