(4) 4-6 Illustrated by Rebecca Green. Fifth grader Eric discovers and helps a beautiful white unicorn being cared for by his veterinarian neighbor and her daughter in the barn that used to belong to his ailing grandmother. A touching portrayal of family love and death is enhanced by an underlying magical component, and Ogburn offers an emotional and well-developed story for animal lovers. Black-and-white drawings emphasize the realistic setting.

Reviewer: Rita Soltan

(3) PS Illustrated by Chris Raschka. Ogburn has compiled linguistic demonstrations of love from numerous languages, ranging from the Polish "little mouse" to the Lugandan "pampered one" to the Arabic "light of my heart." The endearments appear in English and in the original language along with pronunciation guides. Raschka limits his color palette on individual pages and then uses a rainbow of hues on the last pages to bring the world together.

Reviewer: Melinda Greenblatt

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Nicoletta Ceccoli. Ogburn's text consists of author-invented descriptive phrases to collectively describe magical creatures: "A thundering of rocs," "A dazzlement of Quetzalcoatls," "A pandemonium of fauns," etc. Ceccoli's imaginative mixed-media illustrations use plasticine, acrylics, collage, and computer graphics to give a three-dimensional look to the folkloric and mythical creatures. Further information about the imaginary beings is appended.

Reviewer: Melinda Greenblatt

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Laurel Long & Laurel Long. In this retelling of a Grimm tale, a lady finds herself promised to a lion who is really an enchanted prince. A magical accident interrupts their happy marriage; the prince is transformed into a dove, and the lady spends seven years searching for him. Elaborate oil paintings, full of vibrant colors, complex patterns, and swirling lines, mirror the drama of this story of faithful love. A source note is included.

Reviewer: Martha Sibert

(3) 1-3 Illustrated by Laurel Long. After her grandmother's death, Katya sets out into the world armed only with a Russian nesting doll, which produces a magical helper each of the three times she opens it. The luxuriously detailed oil paintings depict Katya's determined efforts to free a prince from the spell that has turned him into a living block of ice. Readers will cheer the brave heroine as she faces a daunting task in this attractive picture book.

Reviewer: Anne St. John

(3) K-3 One Saturday, Donna accompanies her grandfather on his rounds, repairing broken jukeboxes and changing records at a fish camp, a truck stop, and a diner. Though little of moment occurs, Odgen's closely observed textual details and Ransome's trademark heavily textured oil paintings capture this slice of mid-twentieth-century life with quiet warmth.

Reviewer: The Horn Book, Inc.