(4) 4-6 Six stories describe the experience of being cast away. One man uses sea turtles--as both food and attire--to survive. Another man loses his mind due to isolation. A third fears the fabled skunk ape of the Everglades. Fans of the survival genre will appreciate these tales, though some do not contain much conflict. Lengthy endnotes explain the historic or mythic sources that inspired each story.

Reviewer: Peter D. Sieruta

(4) YA Sentenced to a prison colony in Australia for stealing a bonnet, Mary Bryant, with her companions, escaped from Botany Bay by sailing thousands of miles in a small open boat. This fictionalized first-person account uses incongruously elevated diction and it's difficult to sort out fact from fancy, but the telling is swift and the story dramatic. An epilogue relates the characters' fates. Bib.

Reviewer: Anita L. Burkam

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Mariah Fox. The early life of reggae singer Marley is related here, including his family life in Nine Miles, Jamaica, and his sojourn in Kingston after his father promised him schooling. Few of the influences, save poverty, that shaped the singer's work are cited, but a combination of text (coauthored by Marley's daughter) and naive yet attractive color art help show Marley's cultural background. A timeline and discography are included. Glos.

Reviewer: Anita L. Burkam

(4) 4-6 Illustrated by Tad Hills. Fourteen-year-old Tom Cringle, an officer in the British navy, chases slave ships off the coast of Jamaica in 1813. Wrestling with the ethics of war, slavery, and piracy, he successfully leads former slaves and shipmates in skirmishes against slavers, with the help of his dog and a native pilot. Some uneven characterizations and slim back-story occasionally confuse this adventurous story illustrated with scattered drawings.

Reviewer: Frieda F. Bostian

(3) 4-6 When his father moves out, twelve-year-old Tall T, his siblings, and their mother must find ways to manage without him. This novel, set in Jamaica in the 1960s and based on Hinds's actual childhood experiences, gets its substance from the vivid details of island life. In spite of Tall T's father's desertion and the abject poverty of the family, the novel has a triumphant tone. Glos.

Reviewer: Maeve Visser Knoth

(4) 4-6 Illustrated by Tad Hills. In this story set during the War of 1812, thirteen-year-old Tom Cringle keeps a logbook of his first year at sea. His experience is rife with adventures: pirates, hurricanes, earthquakes, romance, illness, and more pirates. Tom is a believable character and the narrative's accessible dialect lends the story authenticity, however the large number of dramatic events dilutes the novel's impact. Pen-and-ink illustrations accompany Tom's journal entries.

Reviewer: Jeannine M. Chapman

(3) 4-6 Illustrated by Barry Moser. From African creation lore to medieval European tales, this collection of myths and legends includes stories in which dogs steal fire for people, sacrifice their lives protecting their masters, and bring wealth and love to their owners. The rich storytelling is enhanced by Moser's stately paintings. Each tale includes an afterword, commenting on the story and providing information about the breed of dog. Sources are appended.

Reviewer: Patricia Riley

(3) K-3 In these humorous, well-told, and gently moral tales, Doctor Bird, a clever, "upfull" (optimistic) hummingbird in top hat and flowing tails, convinces Mongoose to stop stealing (for a while); helps Mouse find food and shelter after a storm; and teaches Owl to make peace with being Owl. Wolff's lively illustrations give all the animals lots of personality.

Reviewer: The Horn Book, Inc.

(4) K-3 The significance of the elk to the Pueblo people is the theme of this story, in which a boy's birth is marked by the visit of an elk. Named for the elk, Blue Elk is unable to speak, but eventually gains a voice through a cedar flute he makes after the elk's death. The writing is poetic, but the story is murky and the illustrations are dark.

Reviewer: The Horn Book, Inc.