(3) K-3 Illustrated by Harvey Stevenson & Harvey Stevenson. In poetic text, a girl describes a Christmas visit to her grandmother's house in Pennsylvania coal country. There is happiness in the visit as well as sadness: the girl's grandfather's empty rocker reminds her of "The lung sickness that comes to those / who go deep into the mines day after day...." Stevenson's muted acrylics evoke the wintertime warmth of family but also quietly capture a sometimes harsh way of life.

Reviewer: Carolyn Shute

(3) PS Illustrated by Harvey Stevenson. When a little girl just starting school has to leave her beloved doll behind, she becomes sad and withdrawn. Her understanding grandmother makes her a (miniature) replica, "very small and ready to go to school." Rylant's quiet text, augmented by warm acrylic and crayon illustrations, perfectly captures the girl's strong attachment to her doll, her grief at being without it, and the security the new doll brings.

Reviewer: Martha V. Parravano

(4) PS Illustrated by Harvey Stevenson. "Dragonfly shadows zip and pop. Running horse shadows never stop." A simple rhyming text reflects on the impermanence of shadows, as they move, disappear, and reappear. Although the impressionistic acrylic paintings minimize the contrast between light and dark, they are accomplished and adequately convey concepts in the text.

Reviewer: Susan Halperin

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Harvey Stevenson. A girl enjoys spending time with her grandfather, who delights in spinning tall tales to explain things like frost, icicles, and dew. Their loving relationship is poetically drawn, but when the grandmother dies in the middle of the story, the episode is not adequately dealt with. Rich acrylic paintings in deep colors highlight the bond between grandfather and granddaughter.

Reviewer: Patricia Riley

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Harvey Stevenson. Alone with her pregnant mother, going-on-eight Sugar Plum must race across the nighttime terrain for Mis' Hattie, the midwife. The next day, Mama recognizes that her daughter has grown beyond the "secret way of talking to children about a big wonderment," and that it's also time to call her by her real name, Wilhe'mina. Daubs of bold color transform the southern setting into a van Gogh spectacle and reflect the emotional intensity of the narrative.

Reviewer: Susan P. Bloom | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 1999

(3) K-3 A little girl spends her days cared for by the loving Mis' Lela while her mother works. After Mis' Lela dies and Sugar Plum begins school, she continues to remember her caretaker by saying "Hi" as she passes her house. Large textured paintings and a rich, exemplary text portray the warm intergenerational friendship. The artist's and author's careful attention to detail humanizes Mis' Lela, Sugar Plum, and her mother.

Reviewer: The Horn Book, Inc.

(2) K-3 Visiting his Grandpa Sam in the city, young Matt proudly watches his grandpa drive the Zamboni at the hockey stadium and, after the game, cheers him on as he skates around the ice with his old, bandaged hockey stick. On the last night of his visit, Sam lets Matt drive the Zamboni. The softly spoken story line is accompanied by illustrations that portray these moments in an unsentimental and realistic style.

Reviewer: The Horn Book, Inc.