(3) K-3 Illustrated by Tad Hills. Early in the morning at one end of Fish Street, a bird begins singing, which starts a chain reaction of noises (whistling teakettles, screeching brakes, slamming doors, ringing telephones) that eventually awakens baby Wendell at the far end. The various inhabitants of Fish Street are endearingly portrayed (as pigs); both text and art are full of energy, movement, and variety.

Reviewer: Martha V. Parravano

(4) K-3 For each of the twelve days of Christmas, a pig appears at his true love's door (the flap) bearing a traditional gift; lifting the flap reveals a partridge in a pear tree, two turtledoves, etc., until his true love's home is overrun. In this gimmicky version of the carol, the menagerie's small scale may make animal counting hard for some kids, but the book succeeds as an original holiday confection.

Reviewer: Carolyn Shute

(4) 4-6 Illustrated by Tad Hills. Fourteen-year-old Tom Cringle, an officer in the British navy, chases slave ships off the coast of Jamaica in 1813. Wrestling with the ethics of war, slavery, and piracy, he successfully leads former slaves and shipmates in skirmishes against slavers, with the help of his dog and a native pilot. Some uneven characterizations and slim back-story occasionally confuse this adventurous story illustrated with scattered drawings.

Reviewer: Frieda F. Bostian

(4) 4-6 Illustrated by Tad Hills. In this story set during the War of 1812, thirteen-year-old Tom Cringle keeps a logbook of his first year at sea. His experience is rife with adventures: pirates, hurricanes, earthquakes, romance, illness, and more pirates. Tom is a believable character and the narrative's accessible dialect lends the story authenticity, however the large number of dramatic events dilutes the novel's impact. Pen-and-ink illustrations accompany Tom's journal entries.

Reviewer: Jeannine M. Chapman