(4) K-3 Illustrated by Andrew Glass. Kimmel distills Melville's hefty novel into short stanzas of rhyming verse. Glass's striking turquoise-toned paintings do a grand job of capturing the scale of the sea and the whale. All in all, however, this scant treatment reduces the classic novel of tragic obsession into a surprisingly cheerful and gently humorous reminder to "respect all creatures, great and small, and leave the whales alone!" Glos.

Reviewer: Megan Lynn Isaac

(4) 1-3 Illustrated by Andrew Glass. Under doctor's orders, cowboy Gullible Gus heads to Fibrock, a town of liars, to cure his gullibility. In Fibrock, he's told three stories (all a bit wordy), but he identifies only the final one--about a woman who does everything backwards--as "nothing but taradiddle." A final twist is mildly surprising and entertaining. Droll oil-crayon illustrations showcase the characters' antics.

Reviewer: Tanya D. Auger

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Andrew Glass. Linked free verse poems follow a young girl as her anger over her father's abandonment of his family gradually subsides and she begins to accept her mother's new husband. An inveterate sketcher, Anne Marie's art provides an important outlet; her twin sister also helps her gain perspective. Paintings, line drawings, and photographic collages illustrate these emotionally honest poems.

Reviewer: Carolyn Shute

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Andrew Glass. A folksong about the Erie Canal in western New York inspired this rhyming tale of a larger-than-life fight on the canal between Captain Flynn's outnumbered, but courageous boat crew and an attacking band of pirates led by Bill McGrew. Colorful, often humorously caricatured--but sometimes blurry-looking--drawings keep pace with the fast action.

Reviewer: Jack Forman

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Andrew Glass. In this Cajun retelling of "The Bremen Town Musicians," a mule, a hound, a rooster, and a cat head for New Orleans to play jazz. As in the German folktale, the four frighten a band of thieves who flee, leaving the "musicians" to live happily ever after. The wordy text is a bit long, but the bold, comical illustrations greatly enhance the story. Glos.

Reviewer: Luther B. Clegg

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Andrew Glass. When Strap Buckner, whose "genius" is his ability to knock other folk down, challenges anyone--even the devil himself--to beat him, the devil accepts. Strap boasts that he needs help "from neither man nor Providence," and a ferocious battle rages. Lively watercolor crayon illustrations accompany this somewhat rambling tall tale set in the 1800s. A note about the real Buckner is included. Bib.

Reviewer: Patricia Riley

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Andrew Glass. Complemented by Glass's offbeat, textured illustrations, this tall tale about Lucky Doolin, a lovelorn cowboy who makes a deal with the devil, hinges on the difference between time zones. For a lifetime of good fortune, Lucky can't wash or shave for exactly seven years, or he'll lose his soul, but the devil forgets the hour's difference. This cumbersome time-zone twist doesn't provide the clever payoff you'd expect.

Reviewer: Emma Loy-Santelli

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Andrew Glass. In this parody of "Old MacDonald Had a Farm," complete with "E-I-E-I-oh" refrain, Crabby Cratchitt goes after her incessantly clucking hen, hoping to earn a meal for her efforts. The book's ending reveals Crabby's soft side, but thanks to the silly, resourceful rhymes, readers will understand well before then that the hen isn't in real danger from Crabby. The illustrations, while crudely cartoony, complement the action-packed text.

Reviewer: Nell Beram

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Andrew Glass. Remington has come to visit his country cousins, and they don't quite know how to deal with him. He doesn't like the local cuisine or swimming in brown water, but he finally agrees to go fishing. This fish story has been spiced up with a Cajun rhythm, and the illustrations

Reviewer: Melinda Greenblatt

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Andrew Glass. In this Appalachian recasting of a Japanese folktale, Willie sets off to participate in a contest of feats of strength. On the way he meets a girl and her granny who are both stronger than he is, but the gals take a liking to the big brute and decide to strengthen him up. The outrageousness of the situations and the corn-pone dialect are reflected in Glass's robust illustrations.

Reviewer: Nancy Vasilakis | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 1999

(3) K-3 When Mr. McTeague switches chores with Mrs. McTeague he thinks he'll get a day of rest. Instead he finds himself being dragged through a burning house by an angry cow. In this boisterous retelling of a Norwegian tale, the husband and wife are homesteaders in Oregon's Willamette Valley. Glass's hilarious crosshatched illustrations pile on the chaos.

Reviewer: The Horn Book, Inc.