(4) K-3 Illustrated by Gijsbert van Frankenhuyzen. "An X on our map / for the road near the shore, / twisting and turning, / M-22--let's explore!" This alphabetic tour of Lake Michigan's federally protected shoreline suffers less from the series-format constraints than do previous titles. Unevenly rhyming couplets introduce a topic--some more relevant than others--while sidebars provide details. Realistic painterly illustrations convey the location's natural beauty.

Reviewer: Kitty Flynn

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Gijsbert van Frankenhuyzen. This book focuses on one bear, Jasper, that was rescued by Jill Robinson from bear bile farming in China. Detracting from the nonfiction aspect of the book are the sentences sprinkled throughout the text attributing emotions to the moon bear: "He embraced his new life, and he seemed to have forgiven the past." Competent, carefully crafted art illustrates the well-intentioned story.

Reviewer: Bridget McCaffrey

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Gijsbert van Frankenhuyzen. Random facts about the Smithsonian are presented through awkward, content-lite poems ("F is for First Ladies / wearing a special dress, / celebrating at a ball / their husbands' success") and more useful sidebars. Textured paintings effectively illustrate the information.

Reviewer: Elissa Gershowitz

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Gijsbert van Frankenhuyzen. The first chapter of Salten's classic Bambi is illustrated with lush paintings full of life and light. The slightly abbreviated text tells the story of Bambi's birth and first encounter with neighboring birds. There is no real plot, but the words and pictures convey a love of the wilderness.

Reviewer: Maeve Visser Knoth

(4) 4-6 Illustrated by Gijsbert van Frankenhuyzen. A young fox is caught in a trap and nursed back to health by a woman who eventually releases her back into her natural wild habitat. The story is touching and inherently interesting, but the adult voice gives it a sentimental tone. Realistic art accompanies the text.

Reviewer: Jim St. Claire

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Gijsbert Van Frankenhuyzen. In November 1975, the cargo ship Edmund Fitzgerald and its entire crew sank to the bottom of Lake Superior. Despite the somewhat confusing and dull narration, the ship itself becomes a compelling character in the moody paintings and an epilogue adds emotional depth to the presentation. The inclusion of a map would have been useful.

Reviewer: Kristin Cashore