(1) K-3 Pinfold (The Black Dog, rev. 10/12) pre­sents another surreal picture book, this one with shades of such folktales as the Grimms' "The Six Swans" and Anndersen's "The Wild Swans." Driving through the desert to pick up their mother (from what looks like a medical care facility), four siblings leave the main road to stop in the heat to pick flowers for her. The three older brothers recite rhymes from their youth ("White roses we follow / toward Teller's Hollow"). Despite their sister's warning, the thirsty brothers enter a stark, silent building in search of a drink of water, where they fall under the spell of a giant mystical lion, the Teller, and are transformed into dolphins. Only the resistance and tenacity of the sister, the youngest, who endures a battle of wills with the Teller, allow the siblings to escape. Themes of determination, family traditions, and love are manifested in the words and images. The washout-desert palette in the hauntingly beautiful realistic mixed-media illustrations creates an eerie sense of foreboding (carried through to the ambiguous ending) that cues readers into the otherworldliness of the story. Three consecutive double-page spreads depicting a sumptuous banquet (the sister's charge is to eat or drink nothing for three days) are especially mesmerizing. Masterful use of light, spot color, and scale mark this as a significant piece of bookmaking; pair with early Van ­Allsburg titles such as The Garden of Abdul Gasazi.

Reviewer: Eric Carpenter | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2022

(4) K-3 Mr. Barleycorn discovers a large green baby who causes fruits and vegetables to grow in profusion. After some early skepticism, the neighbors enjoy the bountiful harvest, but the future is uncertain when the baby leaves. The rhymed text is heavy-handed and labored, but this environmental fable's surreal (and unsettling) illustrations are beautifully rendered.

Reviewer: Grace Worcester Greene

(2) K-3 The Hope family sees a big black dog out the window; with each sighting the dog grows in size and fearsomeness until it's larger than the house. It falls to the family's youngest member, little Small, to address the problem. The traditional feel of the cumulative telling and the art's surreal precision offer a curious metaphorical consideration of what it takes to conquer fears.

Reviewer: Thom Barthelmess | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2012

(4) K-3 The Django, a mischievous creature, causes all sorts of trouble, destroying Pa's banjo, for starters. Of course, it's always Jean who gets the blame. Tired of the Django's antics, Jean orders it to leave--but soon misses it. The story's connection to jazz musician Django Reinhardt, explained in the author's note, is tenuous at best. Watercolor illustrations, the book's highlight, are full of emotion and character.

Reviewer: Alissa C. Salamone