(4) K-3 Translated by Marianne Martens. Illustrated by Alexandra Junge. Because her chick wants to hatch on Easter, Hilda the hen must figure out exactly what day that will be. Max the owl helps her keep track of time until Easter arrives--"the first Sunday after the first full moon that comes after the first day of spring." The illustrations give Hilda and her chick plenty of personality, but the story feels contrived.

Reviewer: Martha Sibert

(2) K-3 Retold by Susanne Koppe. Translated by Anthea Bell. Illustrated by Lisbeth Zwerger. Devotees of the ballet version may be surprised by the layers of fantasy and reality in this skillful distillation of the much longer original story. Zwerger's elegant full-page watercolors capture the tone of the story, and her uncluttered compositions focus on specific characters and objects, rewarding the careful observer with details that foreshadow and illuminate the multifaceted story.

Reviewer: Lolly Robinson | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2004

(4) K-3 Translated by Sibylle Kazeroid. Illustrated by Jakob Kirchmayr. Mole tunnels around the world, coming up to view the North Pole, the desert, the mountains, and the jungle. As he heads home, he wakes up and realizes it was all a dream; he's had a fever, and his friends have been taking care of him. The paintings of the various locations and their inhabitants are enjoyable; the story, however, seems artificial.

Reviewer: Martha Sibert

(4) K-3 Translated by Marianne Martens. Buttons, angry at younger brother Bo, runs off into the forest, but Bo follows and they get lost. Buttons cleverly devises a game that Bo can play with him that will get them safely home. The overlong text tells a typical story of sibling rivalry--and love--but the illustrations featuring wide-eyed bear characters are full of atmosphere and feeling.

Reviewer: Rebecca Reed Whidden

(3) K-3 Translated by J. Alison James. Illustrated by Vanessa Hie. The Hempels want to bake a cake but can't find the whisk in their messy kitchen. Cleaning the kitchen they find a pillow, which belongs in the bedroom; cleaning the bedroom, they find a toothbrush; eventually they find the whisk, bake a cake, and--make a mess. Humorous illustrations and the rhythm of the text make this an entertaining read-aloud.

Reviewer: Patricia Riley

(4) K-3 Translated by J. Alison James. After being teased for riding a bicycle with training wheels, young dinosaur Stego Saurus removes them and promptly falls over. Encouragement from a larger young dinosaur convinces him to put them back on. The don't-run-before-you-can-walk message is communicated quite clearly, but the illustrations--of brightly colored, perpetually smiling dinosaurs--have a puzzling surreal quality.

Reviewer: Sharona Siegel

(3) K-3 Translated by Marianne Martens. In the mountains of Bolivia, Felipa searches for the soul of her recently deceased grandmother but cannot find her. She finally does on the Day of the Dead, when the souls visit their loved ones. Illustrated with bold blocks of color and some Bolivian details of clothing, the story is quietly told, without mawkish sentiment. An explanation of the traditional celebration is appended.

Reviewer: Melinda Greenblatt

(4) K-3 Translated by J. Alison James. When Finn complains about the food his mother cooks--he'd rather have "an unhealthy, unbalanced meal"--she decides to let him choose what to eat for a day. Finn fills a shopping cart with candy and junk food, but by dinnertime he feels sick and just wants some spaghetti. The lively, colorful paintings deserve a better, less pointed story.

Reviewer: Jennifer M. Brabander

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Eve Tharlet. Davy the rabbit, a middle child, feels unloved and frustrated. Realizing it's difficult to be "too big for some things, too little for others," his family throws an impromptu party to celebrate his contribution to their lives. The message about appreciating each family member is worthy although overstated. Expressive illustrations portray the ups and downs of family life.

Reviewer: Martha Sibert

(3) K-3 Translated by J. Alison James. Illustrated by Eve Tharlet. Wags, a puppy who worries about everything, is especially terrified when she gets separated from her family at the farmer's market. Friendly animals try to help, but Wags is sure she'll never see her family again. Readers will enjoy the amusing twist that reunites the puppy with her parents. Her fears and joy are heightened in the soft, appealing watercolors.

