(3) 4-6 For children with some drawing experience who want to learn techniques to improve their sketches, this is a useful reference guide and practice book. The text takes readers through steps toward understanding color wheels, seeing one- and two-point perspective, and representing light and shadow. Lessons progress from simple concepts to complex studies of people, their facial expressions and bodies in motion. Ind.

Reviewer: Paula M. Cairo

(3) 4-6 This indulgent dessert cookbook includes recipes for "Soft Stuff" (ice creams, flans, puddings), "Munchies," pies, cakes, and "Blissful Bites." Each recipe provides step-by-step instructions and a full-page photograph of the tantalizing treat. Reference material includes an equipment glossary with labeled photos of cooking utensils, a glossary of cooking terms, and metric conversion instructions. Spiral binding adds convenience. Ind.

Reviewer: Paula M. Cairo

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Rick C. Spears. Readers act as parade spectators as dinosaurs march by. On each colorful double-page spread, five species represent their dinosaur orders (ornithopods, theropods, etc.), accompanied by basic facts and rhyming sentences (some a stretch) highlighting their important characteristics. The groups show species that did not live at the same time, including human children who ride along with the dinosaurs on display. Glos.

Reviewer: Danielle J. Ford

(3) 4-6 Illustrated by Nora Thompson. Harris opens with a discussion of experiment design and science fair preparation. She then presents a collection of project ideas that provide original twists on standard topics. In addition, plenty of suggestions for customizing and extending the basic experiment are given. Although pitched at novices, the detailed text may be better suited to children with some experience conducting experiments.

Reviewer: Danielle J. Ford

(3) 4-6 By discussing the behavior of hamsters, gerbils, and guinea pigs in nature, this book also offers considerable information about them as pets (e.g., "hamsters stuff their cheeks with food...because no one feeds them in the wild"). Crisp photo album–style pictures with humorous captions reinforce the deft main text. Information about wild relatives such as the capybara concludes the volume. Ind.

Reviewer: Frieda F. Bostian

(4) PS Illustrated by Alik Arzoumanian. Readers are given clues in rhyme in order to determine where a little frog is. Simple sentence structures and easy-to-read vocabulary will encourage new readers, though the repetitive "Can you guess where you are, little frog?" becomes grating. Childlike illustrations give lots of clues from the get-go, which may make the ending something of a letdown.

Reviewer: Alissa C. Salamone

(4) 4-6 Stephens offers guidance for imagining and drawing robots. Going beyond the standard how-to book, he encourages young artists to think about the kind of creature they want to invent. Starting with simple lines and shapes, he demonstrates how to build the figures (though the pages' busyness make the actual directions hard to follow). A few robot facts are included.

Reviewer: Patricia Riley

(4) K-3 While a mouse teases their baby--sticking out its tongue, climbing on Baby's back, playing with Baby's toys--Mom and Dad debate the likelihood of its presence ("That's just silly. There isn't a mouse in the baby's room!"). Some readers may be troubled by the parents' indifference, but the unfussy illustrations against orange backgrounds keep things on the lighter side.

Reviewer: Elissa Gershowitz

(3) YA Intricate art projects made from old books take recycling to a new level. After distinguishing between what's okay to alter and what isn't (e.g., library books), Hennessy features thirty-nine projects that involve drawing, painting, cutting, and folding old book pages to create something new. Several artist-contributors share their imaginings, accompanied by intriguing photos of the possibilities. Glos., ind.

Reviewer: Paula M. Cairo

(4) K-3 Translated by Amy Gulick. Illustrated by Filippo Cappellini & Maria Mantovani. REVIEW MISSING

Reviewer: Tamara DePasquale

(4) K-3 Translated by Amy Gulick. Illustrated by Filippo Cappellini & Maria Mantovani. Burrows examines the "animal architects" that build homes to store food and protect themselves and their young from weather and predators. Fangs explores these predators and the characteristics that place them high in the food chain. The books are good for browsing; they cover a lot of material, though the information is scattered. Field guide–like drawings illustrate the texts. Glos., ind. Review covers these titles: Burrows, Nests & Lairs and Fangs, Claws & Talons.

Reviewer: Tamara DePasquale

(4) 4-6 Stephens offers guidance for imagining then drawing heroes and monsters. Starting with simple lines and shapes, he demonstrates how to build human, animal, or imaginary figures (though the pages' busyness make the actual directions hard to follow). Stephens also offers historical tidbits and shows how costumes, face and body shapes, and colors will influence how drawn creatures are perceived. Review covers these titles: Heroes! and Monsters!

Reviewer: Patricia Riley

(4) 4-6 Stephens offers guidance for imagining then drawing heroes and monsters. Starting with simple lines and shapes, he demonstrates how to build human, animal, or imaginary figures (though the pages' busyness make the actual directions hard to follow). Stephens also offers historical tidbits and shows how costumes, face and body shapes, and colors will influence how drawn creatures are perceived. Review covers these titles: Heroes! and Monsters!

Reviewer: Patricia Riley

(3) K-3 This lively volume quickly answers its titular question (dogs and wolves are descendants of the ancient wolf but are now distinct species) before moving on to compare and contrast the animals' characteristics and behaviors (trainability, family structure, vocalization, hunting instincts, etc.). The pages are rather busy with lots of color photos, captions, and large headings, but dog lovers won't mind. Ind.

Reviewer: Frieda F. Bostian

(4) 4-6 This collection of physics-related activities provides many opportunities to squash things. Some of the activities may take more than one try to produce the results described in the "What's Going On?" sections, which provide definition-heavy explanations of the related physics principles. Color cartoon illustrations celebrate the messiness.

Reviewer: Danielle J. Ford

(4) 4-6 Illustrated by Tom LaBaff & Orrin Lundgren. This collection of experiments (referred to as "science tricks") layers a magic theme onto some traditional gee-whiz physical science activities. Though the emphasis on impressing an audience with astonishing results is gimmicky, Buttitta also encourages readers to attend to the scientific explanations that accompany each experiment. Color illustrations add humor as well as helpful information about the experiments. Glos., ind.

Reviewer: Danielle J. Ford

(4) 4-6 Steps to crocheting thirty small projects are presented by young boys and girls who look like they are having fun. Instruction abbreviations are decoded, and sketched close-ups illustrate everything from slipknots and chain stitches to advanced techniques like back-post-double-crochet. Projects are arranged according to difficulty and detailed in clear language. Ind.

Reviewer: Paula M. Cairo

(4) 4-6 Illustrated by Tom LaBaff. This book lives up to its title. The experiments are generally simple (self-inflating balloons) and messy (neckties dissolved in nail polish remover) with brief explanations afterward. But neither the text nor the glossary can adequately define more complex terms such as polymer, and the energetic illustrations would be more helpful if they showed procedures instead of lively young people enjoying the results. Ind.

Reviewer: Frieda F. Bostian

(3) 4-6 Art for Kids series. Materials; directions for drawing people, animals, and objects; the difference between gag cartoons, comic strips, and comic books, plus a section on writing humor are all covered in this clear introduction to the art of cartooning. Though it may not answer all questions, the upbeat tone, creative exercises, and lots of example illustrations will inspire budding artists. Ind.

Reviewer: Mark Adam

(3) 4-6 Art for Kids series. Starting with important ground rules, such as "there's really no messing up" and "practice," Temple encourages young artists to identify simple shapes and lines within objects. She then provides guidelines for shading, proportions, and perspective to draw things such as landscapes, people, and imaginary pictures. Although she doesn't include examples of children's drawings, her exercises and activities will encourage experimentation. Ind.

Reviewer: Patricia Riley