(4) K-3 Illustrated by Linda Saport. Facile wants to offer his new sister a gift--a mango tree--but doesn't anticipate trouble getting the seed to grow. This simple tale suffers from the reader's need to consult the book's glossary each time a Haitian Creole word crops up, but the charcoal and pastel images in rich, blended tones provide a welcome introduction to rural Haiti.

Reviewer: Nell Beram

(4) PS Illustrated by Linda Saport. A child is told how the world responded to her birth: parents were filled with delight, the family pets "seemed to know you were well worth the wait," and "God wrote your days in a book and sent you to us." The text, though at times rather oblique, is a poetic and romantic view of birth, with equally soft, ethereal charcoal and pastel illustrations. The general religious content is lightly handled.

Reviewer: Maeve Visser Knoth

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Linda Saport. This collection of twenty-four free-verse poems celebrates these often misunderstood but fascinating birds. Each poem features a different perspective, from the dog who loves to chase crows, to the farmer who tries to bargain with them, to the crows themselves. The shifts from observer to observed, however, are confusing. Saport's illustrations reflect and extend the mood of the book.

Reviewer: Aishah Abdul-Musawwir

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Linda Saport. Tupag is too busy dreaming to help fish or gather berries in his dark Arctic village. Finally forced to leave, he encounters Raven, who grants Tupag one of his dreams--a season of light--and Tupag returns to become the village storyteller. Despite the somewhat dubious implication that laziness is acceptable if balanced with imagination, both the story and the rich pastels have an engaging lyrical quality.

Reviewer: Erica L. Stahler

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Linda Saport. This retelling of an African and Asian folktale is set in modern-day Tanzania. Tatu heeds the advice of an old wise woman, and, using a Swahili song and a good dose of patience, she tames first a lion (for his whiskers) and then her unruly little brother. The tale is illustrated in full-bleed impressionistic, rainbow-hued pastels. Lyrics and a musical score for a Swahili song are included at the end of the book.

Reviewer: Anita L. Burkam

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Linda Saport. Lily resents the fuss over her older sister's costume for her first Trinidad Carnival dance. Yet when Christine freezes in fear of being on stage, Lily urges her on with a loyal heart. Pastels infuse the illustrations with creamy rich colors as they depict the family dynamics through expressive, simplified figures.

Reviewer: Suzy Schmidt