(4) K-3 Illustrated by Hazel Mitchell. Little Imani is teased by the children in their Maasai village because she's small. Mama's bedtime stories help Imani dream so big that she tries--unsuccessfully--to "touch the moon." After watching warriors perform an adumnu (jumping dance), Imani knows how to realize her dream. This gentle girl-power fable veers a bit too far into fantasy but is grounded by the fetching illustrations' cultural details.

Reviewer: Kitty Flynn

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Hazel Mitchell. Pearl's classmates can always count on her to supply the right word. But she's literally speechless when she uses up the last one in her word treasure chest. The strained story, which involves a "word tornado," is a transparent bid to sell readers on the joys of language. It's also an opportunity to festoon Pearl's environment with words in eye-pleasing ways.

Reviewer: Nell Beram

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Hazel Mitchell. Two-page sections each focus on a different region of New Jersey. A list of objects on every spread prompts readers to find the items hidden amidst whimsical drawings that highlight the region's history, attractions, or geographic significance. Numerous interesting facts are scattered around the pages in tiny font that is likely to be overlooked during the reader's searching.

Reviewer: Randy Ribay