(4) K-3 Illustrated by Derek Sullivan. In this retelling of a Shona folktale from Zimbabwe, Zuva learns never to make a promise she can't keep after inviting a boisterous crocodile to a party in exchange for a favor. Zany, slick digital illustrations picture a fluorescent jungle setting for the cautionary tale. Multicolored font emphasizes the crocodile's refrain: "Party! Party! Going to a party / Party! Party! I'm a PARTY CROC!"

Reviewer: Sheila M. Geraty

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Eugenia Nobati. Bat wants to join a soccer game--but only on the winning team. He starts out playing for the Animals, but when the Birds take the lead he switches sides (he has wings, after all). This amusing tale about good sportsmanship is inspired by a folktale (brief source note included). The digitally generated illustrations are confusing because some of the creatures are hard to identify.

Reviewer: Patricia Riley

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Julie Paschkis. In this "Beauty and the Beast" variant, a man is saved from thieves by a smelly, slobbery dog, who then asks for the man's beautiful daughter as repayment. Unhappy at first, the girl eventually falls in love with the dog, despite his appearance, and he shows himself as a prince. Paschkis's strong-lined and patterned gouache illustrations are reminiscent of medieval tapestries.

Reviewer: Aimee Chevrette Bear

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Sophie Fatus. Young readers count, review colors, and learn the names of animals and their young in this cumulative tale in which a boy acquires sixteen pets, starting with a clucking red hen. When he gets a guitar, all the animals dance together. The jovial illustrations feature the Aymara people of Chile. A CD of music accompanies the book and an author's note is appended.

Reviewer: Melinda Greenblatt

(4) 4-6 These forty-one retold or reprinted tales (including a couple of poems and an anecdote) about environmental conservation represent an impressively broad array of world cultures and are grouped by themes such as "Caring for Our Land," "The Folly of Human Greed," and "Many Voices Bring Results." An apt proverb juxtaposes each story, and many entries are formatted for easy storytelling. The tales, however, are hit-or-miss: many are slight or overly didactic. Bib., ind.

Reviewer: Emma Loy-Santelli

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Yvonne LeBrun Davis. An astounding number of rounds have been collected in this simply produced volume. All the familiar rounds are here, along with many that will be new to most. An introduction and back matter, including a history of rounds and suggestions for round leaders, provide commonsense advice. Notes on which rounds may be played on the recorder help broaden the book's usefulness. Bib., ind.

Reviewer: Lolly Robinson

(4) K-3 Little Girl harvests the biggest peas from her garden only to have pesky Mr. Rabbit follow in her footsteps "eating up all the peas she'd left behind." Though she captures him in one fell swoop, the rabbit escapes in a not-so-believable act of trickery that renders Little Girl more gullible than her character suggests. Savvy illustrations give this story (an elaboration on a tale published in 1897) a contemporary beat.

Reviewer: The Horn Book, Inc.