(4) 4-6 All New Holiday Crafts for Kids series. Illustrated by Sharon Lane Holm. Illustrated directions for twenty-two gifts--some for Mom, some for Dad, and some appropriate for either--explain how to turn paper, old neckties, cardboard, felt, and ribbon into the usual picture frames, cards, and refrigerator magnets. A few projects are clever, but most are uninspired.

Reviewer: Gail Hedges

(3) K-3 All New Holiday Crafts for Kids series. Illustrated by Sharon Lane Holm. With felt, construction paper, glue, pipe cleaners, and other common household objects, children can make twenty-two Kwanzaa projects. Many of the projects are variations on familiar school crafts (bookmarks, woven placemats, magnets), but some, like the kikombe cha umoja (unity cup), are unique to this celebration. Ross's directions are easy to follow, and Holm's clear, simple illustrations are equally helpful.

Reviewer: Maeve Visser Knoth

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Sharon Lane Holm. This book consists of step-by-step instructions for making twenty-two craft projects, each with a patriotic motif, including lapel pins, magnets, and various puppets. The crafts are simple and inviting, but unfortunately, the cartoony illustrations don't give the reader an idea of how a completed project should look. The materials and tools needed are easily obtainable; some projects require adult assistance.

Reviewer: Gail Hedges

(4) K-3 All New Holiday Crafts for Kids series. Illustrated by Sharon Lane Holm & Sharon Lane Holm. Ross explains how to make ghost pins made from puzzle pieces and masks for dolls. Like those in most of Ross's craft instruction books, these projects require a good deal of adult help if young children are to be successful. Some of the projects are clever, others are more mundane, but the instructions are clear and the illustrations serviceable.

Reviewer: Maeve Visser Knoth

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Sharon Lane Holm. Each of the twenty-eight crafts in this volume ends with a short prayer of thanks and begins with a statement about Creation, but most of the projects can be used in a secular setting. Cartoonlike illustrations show the materials needed, the steps to take, and the finished work. A few of the crafts require a lot of time and effort, but the book features a number of creative undertakings.

Reviewer: Anne St. John

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Sharon Lane Holm. Many of the twenty-eight crafts in this collection can be used for secular holiday celebrations, even though the book has a religious focus. Despite a few minor mistakes in the step-by-step illustrations and a couple of confusing instructions, the projects can be satisfactorily completed by older children or youngsters with adult guidance.

Reviewer: Anne St. John

(4) YA Illustrated by Sharon Lane Holm. Six chapter groupings of questions and answers ("Questions That Should Come First," "Questions About Vaccines") are followed by short narratives on related topics, such as an epidemiologist's work and xenotransplantation. Occasional unexciting black-and-white photographs and drawings break up the straightforward text. Tables of immune system components are included. Bib., glos., ind.

Reviewer: Gail Hedges

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Sharon Lane Holm. Clear directions introduce twenty-nine Christmas ornaments that are relatively easy to make. Scout leaders and Sunday school teachers will appreciate the fact that many of the projects use items easily found around the house. While the book is less attractive than craft books with glossy color photos, commendably, the illustrations here don't make the projects look professionally produced.

Reviewer: Maeve Visser Knoth

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Sharon Lane Holm. Detailed directions and helpful pictures are included for these twenty-eight craft projects illustrating biblical principles, although children will need some help from adults to complete the work. Each activity includes a reference for a corresponding Bible verse.

Reviewer: Anne St. John

(4) K-3 Holiday Crafts for Kids series. Illustrated by Sharon Lane Holm. The festive holiday provides the inspiration for twenty projects (some more original and interesting than others) that kids can make from basic household materials. Although the clearly worded step-by-step written and illustrated instructions are simple enough for kids to follow, the book's narrow scope will likely make it of more interest to teachers looking for holiday project ideas.

Reviewer: Jackie C. Horne

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Sharon Lane Holm. These twenty-nine holiday crafts include decorated napkins and napkin rings, a foil angel, a gift-wrapped toilet paper cover, and a Christmas memories box. The illustrated step-by-step instructions are clear and straightforward enough for most kids to follow on their own. However, most of the projects are fairly simple, making this less appealing for more advanced crafters.

Reviewer: Gail Hedges

(3) K-3 Twenty simple activities lead children to observe and hypothesize about the world around them. Organized into five categories (insects, birds, snow, soil, and plants), these engaging projects--preserving a spider web, using soil to clean water, for example--use commonly available materials and can usually be executed at home. Clear illustrations elucidate the directions. Sidebars include interesting factual tidbits. Bib., ind.

Reviewer: The Horn Book, Inc.

(4) YA Illustrated by Sharon Lane Holm. Meltzer offers readers a collection of informative, loosely connected essays on the subject of food and its relationship to and effect on society. The essays are geared to an older audience than the brightly colored, cluttered jacket would suggest, and the book's layout is unattractive and reminiscent of nonfiction texts of the 1970s. Bib., ind.

Reviewer: Barbara Barstow

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Sharon Lane Holm. Even the most craft-impaired adult will be able to guide young crafters through these thirty projects. Step-by-step, illustrated directions for very simple Christmas tree decorations are clear, and each final product is shown. No tools more sophisticated than scissors are required, and most materials are easily available (paper, coffee filters, old Christmas cards, glitter, etc.).

Reviewer: Gail Hedges

(3) 4-6 Illustrated by Sharon Lane Holm. Each of these cleanly designed craft books includes directions for creating twenty different animals and (in Deserts) plants common to these two ecosystems. Clearly worded instructions and straightforward illustrations demonstrate the steps necessary to create such projects as an expanding cactus puppet and a walrus mask. Bibliographies list books about polar life and deserts.

Reviewer: Jackie C. Horne

(3) 4-6 Illustrated by Sharon Lane Holm. The festive holiday provides the inspiration for twenty projects (some more original and interesting than others) that kids can make from basic household materials. Although the clearly worded step-by-step written and illustrated instructions are simple enough for kids to follow, the book's narrow scope will likely make it of more interest to teachers looking for holiday project ideas.

Reviewer: Jackie C. Horne

(3) 4-6 Straightforward step-by-step instructions outline the unique crafts, which include a "Jellyfish Windsock" and a "Tiny Turtle Necklace." Some of the ideas, included because they fit the theme, are less involved than others but will hold some appeal for younger children. Color illustrations and brief, related facts are provided for the twenty projects contained in each book. Bib.

Reviewer: The Horn Book, Inc.

(3) 4-6 Straightforward step-by-step instructions outline the unique crafts, which include a "Jellyfish Windsock" and a "Tiny Turtle Necklace." Some of the ideas, included because they fit the theme, are less involved than others but will hold some appeal for younger children. Color illustrations and brief, related facts are provided for the twenty projects contained in each book. Bib.

Reviewer: The Horn Book, Inc.