(4) K-3 Illustrated by Johanna van der Sterre. When a chores-fatigued boy asks the titular question, his mom describes his grandmother's identical lament. Her mom responded with a similar story, and back through the generations (the boy's distant ancestor complains, "Me already clean cave!...Why me have to make bed?"). This somewhat labored history lesson features art that drolly re-creates the chosen time periods.

Reviewer: Nell Beram

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Johanna van der Sterre. When Feivel the woodcarver immigrates to America, he finds a job fashioning wooden carousel horses. To assuage his anguish over leaving his family behind, he imbues each creature with characteristics of one of his loved ones. Watercolor and pen-and-ink illustrations complement a text that presents more a picture of the past than the development of a character or story.

Reviewer: Amy Lois Cohn

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Johanna van der Sterre. Klezmer musician Mendel journeys from his eastern European village to New York's Lower East Side, entertaining all with accordion music that is sometimes happy and sometimes sad. Years later, Mendel's great-grandson finds his accordion and starts a contemporary Klezmer band. The gentle, well-told tale is complemented by watercolor and pen-and-ink illustrations that ably depict the different settings and time periods.

Reviewer: Amy Lois Cohn