(3) K-3 Holiday House Readers: Nonfiction series. Illustrated by Diane Dawson Hearn. This book explores the plant and animal life in the world's rainforests, breaking them down into specific forest layers. The easy-reader text uses vocabulary that is basic enough for beginning readers while also incorporating content-area words (understory, epiphytes). Acrylics-painted illustrations show dozens of plants and animals. Two pages comparing and contrasting tropic and temperate rainforests are appended.

Reviewer: Becky Levine

(4) K-3 Ready-to-Read: Childhood of Famous Americans series. Illustrated by Diane Dawson Hearn. This bland fictionalized anecdote from George Washington's youth shows an eleven-year-old George trying to figure out the best way to convince his mother to let him leave home for a visit with his married brother. Pleasant but unremarkable illustrations follow George throughout his school day as he ponders the issue, finally hitting upon a winning argument. Timeline.

Reviewer: Christine M. Heppermann

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Diane Dawson Hearn. Frog is a possessive friend. When Turtle professes to enjoy the company of Otter, Squirrel, and Bird, Frog implies that he hopes a bear will eat her. Fortunately, Baby Bear and Mama Bear don't cause any major damage. Perky woodland animals and images of flora and fauna inhabit the pages of this easy reader, which offers plenty of repetition and enough of a story to engage kids.

Reviewer: Melinda Greenblatt

(2) K-3 Holiday House Readers series. Illustrated by Diane Dawson Hearn. Climates, inhabitants, and weather at the Poles are ably conveyed through straightforward text and pleasantly cool-toned illustrations. Levinson uses the beginning reader format to great advantage with simple sentence structures that nevertheless convey solid information. Labels set within the illustrations identify cold weather animals and add even more reason to scrutinize the pictures. A list of facts is appended.

Reviewer: Danielle J. Ford | Horn Book Magazine Issue: January, 2003

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Diane Dawson Hearn. Newly independent readers will appreciate the simple text of this nonfiction easy reader, which provides a good introduction to the terrain and to the wildlife and plants that thrive in Death Valley. The illustrations are clear and attractive, and plants and animals are labeled; unfortunately, the artwork makes many of the labels difficult to read.

Reviewer: Cyrisse Jaffee

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Diane Dawson Hearn. When Cat is ignored during the excitement of Christmas Eve, she runs away to the forest. She's tempted to eat a baby mouse until a bear threatens to eat her. But as Cat tells the Christmas story, she and the bear agree to leave their prey in peace, and the mice invite Cat to sleep in their nest. Repetition makes the text accessible, but the animals' change of heart is distracting. Predominantly brown watercolor and ink artwork illustrates the story.

Reviewer: Maeve Visser Knoth