(2) K-3 Illustrated by Eliza Wheeler. In 1917 Cottingley, England, young cousins Elsie Wright and Frances Griffiths produced what they claimed were photographs of real fairies. Arthur Conan Doyle featured them in The Strand, giving the girls more attention than they'd probably bargained for. With a crisp and engaging style, Nobleman relates this fascinating story. Incorporating the original photographs, Wheeler's lively mixed-media illustrations have an Edwardian sensibility and a sepia-dominated palette. Websites. Bib.

Reviewer: Monica Edinger | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2018

(2) 1-3 Illustrated by Eliza Wheeler. In Cody's fourth book, she learns that not everything can be counted on to remain as it was and that unexpected new things may be unpleasant--e.g., best friends move away or get caught up with other classmates. This thoughtful and sometimes very funny chapter book takes the everyday crises of childhood seriously but without over-the-top drama, and the third-person-limited narration allows room for readers' own musings on life's transformations.

Reviewer: Betty Carter | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2018

(3) 4-6 Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place series. Illustrated by Eliza Wheeler. In this spirited conclusion to the series featuring upstanding governess Penelope Lumley and her "incorrigible" raised-by-wolves young charges, all identities are revealed, disguises thrown off, relationships explained, villains dispatched, and long-lost loved ones returned. The arch narration and tongue-in-cheek humor that characterized the previous five volumes will here carry readers through to the tidy and satisfying but forward-looking ending.

Reviewer: Martha V. Parravano

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Eliza Wheeler. This neighborhood legend about the annual campaign children wage to pilfer the prized fruit from a pomegranate tree is wonderfully memorable thanks to Doyen's lively language and nimble rhymes. The tree's starkly different sister-owners, the Witch and the Kindly Lady, add a mysterious Halloween aspect. Wheeler's mood-setting ink and watercolor illustrations showcase both festive colors and small, clever details to great effect.

Reviewer: Megan Lynn Isaac

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Eliza Wheeler. Showing the roots of many themes later found in The Hobbit and the Lord of the Rings trilogy, McAlister introduces John as a boy who loves horses, trees, words, and especially dragons. Despite Tolkien's sometimes-difficult young life, the prevailing tone is one of warmth and security. In Wheeler's illustrations, swirling shapes and trees silhouetted against pearly skies are reminiscent of Arthur Rackham. Bib.

Reviewer: Lolly Robinson | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2017

(2) 1-3 Illustrated by Eliza Wheeler. When her brother's bicycle is stolen, Cody is determined to get it back. She accuses an unlikable classmate--falsely, it turns out. Meanwhile, despite her qualms, she agrees to a toy swap with best-school-friend Pearl that leaves her without her beloved security object, Gremlin. Told in third-person-limited narration, this gentle, funny, moving chapter book, the third about Cody, captures the girl's personal struggles and sensitive nature.

Reviewer: Julie Roach | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2017

(4) PS Illustrated by Eliza Wheeler. "This is the Baby / wrinkled and gray. / This is the Baby / born today." Lilting verses celebrate the birth of an elephant, noting the welcoming herd and natural environment awaiting it. With dip pens, India ink, and watercolor, Wheeler warmly if anthropomorphically captures the affectionate creatures amid India's flora and fauna. The Indian American author adds a note about conservation and her connection with elephants.

Reviewer: Martha Sibert

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Eliza Wheeler. After his son asks to see his tattoos, a father explains each piece of art on his body and how it reflects a moment in his life; Wheeler's fine India ink, dip pen, and watercolor illustrations replay the anecdotes. A bit precious and lacking the child's voice, this book is an ode to--and an item for--the new generation of hipster parents.

Reviewer: Sian Gaetano

(2) 4-6 Illustrated by Eliza Wheeler. In 1812, teenage scholar Max hires Captain Bluecrowne to search for an ancient weapon powerful enough to impose peace. When the captain is killed, twelve-year-old midshipman Oliver is given command; captain's daughter Lucy and Max persuade Oliver to search for the weapon's remaining parts. The idea of achieving peace through superior firepower is effectively questioned over the course of the fast-paced nautical narrative.

Reviewer: Anita L. Burkam | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2016

(3) 1-3 Illustrated by Eliza Wheeler. Feisty Cody (Cody and the Fountain of Happiness) can't wait to show her new-to-town best friend Spencer the ropes at school. To Cody's surprise, Spencer is soon palsy-walsy with Cody's super-strict former teacher. The aptly named Meen girls, however, are another story. Eloquent, insightful, and emotively illustrated, Cody's musing story about friendship--and other life mysteries--will resonate with readers.

Reviewer: Tanya D. Auger

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Eliza Wheeler. A young rabbit and companions travel to many locales along a winding road. The rhymes can be a bumpy ride, and the book's message and its use of the road metaphor are too abstract. Exquisitely detailed illustrations--done with dip pens and India ink, and colored with watercolors and gouache--turn down winding roads, through swinging cities, across great expanses of water, etc.

Reviewer: Breanna J. MCDaniel

(2) 1-3 Illustrated by Eliza Wheeler. Cody thinks summer vacation is all the better when her day camp is canceled. Enter babysitter Payton, along with new friend Spencer, his cat, and his feisty grandma GG. Cody's lively voice and keen observational skills build an involving story line out of the seeming simplicity of a vacation spent at home. Stylish spot illustrations suggest a diverse cast in this suburban setting.

Reviewer: Nina Lindsay | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2015

(3) 4-6 Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place series. Illustrated by Eliza Wheeler. In this fifth installment, exemplary governess Penelope Lumley comes closer to solving the ongoing central mysteries, from curing the Ashton family curse to discovering the identities of her three raised-by-wolves charges. She also admits her love for Simon--and, in a cliffhanger ending, is exiled to Russia. Wood's narration is as cheeky as ever; the plot continues to be filled with humorously exaggerated incident.

Reviewer: Martha V. Parravano

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Eliza Wheeler. In Bonnyripple, "ruffled feathers, petty snits," etc. are taken to old Cornelius, the Grudge Keeper, who stows them away in his cottage's nooks and crannies. When wind tosses the quibbles about, burying Cornelius, villagers ban together to dig him out, working out their wrinkles. Clever details in Wheeler's pen, ink, and watercolor illustrations support Rockliff's parable about getting along by letting things go.

Reviewer: Katrina Hedeen

(2) 4-6 Illustrated by Eliza Wheeler. Twelve-year-old Zach and his friends Poppy and Alice play an elaborate game with their dolls. When Poppy is haunted by dreams of a girl whose ashes are inside the game's queen doll, they embark on an adventure to lay the girl's ghost to rest. The story contains ample thrills, but it also takes on the changes adolescence brings and the tests friendships face.

Reviewer: Cynthia K. Ritter | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 2013

(3) 4-6 Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place series. Illustrated by Eliza Wheeler. This fourth series entry finds plucky governess Penelope Lumley visiting her alma mater, the Swanburne Academy for Poor Bright Females, where trouble ensues and more of the mystery surrounding the Ashton family and Penelope's three orphaned, raised-by-wolves charges is revealed. As ever, the sprightly narration is the strongest feature, and fans will revel in the voice even as the plotting slows.

Reviewer: Martha V. Parravano