(2) K-3 Illustrated by Tim Coffey. Mabela the mouse uses lessons taught by her father to outwit the cat in this liberally adapted tale told by the Limba people of Sierra Leone. MacDonald shapes the tale with humor and familiar story conventions. Broad acrylic pictures of the crafty cat and the foolish mice in fanciful colors, and the straw huts that are the animals' homes, suggest a vaguely foreign folkloric setting.

Reviewer: Margaret A. Bush | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2001

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Tim Coffey. Lalo the lamb wants a red sweater like the shepherd boy's. Misunderstanding his mother's instructions, he washes, spins, and dyes his own wool--with messy results. At each step, the boy rescues him, and Lalo learns that companionship trumps materialism. With its bright, serene illustrations and utter lack of guile, this story is sweet and simple.

Reviewer: Nell Beram