(3) K-3 Illustrated by Jonas Lauströer. A young elephant's relentless curiosity and intrepid attitude annoy his elders, launch him toward trouble, and ultimately gift him with his endlessly useful trunk. Kipling's wordplay and dialects are sometimes obscure, but Lauströer's intriguing illustrations blend realistic drawings with unexpected and delightful elements of whimsy that give this fable-like tale new appeal for modern audiences.

Reviewer: Megan Lynn Isaac

(3) 4-6 Illustrated by Nicola Bayley. Three stories, "Mowgli's Brothers," "Kaa's Hunting," and "Tiger! Tiger!", plus six songs (e.g., "Night-Song in the Jungle"), are combined in this collection. With its lush colored-pencil illustrations, this volume would be a welcome addition to any home library.

Reviewer: The Horn Book, Inc.

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Debra Bandelin & Bob Davey. Retold by Joe Rhatigan and Charles Nurnberg. Vibrant illustrations portray Kipling's famous jungle as an enchanting place exploding with color and energy. Mowgli's childhood among the wolves and monkeys is a perfect idyll. Even Shere Khan, lurking on nearly every page, seems more of a challenge than a threat in this diluted, abridged retelling that follows Mowgli from infancy until he's forced to join the human world.

Reviewer: Megan Lynn Isaac

(3) 4-6 Illustrated by Aljoscha Blau. Eight stories and verse feature "man-cub" Mowgli, raised by wolves in the Indian jungle. The beautiful but spare artwork is muted compared to the colorful setting and language. Wide margins and generous use of white space add appeal. A handsome but sophisticated (many of the illustrations show an older Mowgli sans loincloth, buttocks exposed) visualization of these classic stories.

Reviewer: Carolyn Shute

(3) 4-6 Illustrated by Ian Wallace. In watercolor, crayon, pastel, and chalk, Wallace's soft and evocative illustrations use thematic colors, repeated visual allusions, and a playful appreciation for Kipling's wit and wordplay to deepen the pleasure of these famous tales. Wallace highlights the range of geographic and cultural settings of the six stories to create a pictorial palette as wide-ranging as the topics of the tales.

Reviewer: Megan Lynn Isaac

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Giovanni Manna. Kipling's famous 1909 poem, an inspirational address to his young son (who would soon die in WWI), is given picture-book packaging. It's a mature work--tonally, conceptually, linguistically--and kids may struggle further with line breaks and page turns, but Manna's imposing watercolor scenes of a little boy cloud-gazing, scaling a cliff, and planting a tree in a barren wasteland are inspiration enough.

Reviewer: Katrina Hedeen

(3) 4-6 Illustrated by Ian Wallace. Wallace's colorful illustrations breathe new life into six of Kipling's famous tales. The evocative and fanciful language that has long made "The Elephant's Child," "How the Camel Got His Hump," and "How the Leopard Got His Spots" (among others) popular is well matched by the glowing landscapes and gentle facial expressions Wallace presents using watercolor, crayon, pastel, and chalk.

Reviewer: Megan Lynn Isaac

(3) 4-6 Looking Glass Library series. Kipling's classic short stories about Mowgli, a human boy raised by animals in the Indian jungle, as well as the tale of mongoose Rikki-tikki-tavi are presented here in a compact bargain edition. The original line drawings and a new introduction by Neil Gaiman (whose Graveyard Book was inspired by The Jungle Book) accompany the stories.

Reviewer: Katie Bircher

(4) 4-6 Illustrated by Robert Ingpen. Ingpen illustrates Kipling's classic tale of a boy raised by jungle animals. His richly colored handsome illustrations appear on almost every page, pulling readers into Mowgli's world. The text's small type size is unfortunate.

Reviewer: Maeve Visser Knoth

(4) 4-6 Illustrated by Scott McKowen. These classic stories are presented in unabridged formats. A handful of scratchboard illustrations in addition to a repeating chapter heading spot illustration accompany each story. A ribbon bookmark is attached. The books conclude with some generic open-ended questions. Review includes these titles: The Jungle Book, Frankenstein, Gulliver's Travels, and Journey to the Center of the Earth.

Reviewer: Elissa Gershowitz

(4) K-3 Photographs by Charles R., Jr. Smith. Employing sports as a metaphor for life, Smith illustrates Kipling's poem with impressive photographs of young male athletes. For example, "If you can wait / and not be tired by waiting" is accompanied by a ground-level view of a crouched runner anticipating the starting gun. The photographs (some a bit fuzzy) use distinctive lighting and perspectives for drama.

Reviewer: Patricia Riley

(3) 4-6 Illustrated by Nicola Bayley. Three stories, "Mowgli's Brothers," "Kaa's Hunting," and "Tiger! Tiger!", and six songs (e.g., "Night-Song in the Jungle") are combined in this collection. With its lush colored-pencil illustrations, this volume would be a welcome addition to any home library.

Reviewer: Terri Schmitz

(3) K-3 Eight pourquoi stories are here illustrated by a variety of artists, from Peter Sís, whose almost abstract art illustrates "How the Whale Got His Throat," to Louise Voce, whose cartoonlike images illustrate "The Elephant's Child." Elegant bookmaking and a unifying design featuring wide margins and generous leading make this collection distinctive.

Reviewer: Martha V. Parravano

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Lisbeth Zwerger. The classic story of a conceited, uncooperative camel is interpreted in spare illustrations. Spacious design and small, decorative icons add to the book's elegance, but the restrained art makes for a less-than-perfect pairing with Kipling's muscular, playful language. Passages in which Kipling describes his own pictures for the story are included before the piece ends, interrupting the text's flow.

Reviewer: Carolyn Shute