(3) 4-6 Scribner Illustrated Classics series. Illustrated by Steve Johnson & Lou Fancher. This edition features Johnson and Fancher's illustrations from a 1999 "storybook adaptation" of Salten's classic story, which was first translated into English in 1928. The dark oil paintings match the tale's somber tone and respectfully portray the woodland setting and its inhabitants.

Reviewer: Kitty Flynn

(3) 4-6 Translated by Paul R. Milton. The animals of Lodge Farm are convinced that their way of life is superior to living in the woods. Conversely, the local wildlife feel they have it better. Curiosity about how the other half lives leads them all to question the benefits of freedom and uncertainty versus security and servitude to man. Salten's (Bambi) slow-paced narrative is lovingly detailed.

Reviewer: Russell Perry | Horn Book Magazine Issue: January, 2043

(3) 4-6 Illustrated by Richard Cowdrey. Salten's classic story of a deer growing to be a buck under the tutelage of an old stag, first translated into English in 1928, is repackaged with new art. Cowdrey's black-and-white illustrations, reminiscent of woodblock prints, have some of the wide-eyed sweetness of the Disney art but are generally more sophisticated, making this an attractive new edition.

Reviewer: Maeve Visser Knoth

(4) K-3 Translated by Kristy Koth. Illustrated by Maja Dusíková. A slim picture book version of Salten's classic novel gives young readers an outline of the story but lacks the original's emotional depth and language. "Bambi knew at that moment that he would never see his mother again," and he must learn the ways of the forest without her help. Illustrator Dusíková creates a warm woodland setting with her full-page watercolors.

Reviewer: Maeve Visser Knoth

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Gijsbert van Frankenhuyzen. The first chapter of Salten's classic Bambi is illustrated with lush paintings full of life and light. The slightly abbreviated text tells the story of Bambi's birth and first encounter with neighboring birds. There is no real plot, but the words and pictures convey a love of the wilderness.

Reviewer: Maeve Visser Knoth