(3) K-3 Illustrated by Katty Maurey. Skirting the less-savory aspects of Carnegie's biography (corrupt business dealings, the Homestead Strike, etc.), Larsen writes a plainspoken picture-book narrative of a hard-working and intellectually curious immigrant who grew to be a major philanthropist and builder of public libraries. Maurey's gentle, flattened figurative depictions have a subdued stateliness. The handsome, well-made book (sewn signatures, a lovely rarity!) includes an afterword with photos. Bib.

Reviewer: Miriam Lang Budin

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Katty Maurey. A girl reluctant to leave the city to spend summer vacation at the beach with her family ends up bewitched by what the ocean has to offer. Maclear's emphasis is on lyricism rather than character, and the narration isn't true to a child's voice. Maurey's art--mixed-media scenes in earth tones and powdery blues--matches the narrative's enchanted mood.

Reviewer: Nell Beram

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Katty Maurey. An omniscient narrator describes the everyday happenings of dapper fox Francis--especially his dealings with the cast of (human) characters at his local Laundromat. Francis's concerns are overwhelmingly adult ("What could be better than freshly washed clothes and bedsheets?"), which may put off young readers; the same goes for the art, though it's handsome and compositionally playful (e.g., several pages are blank).

Reviewer: Nell Beram