(4) PS Illustrated by Julie Downing. "Pounce and wrestle on the floor. / Hold on tight for tug-of-war." This celebration of play features animal and human youngsters and their parents engaged in species-appropriate activities (e.g., people at the beach, puffins surfing waves, kangaroos leaping, elephants rolling in mud). Soft-edged illustrations accompany the occasionally forced rhyming text. "Play Tips" conclude the book.

Reviewer: Frieda F. Bostian

(4) PS Translated by Aurora Hernandez. Illustrated by Ashley Wolff. Mothers, both human and animal, give milk to their offspring in this celebration of breastfeeding. The Spanish translation is actually stronger than the original English; Hernandez has created lyrical poetry in rhyming Spanish that scans well for reading aloud. The gouache illustrations are sentimental but adequate. Brief additional facts are included in an appended spread.

Reviewer: Tim Wadham

(4) PS Illustrated by Ashley Wolff. Eighteen mammals (including humans) are shown nursing their young. The rhymed couplets range from comforting ("Fill your tummy while mama snores. / Dine in peace in the dusky outdoors") to awkward ("Mama's going to nurse you high up in a tree. / Mama's going to nurse you down low by her knees"). Wolff's gouache portraits depict contented-looking mothers and suckling babies.

Reviewer: Martha Sibert

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Paul Meisel. Elementary students and their teacher engage in discovery about properties of matter. This idealistic story of science lessons, accompanied by jolly cartoon illustrations, is followed by directions for the activities described (more suitable for school but doable at home with the proper materials). The material sometimes strays into more complex concepts without enough accompanying explanation.

Reviewer: Danielle J. Ford

(4) PS Illustrated by Sylvia Long. This brief rhyme describes bedtime for a variety of bugs. "Sneak a neat nap / in an old wooly cap. / Snooze away softly / in a puddle of sap." The alliterative rhyme is pleasant enough to read aloud; however, the smiling bugs in the watercolor illustrations are rather too cute, though their patterned pajamas are amusing and their resting places are carefully painted.

Reviewer: Martha Sibert

(2) YA This respectful and thorough biography of the legendary artist examines Dalí's impressionist beginnings and eventual conversion to surrealism; also discussed are his forays into the worlds of film, fashion, and literature. Scattered throughout are beautiful color reproductions and quotes by Dalí; sidebars devoted to artists, cultural icons, historical events, and social movements; and suggested activities. Resources. Glos., ind.

Reviewer: Nell Beram | Horn Book Magazine Issue: January, 2004

(3) K-3 Cycles series. Illustrated by Gustav Moore. A tree sprouts, grows, ages, dies, and is reclaimed by the forest. A water droplet journeys to a stream, the sea, a cloud, a puddle, and a snowy mountain. Ross's simple, direct text and Moore's realistic illustrations follow these events and provide a clear introduction to water, soil, and compost cycles. Tips for composting are included.

Reviewer: Erin Dionne

(4) 4-6 You Are the Scientist series. Illustrated by Tim Seeley. In these series books, Ross encourages children to play with everyday household items--and inhabitants--in scientific ways. While the reliance on a theory-free scientific method focuses more on simple hypothesis testing than on explanation or conceptual development, the models and examples of data collection are excellent. The colorful cartoon illustrations are amusing but stray into nerdy-scientist stereotypes. Glos., ind. [Review covers these You Are the Scientist titles: Indoor Zoo, Junk Lab, Kitchen Lab, and Toy Lab.]

Reviewer: Danielle J. Ford

(4) 4-6 Photographs by Felix Rigau. Christmas festivals in Oaxaca, Mexico, are described chronologically, from Las Posadas to the day of the Three Kings. The readable, straightforward text personalizes the information with references to specific children participating in the fiestas. The color photos are informative, but their small size diminishes the book's impact. A recipe is appended. Bib., glos., ind.

Reviewer: Tim Wadham

(4) 4-6 You Are the Scientist series. Illustrated by Tim Seeley. In these series books, Ross encourages children to play with everyday household items--and inhabitants--in scientific ways. While the reliance on a theory-free scientific method focuses more on simple hypothesis testing than on explanation or conceptual development, the models and examples of data collection are excellent. The colorful cartoon illustrations are amusing but stray into nerdy-scientist stereotypes. Glos., ind. [Review covers these You Are the Scientist titles: Indoor Zoo, Junk Lab, Kitchen Lab, and Toy Lab.]

