(3) K-3 Illustrated by Laura Fernandez & Rick Jacobson. A new apprentice to Michelangelo, Marco is undermined and embarrassed by a jealous senior apprentice. But when summoned to Rome to paint the Sistine Chapel, Michelangelo selects Marco to accompany him because of Marco's paint-making skills and his loyalty. The long but well-told story helps to illuminate the methods of a master artist; handsome paintings ably convey setting and mood.

Reviewer: Carolyn Shute

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Laura Fernandez & Rick Jacobson. The Mona Lisa herself narrates this story, based on true events, of her 1911 abduction from the Louvre and subsequent temporary relocation to Italy. The misguided worker who reclaimed the painting for his native country is cast in a sympathetic light. Watercolor paintings effectively capture the Parisian streets and Italian countryside, but the text stretches to sustain a thin plot.

Reviewer: Norah Piehl