(4) K-3 Asian Hall of Fame series. Illustrated by Juan Calle. Ethan and Emma follow their noses to a restaurant serving noodle soup. Then, red panda Dao, "guide to the many fabulous creations from Asia," takes them on a rather hokey tour of ramen's history, popularity, manufacture, and transformation into the instant variety. Calle's matte candy colors with grainy lines create a slick but energetic anime-esque style. Romanized Japanese words appear throughout the text. Glos.

Reviewer: Jeannie Coutant

(4) 4-6 Snap Books: Drawing Amazing Animals series. Illustrated by Juan Calle. These books start with a boilerplate introduction and list of tools; slight information on each of eleven animals is followed by four to six wordless step-by-step instructions for drawing it. Encouraging tips in callout boxes vary in helpfulness, but layout is consistent and well organized. The series is recommended for readers with drawing experience as texts do not address proportion or adding color/shading. Review covers the following Snap Books: Drawing Amazing Animals titles: Drawing Ocean Animals and Drawing Wild Animals.

Reviewer: Amy Seto Forrester

(3) 4-6 Smithsonian Drawing Books series. Illustrated by Juan Calle. This collection of step-by-step instructions details how to draw thirty different types of dinosaurs in a sweeping style that involves only five steps to complete each one. Action and perspective are included, which will appeal to older children who can reproduce some of the more complicated poses. The pages also have small illustrative paintings and some facts to describe each animal.

Reviewer: Paula M. Cairo