(4) K-3 Translated by Rosemary Lanning. Illustrated by Julia Gukova. When sparrow Ben joins forces with the barn cat to try to impress a group of daredevil sparrows, he unwittingly helps the cat capture all of the Buccaneers. Now it's up to Ben to figure out a plan to help the Buccaneers escape. While the text is on the bland side, Gukova's soft-focus illustrations will amuse readers, particularly with the cat's comical facial expressions.

Reviewer: Jeannine M. Chapman

(4) K-3 Translated by J. Alison James. Illustrated by Julia Gukova. When Hamster brings his friend Hedgehog home to see his new treasure, he makes a horrifying discovery: it's been stolen! So the two set out to find the culprit, picking up other woodland animals along the way. While the text is wordy and somewhat preachy, the facial expressions on the animals are highly amusing, and readers will enjoy the simple detective work.

Reviewer: Jeannine M. Chapman

(3) K-3 Translated by Anthea Bell. Illustrated by Julia Gukova. This picture book version successfully captures both the playfulness and the suspense of the famous musical tale, and the brief story, though carefully fleshed out, still retains its folktale-like spareness. Layers of paint give the illustrations an intriguing three-dimensional appearance. Young readers familiar with the music will happily hum along as the various characters appear or, as in the case of the poor duck, disappear.

Reviewer: Jennifer M. Brabander