(3) K-3 Illustrated by Lin Wang. This lyrical adaptation of a popular Japanese folkloric theme is enhanced by original haiku, written in the voices of the crane girl, the boy who rescues her and later becomes a crane himself (in Manley's version), and the greedy father who opens the door against the girl's wishes as she weaves. Accomplished watercolors contain historical details of Japan. Comprehensive author's notes included.

Reviewer: Melinda Greenblatt

(3) 4-6 Illustrated by Lin Wang. Anna May longed to escape her family's Chinatown laundry for Hollywood's silver screen. But when her dream became reality in the early 1920s, the actress faced stereotyped roles ("China doll," "dragon lady"), movie studio racism (no interracial kissing), and criticism in China for her negative portrayals (she later refused roles that denigrated Asians). Realistic watercolor and acrylic paintings illustrate the insightful biography.

Reviewer: Tanya D. Auger

(4) 1-3 Illustrated by Lin Wang. Transracial adoptee Ada doesn't know the name "whispered to me by my first mother" in China, but she does know her second and third names. She's given the name Wang Bin in a Chinese orphanage; and she's named Ada by her American adoptive parents. The first-person text and illustrations are both somewhat stiff and self-conscious, but this book should have an appreciative audience in the Chinese adoption community.

Reviewer: Kitty Flynn