(4) K-3 Illustrated by James Stimson. In this fractured-fairy-tale version of "The Three Billy Goats Gruff" narrated by a moose, the baby troll uses her expert knowledge of the grammatical double negative to best the Bully Goat with "Random Hostility Syndrome." Quirky (if pointless) misspellings--explained in the "Glossary and Hoofnotes"--and (creepily) funny illustrations may appeal to some young readers. Audio CD included.

Reviewer: Melinda Greenblatt

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Paula Barragán. Twelve Latino festivals, one for each month of the year, are described in brief poems accompanied by short explanatory paragraphs. Some of the celebrations, such as Cinco de Mayo and Día de los Muertos, will be familiar; others that are very specific to certain countries or ethnic groups may not be. Vibrantly flowing digitally enhanced cut-paper illustrations accompany the text.

Reviewer: Tim Wadham

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Susan Gaber. For sport, the sun and the wind compete to make a passing man remove his overcoat. Swirling, fanciful images show a bright, smiling, yellow sun and the dark, gray, angry wind. Though the book is visually striking, Forest's language can be overly earnest and a bit didactic ("I did not force him at all...Through gentleness I won my way").

Reviewer: Melinda Greenblatt

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Kristen Balouch. Hamilton and Weiss present a humorous retelling of an Indian folktale about a Bengali barber who must outwit a ghost to support his family and fellow villagers. Balouch's simply composed paintings comprising strong shapes show many of the townspeople in traditional clothing with some modern touches (e.g., hipster glasses on the barber, who also sports a stylish hairdo).

Reviewer: Melinda Greenblatt

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Daniel San Souci. Robert San Souci retells the Grimm tale of Clever Elsie as a story about a sibling duo, instead of the customary husband and wife, making a mess of their farm and housework. The wordy text is ably supported by Daniel San Souci's lively illustrations.

Reviewer: Miriam Lang Budin

(4) K-3 Illustrated by John Kanzler. A kind Italian merchant traveling in the Orient is thanked royally after solving the kingdom's rat problem. A greedy trader expecting the same treatment gets his comeuppance after the king rewards him with a kitten. There's a lot of set-up and the subsequent pacing is off. Textured gold-toned paintings are appropriately sumptuous and also include humorous details.

Reviewer: Melinda Greenblatt

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Julie Paschkis. In this "Beauty and the Beast" variant, a man is saved from thieves by a smelly, slobbery dog, who then asks for the man's beautiful daughter as repayment. Unhappy at first, the girl eventually falls in love with the dog, despite his appearance, and he shows himself as a prince. Paschkis's strong-lined and patterned gouache illustrations are reminiscent of medieval tapestries.

Reviewer: Aimee Chevrette Bear

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Stefan Czernecki. According to legend, mole was accidentally created by monks in Mexico. McAlister's retelling is kid-friendly, and her author's note provides more information about the history of the sauce. Set on a stark white background, the stiff cartoon illustrations are occasionally funny.

Reviewer:

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Stacey Schuett. In this "Tortoise and the Hare" revisioning, Turkey is trying on Turtle's shell when Rabbit (thinking it's Turtle) challenges him to a race. To Rabbit's dismay, Turkey sticks out his long legs, flaps his wings, and flies to the finish line. The story is uneven; parts are relayed in forced rhyme. Expansive illustrations show the action from a variety of perspectives.

Reviewer: Maeve Visser Knoth

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Daniel San Souci. Female tricksters from the southern tradition of Br'er Rabbit get their due in this thoroughly entertaining retelling of stories from At the Big House by Anne Virginia Culbertson (first published in 1904). The amusing paintings, showing well-dressed animals cavorting and posturing, combine with rich language and easy-to-read print on creamy pages to make this a handsome volume.

Reviewer: Melinda Greenblatt

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Erin Bennett Banks. "In the beginning, the African forest had many sounds." Throughout this story, the animals come together to develop a new repertoire of sounds that blends beautifully into a tantalizing chorus. This highly rhythmic tale is well designed not just for reading aloud but also for performance. Bold, joyful oil paintings in deep jungle colors decorate the pages.

Reviewer: Amy Lois Cohn