(4) K-3 Illustrated by Kate Kiesler. When Ziva the sled dog is born, the pup's eyes--one blue, one brown--scare off most mushers. "The Man" assumes care of the quiet half-wild creature. In this melodramatic narrative, dark-hued oil paintings illuminate the sled dog's struggle to choose between rejoining the wild and staying with the musher who chose her from the pack. Glos.

Reviewer: Cindy Lombardo

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Kate Kiesler & Kate Kiesler. One autumn evening, "something is stirring / at the edge of the world. / Something is rising / low in the trees." A girl watches as the harvest moon fills the night with its magical glow. The lyrical text of this companion to Twilight Comes Twice describes the impact of the full moon on plants, animals, the ocean, etc., while impressive oil paintings capture its exceptional light.

Reviewer: Patricia Riley

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Kate Kiesler & Kate Kiesler. A young girl sacrifices her doll to bring rain to her people, who are too greedy to offer their own most precious posessions. Lind has retold the legend of the Texas state flower in formal language that stumbles with awkward phrasing and rhyme. The soft-edged acrylic paintings include many details of Comanche clothing, shelter, and artifacts. An author's note cites the story's origins.

Reviewer: Melinda Greenblatt

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Kate Kiesler. In poetic language, the text relates the nighttime explorations of Taiko the cat. Absorbed in his adventures, which involve dogs, a raccoon, and numerous things blown about by the fall wind, the cat ignores his owner's first call to come in, but after a tense encounter with a strange dog, Taiko welcomes the chance to snuggle up safely in the girl's warm bed. Rendered in dark pastels, the illustrations aptly portray the curious cat and his suburban surroundings.

Reviewer: Anne St. John

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Kate Kiesler. The pleasure and surprises of going camping are conveyed in eighteen brief poems. Familiar camping experiences--including pitching a tent, sleeping in a sleeping bag, and watching a chipmunk--are described, in addition to more unusual experiences like walking through a field of mustard, seeing a moose, and discovering a cave. Richly colored paintings enhance the verses.

Reviewer: Jim St. Claire

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Kate Kiesler. In the middle of the night, Daniel and his mother watch as horseshoe crabs come ashore and lay their eggs on the beach. The next day, when he finds a stranded crab, he helps it return to the water and tells it, "See you next summer." Though the plot is thin, the oil paintings that accompany this simple tale reflect the wonder described in the text. Factual information about horseshoe crabs is included at the back of the book.

Reviewer: Kitty Flynn

(3) PS The ocean provides a soothing backdrop for these fifteen lullabies and poems about sleep. Included are traditional Scottish, French, Irish, Greek, and Hawaiian verses, as well as material from nineteenth- and twentieth-century British and American poets. This collection will provide a tranquil mood for reader and child; paintings in soft blues and browns mirror the restful tone of the poems.

Reviewer: Patricia Riley

(3) 4-6 Illustrated by Kate Kiesler. When a blizzard kills much of the young stock, the bank threatens Timmy's family's ranch with foreclosure, so Timmy and her friends e-mail a plea for help that results in donations of new stock. Told as monthly almanac entries that lovingly evoke nature's seasons and the various ranch occupations, Ehrlich's novel wisely subordinates the slow-moving plot to mood and rich observation.

Reviewer: Anita L. Burkam

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Kate Kiesler. This uneven collection offers a variety of perspectives on trees and how they touch our lives. Some poems describe trees as everyday objects for play (a stout limb becomes a tree horse for the young rider) while others aim for more ethereal imagery ("I hear its heartbeat. I breathe tree"). Keisler's soft oil paintings complement the introspective tone of the poetry.

Reviewer: Aishah Abdul-Musawwir