(4) K-3 Illustrated by Megan Halsey & Sean Addy. Sources or footnotes would have helped this somewhat disorganized account of the history of Valentine's Day and the ways it's celebrated worldwide. Ideas considered to be legend are stated as facts, though the tidbit-style information is engaging. The attractive design, romantic mixed-media illustrations, famous quotes on love, and craft ideas enhance the presentation.

Reviewer: Cyrisse Jaffee

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Megan Halsey & Sean Addy. Sophisticated poems celebrate elephants, from their behavior to their various roles in human imagination and commerce. Mixed-media collage illustrations combine with the writing--particularly the concrete poems--to create a sense of the complexity of elephants' lives and their relationships with people. Unobtrusive text boxes provide factual information about the creatures. Reading list.

Reviewer: Shoshana Flax

(3) PS Illustrated by Megan Halsey & Sean Addy. In straightforward rhyming text ("Icebreakers smash an icy floe; / penguins dive down deep below"), this book presents a variety of watercraft: tugboats, yachts, trawlers, ferries, aircraft carriers, etc. There's lots to see in the humorous vintage-looking mixed-media illustrations featuring clip art, old papers, and original drawings. Two double-page-spread layouts are vertical.

Reviewer: Luther B. Clegg

(3) 4-6 Illustrated by Sean Addy. Winter briefly describes the lives and work of fourteen men and women, all of whom have fought against injustice. Winter's short essays successfully cover the complexities of the social and political situations around the world, while Addy's mixed-media illustrations express the strong feelings in the text.

Reviewer: Maeve Visser Knoth

(3) 4-6 Illustrated by Megan Halsey & Sean Addy. This collection of free-verse poems explores the myriad careers readers can ponder pursuing. Whether describing the wisdom of a janitor ("He senses / all the secret wishes / a building whispers / in the night") or the anxieties of an author, Zimmer's writing is insightful and original. The accompanying mixed-media collages, sophisticated and whimsical, are themselves inspiration for aspiring artists.

Reviewer: Chelsey Philpot

(3) PS Illustrated by Megan Halsey & Sean Addy. This spirited text describes different kinds of airplanes, from jets and cargo planes to: "Mail planes. / Weather planes. / Bringing-us-together planes." The mixed-media illustrations featuring clip art, etchings, and original drawings have a vintage look and incorporate many humorous details. Two double-page-spread layouts are vertical, adding to the story's sense of motion.

Reviewer: Patricia Riley

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Megan Halsey & Sean Addy. Chin-Lee presents a male version of her Amelia to Zora, exploring an alphabet of influential men by first name. Inspired mixed-media illustrations upstage the dry yet informative text. The men range from contemporary celebrities (T is for Tiger Woods) to some whose names are lesser known (E is for Japanese American astronaut Ellison Shoji Onizuka, who perished in the Challenger disaster). Quotes accompany the entries. Bib.

Reviewer: Elizabeth Shaver

(3) PS Illustrated by Megan Halsey & Sean Addy. Appealingly retro collage illustrations highlight this simple rhyming exploration of different types of cars and what they do. The opening line--"Start the motor! Turn the key! Compact car or SUV"-- suggests the modern, while many of the images have a vintage look. The simple rhyme zips readers along, much like its subject matter.

Reviewer: Susan Halperin

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Megan Halsey & Sean Addy. From Amelia Earhart to Zora Neal Hurston, each letter of the alphabet represents a twentieth-century woman of achievement. Short biographies spotlight the subjects' girlhoods; playful mixed-media collages further humanize these impressive women. Each entry concludes with a quote by the subject. Bib.

Reviewer: Nell Beram