Reviewer: Danielle J. Ford

(4) 4-6 You Are the Scientist series. Illustrated by Tim Seeley. In these series books, Ross encourages children to play with everyday household items--and inhabitants--in scientific ways. While the reliance on a theory-free scientific method focuses more on simple hypothesis testing than on explanation or conceptual development, the models and examples of data collection are excellent. The colorful cartoon illustrations are amusing but stray into nerdy-scientist stereotypes. Glos., ind. [Review covers these You Are the Scientist titles: Indoor Zoo, Junk Lab, Kitchen Lab, and Toy Lab.]

Reviewer: Danielle J. Ford

(4) 4-6 You Are the Scientist series. Illustrated by Tim Seeley. In these series books, Ross encourages children to play with everyday household items--and inhabitants--in scientific ways. While the reliance on a theory-free scientific method focuses more on simple hypothesis testing than on explanation or conceptual development, the models and examples of data collection are excellent. The colorful cartoon illustrations are amusing but stray into nerdy-scientist stereotypes. Glos., ind. [Review covers these You Are the Scientist titles: Indoor Zoo, Junk Lab, Kitchen Lab, and Toy Lab.]

Reviewer: Danielle J. Ford

(3) 4-6 World's Children series. Photographs by Felix Rigau. Readers get an up-close and personal view of life in these countries. The books, written in a relaxed style, follow several young people through interactions with family, school activities, and time spent with friends. Relevant facts and some historical background make the books useful as a starting place for reports. Good-quality color photographs add appeal to every page. A pronunciation guide is included. Ind.

Reviewer: Carolyn Shute

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Gustav Moore. Ross describes the life cycles of three living things: a sunflower grows from a seed to maturity and produces new seeds, a mushroom develops from a spore and subsequently produces more spores, and a grasshopper hatches from an egg and grows to lay its own eggs. The color illustrations and straightforward text clearly document the life cycle changes.

Reviewer: Jim St. Claire

(3) K-3 Cycles series. Illustrated by Gustav Moore. Defining cycles as "events that repeat over and over again in the same way," Ross discusses Earth's daily cycle of light and dark, the thirteen lunar cycles, and Earth's yearly trip around the sun. The simple text provides very basic information about periodicity and uses familiar examples to introduce new concepts ("the Earth...goes round and round like a very slow top"). Pleasing watercolors expand the text.

Reviewer: Harry Clement Stubbs

(4) 4-6 World's Children series. Photographs by Felix Rigau. Ross introduces several children who live in different parts of Puerto Rico. The brief text is often too general ("music is important in Puerto Rico"), but readers will be able to glean some information about history and contemporary life. The clear photos are engaging and help convey facts about various aspects of life on the island. Ind.

Reviewer: Maeve Visser Knoth

(4) 4-6 World's Children series. Photographs by Felix Rigau. Ross conveys information about the culture and history of Ireland while introducing several contemporary Irish children. Because the brief text focuses on specific kids, the discussion doesn't always reflect the country as a whole, but readers will be able to glean some general information about contemporary life. The color photos are attractive and engaging. Ind.

Reviewer: Maeve Visser Knoth

(3) 4-6 Naturalist's Apprentice series. Illustrated by Wendy Smith. Ross follows the life of Chiura Obata from a young budding naturalist growing up in Japan to a successful Japanese-American nature artist. Well-organized chapters chronicle Obata's traditional Japanese education and his move to the United States in 1903. Sidebars include superfluous tips and activities for young artists; reproductions of original artwork and black-and-white photos enhance the text. Bib., glos., ind.

Reviewer: Liza Woodruff

(4) 4-6 Naturalist's Apprentice series. Illustrated by Wendy Smith. In a somewhat dense narrative, this book introduces readers to the work of ichthyologist Eugenie Clark, who has spent her life researching fish. Boxed sections of text offer related activities for budding naturalists and provide basic facts about several fish species. Adequate color drawings and occasionally grainy photographs accompany the text. A time line is included. Bib., glos., ind.

Reviewer: Cindy Lombardo

(4) 4-6 Naturalist's Apprentice series. Illustrated by Wendy Smith. In a somewhat dense narrative, this book introduces readers to the work of ichthyologist Eugenie Clark, who has spent her life researching fish. Boxed sections of text offer related activities for budding naturalists and provide basic facts about several fish species. Adequate color drawings and occasionally grainy photographs accompany the text. A time line is included. Bib., glos., ind.

Reviewer: Danielle J. Ford