(3) 4-6 Lobster Chronicles series. Illustrated by Shelagh Armstrong. When Norris accidentally destroys his teacher's cactus, he hatches an elaborate scheme to displace the blame. Meanwhile, his father's high auction bid for a giant lobster highlights the wealthy family's outsider status in the community. The narrative is critical of Norris's snobbery while still projecting compassion for his isolation, striking a complex but kid-accessible balance to all the hijinks. Small pencil illustrations open each chapter.

Reviewer: Claire E. Gross

(4) 4-6 Lobster Chronicles series. Illustrated by Shelagh Armstrong. Earnest Ferguson, determined to help his grandfather find a legacy to leave behind, is the focal perspective for this third overlapping tale of how the trapping of a giant lobster affects a small fishing community. Kerrin weaves community memory, intergenerational bonding, and tension between old ways and new into a thoughtful plot, but the leisurely pace and extreme subtlety will limit the book's appeal.

Reviewer: Claire E. Gross

(4) 4-6 Lobster Chronicles series. Illustrated by Shelagh Armstrong. Budding marine biologist Graeme's lobsterman father catches a huge, record-breaking lobster. In order to get at that crustacean, crafty cannery scion Norris exploits Graeme's desire to raise funds to visit the Big Fish Aquarium. There's also a classroom mystery, and the plot is a bit muddled. The maritime North Atlantic setting is vivid in this first entry in a planned trilogy.

Reviewer: Susan Halperin

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Shelagh Armstrong. This volume is packed with stories about children around the world in addition to thought-provoking child welfare statistics. The lack of maps is a drawback, especially since the acrylic-illustration spreads move from country to country without clear delineation. Useful teaching features include a kid-friendly version of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child and lots of learning activities. Websites. Bib.

Reviewer: Melinda Greenblatt

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Shelagh Armstrong. This updated second edition asks readers to imagine "the whole population of the world as a village of just 100 people," with each person representing sixty-nine million people (it was sixty-two million in the previous edition). Smith covers topics such as nationalities, languages, food, etc. Accurately detailed acrylic art illustrates the thought-provoking book.

Reviewer: Jennifer M. Brabander | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2002

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Shelagh Armstrong. In this companion to If the World Were a Village, Smith represents the population of the United States as a village of one hundred people. The text illustrates statistics such as languages spoken, occupations, and age; it's a creative and accessible way to present the statistical information. The accompanying paintings are friendly and accomplished. Websites. Bib.

Reviewer: Miriam Steinberg-Egeth

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Shelagh Armstrong. If you imagine "the whole population of the world as a village of just 100 people," each person represents sixty-two million people from the real world. Using this device, Smith covers topics such as nationalities (only five people in the village are from the U.S.), languages (nine speak English), food ("only 24 people always have enough to eat"), and so on. Accurately detailed artwork illustrates the thought-provoking book.

Reviewer: Jennifer M. Brabander | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2002