(4) 1-3 Illustrated by Éric Héliot. Constance complains about everything--her mean parents' "evil mansion" and their stinky food, her school's torturous teachers, etc. Her gripes are in clear opposition to reality, as shown in angular red and grayscale illustrations outlined in black. Like a skewed version of Olivia (minus much of the whimsy), Constance sees the world differently in a way that may be amusing to readers.

Reviewer: Susan Halperin

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Éric Heliot. Marcolino would rather do anything than practice piano, but he keeps at it to fulfill his mother's lost dream of becoming a concert pianist. When Grandpa comes to dinner, though, the truth about Mom's ambitions come out--and Marcolino gets a new start. Clever mixed-media illustrations combining simple shapes both pointy and round enliven an otherwise stale story about ambition and self-actualization.

Reviewer: Norah Piehl