(3) PS Illustrated by Giuliano Ferri. In alternating statements about Mama Bear and Little Bear, this touching story compares and contrasts the perspectives of parents and their children: "Mama Bear treads familiar paths. Little Bear likes to find new paths." Illustrations with nicely varied compositions, rounded shapes (including the figures of the two bears), and a soft palette lend extra humor and depth to the text.

Reviewer: Martha Sibert

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Giuliano Ferri. Little-known outside his native France, nineteenth-century entomologist Jean-Henri Fabre made important discoveries by observing living insects: he learned about metamorphosis and instinctual behaviors hard-wired into wasps and termites, and he proved that insects communicate via pheromones. Ferri's watercolor and pencil illustrations in earthy tones help to draw us into Fabre's fascinating world of curious intimacy with nature. Timeline. Bib.

Reviewer: Miriam Lang Budin

(2) K-3 Translated by Laura Watkinson. Illustrated by Giuliano Ferri. This beautifully illustrated German import tells of the kindness and generosity of the fourth-century saint who became the model for the modern Santa Claus. The clear, engaging text highlights some better-known legends surrounding Nicholas of Myra, including his performing miracles to aid sailors and starving people. Luminous paintings on full-bleed double-page spreads capture the saint's humanity as well as the Greek-Turkish Mediterranean setting.

Reviewer: Martha V. Parravano | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2014

(3) K-3 Translated by Laura Watkinson. Illustrated by Giuliano Ferri. In this German import, Grün retells the life of Jesus by smoothly combining stories and phrases from all four Gospels into one linear narrative. Readers are introduced to two miracles and one parable before reading of Jesus's death and resurrection. Ferri's soft paintings have an earthy, gentle feel emphasizing, like the text, the humanity of Jesus.

Reviewer: Maeve Visser Knoth

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Giuliano Ferri. A grandfather tells his grandson about the 1930 Salt March undertaken by Gandhi and thousands of Indians, including the old man (as a boy) and his brother, in the fight for India's independence. The glowing watercolor and colored-pencil illustrations reflect the text's idealism, but the story is a good introduction to the event and Gandhi's work. An afterword provides more context. Reading list, websites.

Reviewer: Melinda Greenblatt

(2) PS Illustrated by Giuliano Ferri. In retelling a story common to the Jewish, Christian, and Muslim faiths, Spinelli cleverly takes a limited--and nonsectarian--perspective: the whale's. The whale's point of view is developed with simplicity and touches of humor ("Whale was troubled. Where was God?. . . 'It will not be my fault if I throw up!'"). Fluid watercolor and colored-pencil illustrate this entertaining version.

Reviewer: Joanna Rudge Long | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2012

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Giuliano Ferri. Ant compulsively counts his food stores while Grasshopper incessantly makes music. In a departure from tradition, Ant misses the fiddling when Grasshopper is silenced by winter's cold; finding him half-dead, Ant revives Grasshopper and joins him in song. Aesop's moral is superseded by a new one: "Everybody counts." It's all a little drawn out but also satisfying. Both bright-eyed creatures have personality.

Reviewer: Miriam Lang Budin

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Giuliano Ferri. A bright star is the signal for Balthazar to visit the newborn king. He entrusts Small Camel to transport a special package. When they arrive in Bethlehem, Small Camel realizes he's been bringing gifts for Jesus. The protagonist's wishy-washy personality isn't enough to carry the story, but illustrations in shades of desert tan and evening blue are pleasingly expansive.

Reviewer: Patricia Riley

(3) K-3 Translated by Roxanne Hsu Feldman. Illustrated by Giuliano Ferri & Giuliano Ferri. Ben Bear makes divine pizzas; Chris Croc bakes heavenly cakes. They are best friends who happily share these treats, but when Chris Croc gets a taste of money, they both get the idea that selling is better than sharing. Hunger and the same gold coin that divided them bring the two together again. The text, filled with scrumptious imagery, is well matched by the warm illustrations.

Reviewer: Rebecca Reed Whidden

(4) PS Illustrated by Giuliano Ferri. This interpretation of Noah's story incorporates both humor and seriousness, though the balance between the two is occasionally uneasy. The rhyming text was created with preschoolers in mind, but the introduction of Mister Rain and Mrs. Wind into the narrative is a bit startling. The attractive illustrations feature tawny, rounded shapes and compositions that capture the viewer's attention. An author's note is included.

Reviewer: Martha Sibert

(4) K-3 Translated by J. Alison James. Illustrated by Giuliano Ferri. A selfish, apple-loving king is infuriated when his prize crop becomes infested with worms. Animal courtiers try to rid the pig-king's apple tree of worms, without luck, until the worms explain they're keeping the lonely tree company. The king's swift conversion to generosity is too abrupt, but the muted, fuzzy-textured cartoon illustrations lend the tale a misty, fabled look.

Reviewer: Anita L. Burkam

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Giuliano Ferri. Beginning with the Annunciation and ending with the presentation of gifts by the Wise Men, this picture book offers a traditional retelling of the Nativity story. In Ferri's pencil and watercolor illustrations, every shape has rounded edges, and the colors blend smoothly between light and dark values, creating a soft, serene atmosphere.

Reviewer: Anne St. John