(4) PS Illustrated by Lisa Flather. A young girl and her favorite teddy bear share typical activities, including swinging, walking in the rain, and bedtime at the end of a busy day. The large, bold typeface and simple repetitive text suit the preschool audience, though the story is not especially original. The double-page illustrations in pastels, colored pencil, and gouache convey the pair's special relationship.

Reviewer: Sheila M. Geraty

(3) 1-3 Illustrated by Lisa Flather. A newborn whale migrates with its mother from the coast of California to the Arctic waters, encountering excitement and dangers along the way. Without ever anthropomorphizing her protagonists, French crafts an engrossing, tension-filled tale. The illustrations give texture and dimension to the whales, although the accompanying black-ink spot art is a bit distracting.

Reviewer: Jackie C. Horne

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Lisa Flather. Dog wants a real name, like Digger or Swiftfoot, so he resolves to earn one. But when acting out the names he wants gets him nowhere and behaving well almost gets him called "Honeybun," Dog decides it's not so bad being just "Dog" after all. Oram's well-told story and Flather's expressive illustrations imbue Dog with personality and charm.

Reviewer: Emma Loy-Santelli

(4) K-3 Science Easy-to-Read series. Illustrated by Lisa Flather. Brief, rhyming text describes these insect groups for beginning readers, but only the butterfly section imparts practical information. The other two sections are limited to overly general statements about appearance or behavior. The realistic illustrations are bright and appealing, but the alphabetical glossary would be more useful for this age group if listed in order of appearance. Activity ideas are included.

Reviewer: Emma Loy-Santelli