(4) K-3 Illustrated by Christian Birmingham. Haddon recounts his boyhood experience of watching the Apollo moon landing. His lyrical third-person narrative captures the wonder of the time. Birmingham's fuzzy, luminous pastel illustrations match the nostalgic text, though the reminiscent perspective verges on self-indulgent and creates an odd distance between reader and story. Three wordless double-page spreads display the lunar landscape.

Reviewer: Claire E. Gross

(2) K-3 Retold by Naomi Lewis. Translated by Naomi Lewis. Illustrated by Christian Birmingham. Lewis's Tales of Hans Christian Andersen contained thirteen favorites, including this story. Now she presents Andersen's novella-length masterpiece as a stand-alone, its text only slightly modified. Since the tale is no more abridged than before (a good thing!), pages are text-heavy; however, the generous number of illustrations are wonderfully inviting as Birmingham's pastels celebrate the loveliness of Andersen's language and imagery.

Reviewer: Joanna Rudge Long | Horn Book Magazine Issue: January, 2009

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Christian Birmingham. This smooth, sumptuous retelling of one of the most romantic of all tales stays close to the version written by Charles Perrault in the seventeenth century. Thirteen full-color illustrations bathed in golden light are perfect fairy-tale froth; smaller gray-toned vignettes appear throughout on vine-bordered pages.

Reviewer: Carolyn Shute

(4) 1-3 Illustrated by Christian Birmingham. This pleasant if undistinguished collection contains eight of Andersen's best-known fairy tales, including "The Little Mermaid" and "The Steadfast Tin Soldier." Black-and-white illustrations are scattered throughout the text-dense pages, although only the handful of full-page plates, with luminous colors, are likely to captivate read-aloud audiences.

Reviewer: Norah Piehl

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Christian Birmingham. Charlotte asks her mother to tell her about the night that they found a lost kitten by the seashore. The unusual structure of the picture book, which is told completely in dialogue, brings the reader right into the intimate mother-daughter moment, and Charlotte's frequent interruptions to add details ring true. Rendered in chalk pastels, the illustrations include a mix of realistic figures and impressionistic backgrounds.

Reviewer: Anne St. John

(3) PS Illustrated by Christian Birmingham. While young Joe's parents are with sickly Grandma back in the city, he stays on his relatives' farm, where his various protestations ("I'm not scared of bats") contradict his behavior (he can't stop shivering). After he comforts a sheep giving birth, he finally warms to farm life--and tames his anxieties. Whybrow conveys Joe's insecurities without ever stating them. The sun-dappled illustrations are fine impressionistic studies.

Reviewer: Nell Beram

(4) 1-3 Illustrated by Christian Birmingham. Illustrated with attractive artwork in an impressionistic style, this skillful adaptation of the classic novel retains both the plot and flavor of Lewis's original story, which was first published fifty years ago. This lengthy picture book provides an introduction for children too young for the full novel--but why not wait until readers can appreciate the unabridged book on their own?

Reviewer: Anne St. John

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Christian Birmingham. As he searches for his mother, Wombat meets a number of other Australian animals, all of whom claim to be more talented than he. However, when a fire threatens the neighborhood, the animals discover that Wombat's particular skills--digging and thinking--are quite valuable. The beginning is repetitious, but the evocative artwork includes gold-tinged full-page illustrations as well as charming pencil sketches.

Reviewer: Martha Sibert

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Christian Birmingham. A young boy watches as a swan on a nearby lake finds a mate, builds a nest, and raises her cygnets until a vixen preys upon her to feed her own fox family. The story's strength is its realism; the language, however, is more sentimental and adult than childlike. With reflected images of the graceful swans, the subdued winter lighting of the chalk pastel illustrations conveys the somber yet quietly hopeful tone of the story.

Reviewer: Bridget McCaffrey