(3) PS Illustrated by Melanie Hope Greenberg. A boy watches Digger the backhoe dig up a vacant lot and then Dump Truck, Cement Mixer, Flatbed, and Crane work together to erect a community center next to his apartment building. The childlike illustrations feature lots of construction site details, from hard hats to the silver snack truck, and the text brings the trucks and the scene to life.

Reviewer: Rebecca Reed Whidden

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Melanie Hope Greenberg. The late poet laureate of Brooklyn describes various aspects of urban life in brief verses rich with precise, highly pictorial images: "While buildings sleep / the moon is drifting / like a toy balloon / over the Brooklyn Bridge." Double-page paintings in richly colored gouache accompany each poem.

Reviewer: Amy Lois Cohn

(3) PS Illustrated by Melanie Hope Greenberg. As a girl plants a garden she observes the field of wildflowers growing on the other side of the fence--the wind's garden, as she calls it. With both gardens getting the benefit of sun and rain, the plants and flowers grow and grow. The simple text extols the beauty of nature, with joyous, naive gouache paintings that fill up with colorful flowers as the summer goes on.

Reviewer: Melinda Greenblatt

(3) PS Harper Growing Tree series. Illustrated by Melanie Hope Greenberg. A young child observes familiar people at work and play as he and his mother stroll through their urban neighborhood. The rhymed text moves briskly and contains events of interest to the preschool audience. Active and engaged neighbors, such as "Hope with a jump rope" or "Mr. Sklar washing his car," are portrayed in the childlike pastel-toned illustrations.

Reviewer: Sheila M. Geraty

(3) PS Illustrated by Melanie Hope Greenberg. From toy boats in the bathtub to working ships in a harbor to dreamy boats sailing among the stars, this simple poem presents a rhythmic litany, not only of different kinds of boats, but also of where they can be found: "Out of water / In the water / Underwater / Full of water." Stylized illustrations of ships with crews of mice are enhanced with bright, flat colors.

Reviewer: Patricia Riley

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Melanie Hope Greenberg. On a hot subway ride, Oscar watches as the Island Lady pulls from her bag a cool breeze, the Caribbean sea, a picnic lunch, even a steel drum band. The multicultural crowd joins in the festivities. Lively paintings in Caribbean pastel hues joyfully fill in the details as the rhythmical text celebrates the unexpected magic of a routine trip.

Reviewer: Suzy Schmidt