(3) K-3 Illustrated by Heather M. Solomon. "Grampa said something's waiting for me, / and I can't wait to know what." A boy (who looks younger than he sounds) explores his grandparents' farm searching for the secret. Finally, after following the moonlight out to the barn, he finds the secret (a newborn kitten) is definitely worth keeping. Atmospheric illustrations and a lyrical rhyming text capture the boy's anticipation and excitement.

Reviewer: Meredith M. Sittman

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Heather Solomon. Ol' Bear wakes up with a "hankerin'" for Ugly Pie. At each of a succession of houses, he's given an ingredient--wrinkled raisins, sour apples, bumpy walnuts--then concocts an Ugly Pie that he shares with his friends. Readers will enjoy the story's gentle humor, repetition, compelling details in the bucolic watercolor and acrylic paintings, and the folksy tone. A recipe is appended.

Reviewer: Susan Dove Lempke | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 2010

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Heather M. Solomon. Goldilocks is bold, curious, and tidy. She sweeps the bears' messy house, then picks beetles out of the porridge before tasting it and settling down for a well-deserved nap. Goldilocks's perspective and a north woods setting enliven this old favorite, illustrated with mixed-media and collage.

Reviewer: Joanna Rudge Long | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2008

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Heather M. Solomon. In another tale set in the woods of northern Michigan, Beatrice sets out to fool Père Nöel in order to persuade her skeptical friends of his existence. Beatrice tricks Père Nöel out of a button from his cape, a bell from his sleigh, and a curl from his beard. The heart of this story, accompanied by homey and convivial illustrations, is Beatrice's celebration of a traditional French Canadian Christmas.

Reviewer: Martha V. Parravano | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2006

(4) PS Illustrated by Heather M. Solomon. A preschooler banished to a time-out chair for being "wild" defends herself--"Am I howling? / Do I bark? / Rummage through / the trash at dark?"--while conjuring images of her (obedient) self watching various animals tear apart the house. The narration is implausibly sophisticated for a child this age, but the painstaking watercolor and gouache images of her fantasy life are just right.

Reviewer: Nell Beram

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Heather M. Solomon. Set in the same northern Michigan woods as Clever Beatrice and drawing from the same well of French-Canadian folklore, this sequel pits Beatrice against a much smaller opponent: a lutin (a bearded elf). Readers looking for the clean structure and humor of the first book will be disappointed, but Beatrice remains an admirable character and the art is as vivid as ever.

Reviewer: Martha V. Parravano | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2004

(1) K-3 Illustrated by Heather Solomon. Set in Michigan's Upper Peninsula, this is a winning tale of brain vs. brawn from the French-Canadian tradition, full of lively dialogue and situation. Young Beatrice, small but smart, ventures off into the far north woods to gamble with a rich but rather dim giant. Beatrice wins the contest, then two more, and brings home a sack of gold to her impoverished mother. The remarkable illustrations have unusual texture and depth.

Reviewer: Martha V. Parravano | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2001