(4) K-3 Translated by Lisa Rosinsky. Illustrated by Eric Puybaret. Despite Emery's parents' disapproval ("Be practical!"), the boy and his pet swallow commit their summer to building a flying machine, enlisting the help of their new neighbor, an elderly inventor. This surreal and slightly overlong parable (translated from the French) about following one's dreams is paired with majestic full-page acrylics capturing all manner of motion: blowing hair, flying birds, and soaring contraptions.

Reviewer: Nell Beram

(3) K-3 Let's-Read-and-Find-Out Science series. Illustrated by Eric Puybaret. A trip down through the ocean's zones to a geothermal vent is imagined in a second-person narrative rich in scientific description. The you-are-there text allows readers to imagine themselves observing marine life and the pressures, temperatures, and light levels at each layer. The cool, deep-ocean-hued illustrations portray two children in a submersible amidst a host of named organisms. Experiment appended. Websites. Glos.

Reviewer: Danielle J. Ford

(4) K-3 The well-known song from Disney's Pinocchio provides the text of this lavishly illustrated picture book. The art features fairies, rainbows, a smiling star, and a cast of children of different ethnicities. It's all very pretty (in an overblown sort of way), but it may not engage children. An accompanying CD of Judy Collins performing the song is included.

Reviewer: Maeve Visser Knoth

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Eric Puybaret. Paper engineering by Bruce Foster. First it was a song, then a picture book, now a pop-up book packaged with a CD. Puybaret's dreamy computer-generated illustrations leap off the page and from behind flaps in a book of greater interest to sentimental adults and collectors than young children. The art is appropriately wistful, but the story never comes to life, despite the elaborate packaging.

Reviewer: Maeve Visser Knoth

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Eric Puybaret. Puybaret's acrylic on linen illustrations contain plenty of crisp angles along with smooth expanses of color. There are also lots of creative details (e.g., the reindeer wear bowler hats and gold-trimmed capes). An accompanying CD features Peter, Paul and Mary songs and a reading of the poem by Mary Travers.

Reviewer: Maeve Visser Knoth

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Eric Puybaret. This clear and lively adaptation of Hoffman's classic includes some lesser-known details, provided by Herr Drosselmeier, about the Nutcracker's trials as a young man. The rich colors, smooth shapes, and subtle textures of Puybaret's acrylic on linen illustrations will draw readers into the magical sequence of events. An enchanting gift book for an older picture book audience.

Reviewer: Sethany Rancier Alongi

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Éric Puybaret. Cousteau's aqualung invention and camera skills allowed him to share "the inside of the sea" with the rest of the world. This biography of the French oceanographer/filmmaker/environmentalist focuses on his lifelong passion for the ocean. The fluid, lyrical text is enhanced by dreamy, mesmerizing illustrations in teal-blue and mustard-yellow tones. An author's note provides more information (although no dates are included).

Reviewer: Tanya D. Auger

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Eric Puybaret. Peter (Yarrow), Paul, and Mary's familiar song isn't a natural fit for a picture book. The lyrics' dreamlike images seem strange when read aloud, and the repeated refrain ("Puff, the magic dragon, lived by the sea / And frolicked in the autumn mist...") falls flat. Fans of the song may enjoy losing themselves in the fanciful illustrations while listening to the enclosed CD.

Reviewer: Kitty Flynn