(3) K-3 Illustrated by Harry Bloom. The history of pirates meets Where's Waldo? in this oversize seek-and-find book with included magnifying glass. Humorous, minutely detailed illustrations fill each spread, along with "10 Things to Spot" and historical facts about pirate life. Profiles of famous pirates are included throughout, plus an appended "Rogues Gallery." Back matter also features additional items to find, an answer key, and a guide to pirate slang. Glos.

Reviewer: Kristy Pasquariello

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Suzanne Bloom. A boy describes his classroom's preparation for a visit by author Amanda Drake, who fields his question: will she write a book about her visit? In the end, readers learn that they're holding that very book. There's no denying the excitement generated by the story's lively art and original, although self-conscious, premise, but some of the rhymes clunk.

Reviewer: Nell Beram

(4) PS Illustrated by Suzanne Bloom. In this rhyming alphabet book, twenty-six girls, each of whose names begins with a different letter, are shown energetically pursuing their presumed future vocations ("Aliki is an astronaut, / Belinda likes ballet, / Chris is a computer whiz-- / she's online every day"). The festive illustrations of the girls simultaneously at work and at play make the book's wrap-up--"Girls, / Be anything you want to be," etc.--unnecessary.

Reviewer: Christine M. Heppermann

(1) K-3 Illustrated by Lloyd Bloom. In this welcome reissue, a young farmer and his bride settle amidst "the hills that roll forever" and plant a plum tree. With the eloquent simplicity of a Shaker hymn, Johnston's words capture the cyclical pattern of a nineteenth-century farming way of life. Bloom's lush palette of verdant green and earth tones wakens all the senses.

Reviewer: The Horn Book, Inc. | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 1988

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Lloyd Bloom. After her grandfather dies, Anna doesn't want to plant the corn kernels he gave her: "If I bury them, they'll be gone forever." She relents, and when the corn grows, she saves some new kernels for the following spring and is even able to hear the "music" that her grandfather taught her to listen for. This story about the cycles of life is gently told. Bloom's loose pastel and pencil illustrations reflect the book's mood.

Reviewer: Maeve Visser Knoth

(4) 4-6 Don't Know Much series. Illustrated by Tom Bloom. Early chapters convey general information about geography, weather, natural disasters, and maps, followed by individual chapters devoted to each of the seven continents. The forced question-and-answer format ("How are deserts like desserts?" Because they can be either hot or cold), the jokey tone of the text, and the accompanying comic illustrations hamper the effectiveness of the overcrowded volume. A time line is included. Bib., glos., ind.

Reviewer: Peter D. Sieruta

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Lloyd Bloom. Uncle's fiddling inspires a family to shake off their lethargy, grab musical instruments, and start a spirited jam session that inspires neighbors to join in. Soft colored pencil sketches endow the country characters with a lot of personality, but they are surrounded by a disorienting amount of white space, and the overall effect is a little too muted for the rambunctious subject matter.

Reviewer: Christine M. Heppermann

(2) 4-6 Illustrated by Lloyd Bloom. Fifth-grader Wanda narrates a quiet portrait of Polish immigrants struggling to make ends meet in 1934. Out-of-work Pa takes out his frustrations on Wanda's older brother Walter. When Walter dies in an accident, the shock is great, but the family--even Pa--is brought together with new affection. Beautifully composed illustrations add to the period atmosphere conveyed in the accessible, simply phrased narrative.

Reviewer: Joanna Rudge Long | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 1999

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Lloyd Bloom. A young girl eagerly awaits her uncles' arrival for Thanksgiving. The rhymed conversation between mother and daughter lovingly celebrates their relationships with their larger-than-life relatives. Textured, curvilinear illustrations convey the warm atmosphere anticipated in the extended family's visit for the holidays.

Reviewer: Sheila M. Geraty