(3) K-3 Illustrated by John Ward & John Ward. Without losing its flavor, Medearis extends an original tale from William J. Faulkner's The Days When the Animals Talked by introducing additional characters and activities and adapting the original slave riddle. Ward's illustrations capture the fleeting moments of the slaves' Christmas holiday happiness.

Reviewer: Henrietta M. Smith

(4) K-3 Illustrated by John T. Ward. This book offers a smattering of facts about how various animals use their tongues for eating, cleaning, and smelling. Juxtaposing each animal's paragraph is a boxed statement or question that helps kids relate the behavior to their own tongues' abilities and limitations. Though the illustrations are often busy and sometimes stiff, the whole is an engaging, informative package.

Reviewer: Emma Loy-Santelli

(3) 1-3 Illustrated by John Ward. In a lively narrative, Charlie and her two best friends have a variety of adventures in their neighborhood. Charlie solves the mystery of a local family's disappearance (they moved during the night because the moving van was only available then), and she and her brother make a life-sized mule piñata to cheer up a hospitalized neighbor. These cheerful episodic stories are illustrated with black-and-white drawings.

Reviewer: Maeve Visser Knoth

(4) 1-3 Illustrated by John Ward. Charlene, nicknamed Charlie, moves to Magnolia Street where she finds a new best friend, Billy. Their adventures together include taking a bus to the art museum, jumping rope with a statue, and searching for "maniac monkeys." Although individual moments in the short novel are quite vivid, the characters remain distant and Magnolia Street is difficult to picture.

Reviewer: Maeve Visser Knoth

(4) K-3 Illustrated by John Ward. George and Poppa, from Poppa's New Pants, reappear in a warm but preachy holiday story illustrated with somewhat stiff artwork. The ice skates Poppa gives George for Christmas make up for the disappointment he feels over his other gifts--an extra-long muffler and a pair of scratchy long underwear. But when George falls through pond ice as he's skating, it's his under-appreciated presents that help save him.

Reviewer: Carolyn Shute