(4) K-3 Illustrated by Gary Hovland. When Uncle Henri, tasked with designing a fancy chandelier for a Paris salon, falls short on ideas, his great-nephew Louis Alexandre, who narrates the book, becomes his collaborator. Set in the early 1800s, this imagined history of one of the Getty Museum's treasures will lose kids with its length, although the comical period décor will catch their eyes.

Reviewer: Nell Beram

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Gary Hovland. A brief text and busy watercolor art in the style of editorial cartoons provide tidbits about the presidents and their families. Andrew Johnson liked to make quilts; Teddy Roosevelt's children slid down the White House stairs on cookie trays; Ike and Mamie Eisenhower ate dinner in front of his-and-her TV sets. This lighthearted overview of daily life at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue is browsable and fun. Bib.

Reviewer: Peter D. Sieruta