(4) K-3 Translated by J. Alison James. Illustrated by Cristina Kadmon. After Baby Bear finds out about the traditions of Christmas from the forest animals, he is crushed to learn that bears sleep through it. While Baby Bear is hibernating, his animal friends surprise him by waking him for a Yuletide visit--a too-easy solution suggesting that interfering with nature is no big deal. The illustrations feature realistically proportioned animals in seasonal activities.

Reviewer: Nell Beram

(4) PS Translated by J. Alison James. Illustrated by Cristina Kadmon. Sebastian the turtle's father explains some of the things a father does for his children, using other animals as examples: "A father shows his children how to hop from stalk to stalk in the cornfield." While kids won't learn any science lessons (many of the animal fathers mentioned don't raise their young), they might enjoy guessing each animal from the clues Father gives as well as from the cheerful illustrations.

Reviewer: Bridget McCaffrey

(3) K-3 Translated by J. Alison James. Illustrated by Cristina Kadmon. Three mischievous rabbits assign blame for their misdeeds on "Alex," a rabbit they invent to take responsibility. One day a new rabbit named Alex appears, and the three must repair the damage they have done to Alex's good name. Rabbits tumble around the illustrations; the cutesy art suits the tone of the simple story.

Reviewer: Maeve Visser Knoth

(3) K-3 Translated by J. Alison James. Illustrated by Cristina Kadmon. Tired of being tormented by his older siblings, a little elephant decides to follow the river to the sea. When he takes a detour into the jungle, the young pachyderm soon becomes lost and bravely develops a plan that he hopes will reunite him with his family. Although the text is long, children will relate to the elephant's predicament and find the ending comforting. Kadmon's soft illustrations include a number of African animals.

Reviewer: Anne St. John

(4) K-3 Translated by Ariel Almohar. Illustrated by Cristina Kadmon. After an exciting day playing with his friends, little turtle Sebastián cuddles up with his father and tells him what he wants to be when he grows up: firefighter, pirate, diver, etc. His father listens lovingly, then tells him that he always wanted to grow up to be a father of a son like Sebastián. In this Spanish edition of When I Grow Up, sweet illustrations match the tone of the nurturing if sentimental bedtime story.

Reviewer: Elena Abos Alvarez-Buiza

(4) K-3 Translated by J. Alison James. Illustrated by Cristina Kadmon. A little elephant finally learns how to trumpet, relieving his protective mother and appeasing his father, whose friend proclaims, "an elephant who can't trumpet is not a real elephant." The translated text bumps along in a few spots, but the story's message--children learn at their own pace--is clear. Hazy savanna scenes show the little elephant dwarfed by his grown-up relatives.

Reviewer: Tanya D. Auger

(4) K-3 Translated by Rosemary Lanning. Illustrated by Cristina Kadmon. After a day of play, Sebastian tells his father all the things he'd like to be when he grows up. When the young turtle asks his dad what he wanted to be, he says, "a father," and Sebastian decides he wants to be just like him. While the pastel illustrations convey the right mixture of humor and tenderness, the sweet tale ends on an overly sentimental note.

Reviewer: Emma Loy-Santelli

(4) K-3 Translated by J. Alison James. Illustrated by Cristina Kadmon. While visiting his aunt Molly, Luke spots a real live lion at the edge of the woods. Luke is afraid--until he discovers the powerful beast only wants to get home, and small, insignificant Luke can help. Kadmon's pastel compositions often consist of several panels used together to convey sequence of action. The "lionhearted" theme is labored, but the engaging illustrations redeem the book.

Reviewer: Emma Loy-Santelli