Reviewer: Patricia Riley

(3) K-3 "PFFFOOOTTT!" Farley the frog farts all the time, during meals, in bed, in the pond (his sister says it's like a Jacuzzi). When he farts at school, however, his teacher isn't laughing. He tries to stop but floats off like "a hot-air balloon." (Farting brings him back down.) The comical illustrations feature wide-eyed frogs with blandly happy or worried expressions. Turn the gross-out factor up a notch, and let 'er rip.

Reviewer: Kitty Flynn

(4) K-3 Translated by J. Alison James. This version of "The Three Little Pigs" has three rabbits setting off on their own. Dizzy with their new independence, only one heeds their father's warning to dig a burrow for a dwelling. She alone is safe from a hungry fox and must scheme to protect her brothers. Although the story is moralistic, the delicate, unusual artwork is appealing.

Reviewer: Amanda Sullivan

(2) 4-6 These thoughtfully chosen selections from the King James Version, equally divided between Old and New Testaments, trace a reverent path from Creation to Resurrection. Spacious double-columned pages reflect the serious tone and set off the powerfully expressive art. The texts are chosen to appeal specifically to the Christian devout, but Zwerger's illustrations extend their meaning to a more universal human experience.

Reviewer: Joanna Rudge Long | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 2002

(4) K-3 Translated by J. Alison James. Illustrated by Lieselotte Schwarz. A small star longs to visit the earth, so the moon turns him into a sea star, and he investigates the ocean and many lands. Years later, he returns to the moon, leaving behind a starfish shell for a young child to find. The warm, luminous illustrations justify the book's large scale, but the lyrical text is self-consciously allegorical to the point of being grating.

Reviewer: Nell Beram

(3) K-3 Translated by Marianne Martens. Illustrated by Birte Muller. Two ravens sitting in a tree grouse about winter, but a third longs to join the children below making snow angels. After the kids leave, his artless attempts earn his peers' derision, but the next day, the kids are convinced that a real angel has been there. Because Hächler doesn't sentimentalize, the story and close-ups of the guileless raven's clumsy maneuvers are unexpectedly moving.

Reviewer: Nell Beram

(4) K-3 Translated by J. Alison James. Illustrated by Nina Spranger. Pablo, a former performing pig who enjoys his retirement in a small field at the edge of the city, narrowly escapes the butcher and finds a new home in a garden after his hut is bulldozed to make room for a development. Originally published in Switzerland, the sweet but slight text features an appealing character in an unlikely situation. Detailed watercolor illustrations capture both landscape and characters.

Reviewer: CHristine Sarrazin

(4) PS Translated by J. Alison James. Illustrated by Eve Tharlet. Determined to find something out, Hugs the puppy asks various animals to give him a kiss. He discovers that a duck's kiss is hard but refreshing, a pig's is muddy but tender, and a butterfly's is tickly but wonderful. When he gets home, however, he realizes his mother's kiss is the best of all. Soft, blurred watercolors give Hugs added personality in this somewhat sentimental but sweet story.

Reviewer: Patricia Riley

(4) K-3 Translated by J. Alison James. Because he's so large and clumsy, Jack feels like a misfit next to his three mouse sisters, who often laugh at him. Finally, his mother reveals that he's actually a foundling rat and reassures him of his place in the family. After that, Jack's problems disappear--a little too quickly. Müller's bright, mottled illustrations will likely attract young readers' attention.

Reviewer: Martha Sibert

(3) PS Translated by J. Alison James. Illustrated by Miriam Monnier. Sam tries to send Timbo, his toy monkey, to school instead of going himself. As he tells the stuffed animal all about the usual activities at school, the boy realizes all the fun that he will miss. The winsome boy and his monkey, all dressed up in Sam's striped shirt and baseball cap, appear in impressionistic paintings.

Reviewer: Melinda Greenblatt

(4) K-3 Translated by J. Alison James. Illustrated by John A. Rowe. "I'll get my finger paints and paint this boring white wall. I'll paint anything I feel like." A young boy imagines all the mischievous things he could do if he exiled his mother to the moon. The book doesn't add any new twists to child-tyrant picture books, but the frenetic illustrations convey the rebellious tyke's impulsive energy.

Reviewer: Jim St. Claire