(3) K-3 Illustrated by Red Nose Studio. In this innovative look at Elvis Presley's against-the-odds rise from Tupelo, Mississippi, ragamuffin to King of Rock and Roll, Winter gets real: he uses folksy vernacular ("Times is hard") and credits the African American church with the King's sound ("It's black music sung by a Southern white man"). The illustrations--photos of handmade three-dimensional scenes--feature improbably emotive wax-like characters.

Reviewer: Nell Beram

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Red Nose Studio. This tour de force tells of nineteenth-century inventor Alfred Ely Beach's solution to New York City's crowded streets: in 1870, he unveiled the first underground train, which went back and forth in a 294-foot tunnel. (Self-serving bigwigs killed Beach's dream of expansion.) The art's sensational 3-D sets are, per the endpapers, created by hand. Bib.

Reviewer: Nell Beram

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Red Nose Studio. With suggestions on packing, composing a goodbye note, and gracefully backtracking to give your parents just one more chance, this lighthearted primer illuminates common frustrations of family life and the occasional need for a break. The photographs of slightly off-kilter clay figures set against backdrops rich with detail emphasize the emotions of the red-haired (and -nosed) main character, and his annoying but loving family.

Reviewer: Pam Yosca

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Red Nose Studio. After a Long Island town puts its unwanted garbage on a barge, North Carolina is the first of several ports to refuse it. Told with asides to the reader and stuffed with comical accents and spiky dialogue ("What the hairy heck?"), this uproarious book, based on a true 1987 incident, features remarkable illustrations created from, appropriately enough, recycled materials.

Reviewer: Nell Beram