(3) K-3 Illustrated by John Manders. Having helped composer Giuseppe Verdi overcome writer's block, Nini, an ordinary white cat living in a Venetian café, attracts attention from Italian royalty, a Russian czar, and the emperor of Ethiopia. The highly inventive and entertaining story, accompanied by vibrant gouache and colored-pencil illustrations, is based on historical events; an author's note tells more about the players.

Reviewer: Rebecca Reed Whidden

(4) K-3 Photographs trace the story of Major Brian Dennis, a Marine serving in Iraq, and a wild dog that Brian named Nubs. The climax of Nubs's story--trekking seventy miles across the desert to find Brian--is inspiring. At times, the text is distractingly anthropomorphized ("As the pack leader, he faced constant challenges from younger dogs wanting his job").

Reviewer: Cindy Lombardo

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Jean Cassels. Abandoned during Hurricane Katrina, a dog (Bobbi) and a blind cat (Bob Cat) survive together for months before receiving care and ultimately a new owner through various animal protection groups. Although some illustrations look stiff, the heartwarming story deserves a place in collections. An afterword includes a photograph of the two devoted animal companions.

Reviewer: Sheila M. Geraty

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Paul Yalowitz. Mary Veronica hopes the egg she found by the pond and is diligently caring for will hatch in time for whatever's inside to win the "Most Unusual" award at the school pet fair. A sweet ending, in which the anticipated platypus or python turns out to be a garden-variety duck that is prizeworthy only in Mary Veronica's eyes, caps this rather nondescript story, illustrated with washed-out colored pencil art.

Reviewer: Christine M. Heppermann