(3) K-3 Illustrated by Martin Jarrie. This is a sophisticated rendering of thirty-six fables, many well known ("The Fox & the Grapes," "The Tortoise & the Hare"), a few more obscure ("The Boy & the Hazelnuts"). Striking acrylic paintings benefit from intense colors, unusual angles, and clean folk-art style, lending an eye-pleasing angularity to landscapes, people, and animals. Cech's appended author's note provides useful background information about Aesop.

Reviewer: Melinda Greenblatt

(3) K-3 "A is for alligator / B is for baseball / C is for cars..." and so on. Jarrie knows better than to oversell his patriotic message: his minimal text puts his playfully stately art center stage. The illustrations frequently feature historical images set, appropriately enough, against what look like old painted boards, complete with chips and imperfections ostensibly from an earlier era. Glos.

Reviewer: Nell Beram