(3) K-3 Illustrated by Doug Chayka. In Bangladesh, young Yasmin and her little sister, Mita, must work hard wielding their hammers, breaking old clay bricks into pieces to make new roads. Yasmin earns enough extra money to buy a book and convinces her parents of the importance of reading and education. Rich-hued oil paintings show the busy city streets of Dhaka and the family's small home. Reading list. Bib., glos.

Reviewer: Melinda Greenblatt

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Doug Chayka. Rafael and his orchestra conductor father live as conversos (Jews who practice their faith in secret) in sixteenth-century Barcelona. The text describes how Rafael manages to blow the shofar for Rosh Hashanah right under the city leaders' noses. The story is intriguing, but the telling is a little stiff. Well-composed gold-hued paintings illustrate the tale. An author's note gives more information.

Reviewer: Amy Lois Cohn

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Doug Chayka. Lina and Feroza are Afghani girls in a Pakistani refugee camp. When used clothing is distributed, each girl grabs one of a pair of pretty sandals. They decide to alternate wearing the sandals, then become friends. Chayka's tan backgrounds convey daily life in the crowded Peshawar camp, while his use of color in the characters' clothing represents their bright hopes.

Reviewer: Miriam Lang Budin

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Doug Chayka. After their seaside home is destroyed by a storm, a family comes to terms with their loss by spending the following summer in a tent at the same site. The melancholy tale brightens only slightly as the children learn to appreciate new traditions. Luminous paintings capture the contemplative mood.

Reviewer: CHristine Sarrazin

(3) 1-3 Illustrated by Doug Chayka. Yanni, a likable Greek boy who, in his father's absence, runs his family's trash collection business, wishes that his friends wouldn't call him "Yanni Rubbish." However, when he spruces up his donkey and rubbish cart, his friends stop teasing and ask for a ride. The illustrations, in thickly applied oil paints, feature earth tones, with an attractive sky blue for the refurbished cart.

Reviewer: Martha Sibert

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Doug Chayka. Published spring 1998. One sun-filled spring morning a young girl accompanies her grandfather "past the barn, the pond, the trees... and into the bee yard." The two tend to stacks of wooden hives, dislodging a swarm of Grandpa's pollen-laden honeybees. Light-filled oil paintings, rich in golden hues, complete the lyrical text; together, they capture a loving intergenerational story.

Reviewer: Sheryl Lee Saunders