(3) K-3 Illustrated by Ben F. Stahl & Ben F. Stahl. Wanting to help clear the Thanksgiving table, Katie accidentally breaks an antique gravy boat. Katie is horrified, but Grandma shows her a cupboard filled with old broken toys, clocks, and dishes, each with a "story to tell"--her memory cupboard. "Things are just things," she tells Katie. Realistic, though slightly stiff, paintings complement the story in which love matters more than objects.

Reviewer: Patricia Riley

(4) 1-3 Illustrated by Ben F. Stahl. On his way to America from Ireland during the 1830s, Fergus carves a walking stick, or shillelagh. His story and the stick are passed down through the generations--one family member fights in World War I, another works in a factory during World War II--and the result feels like an outline rather than a real story. The paintings of the many red-haired characters help move the story through time.

Reviewer: Maeve Visser Knoth