(3) K-3 In the seventh tale about opossum Gilbert, he's selected to be George Washington in a classroom play and fears that he will forget his lines. So that he can practice at home, he borrows a tricornered hat without asking, then accuses "know-it-all" Philip of taking it when the hat is missing the next day. Gilbert's anxiety will resonate with young readers, and the watercolors flesh out his animal classmates' characters.

Reviewer: Jeannine M. Chapman

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Kinuko Y. Craft. This lengthy retelling embellishes the traditional tale, adding a scene in which the twelfth fairy returns to the sleeping castle in a chariot drawn by dragons. Exquisitely detailed illustrations lavish in color and design make this a suitable gift edition. The pictures feature elaborately adorned costumes, an abundance of flowers, and plenty of other details to pore over.

Reviewer: Pamela McCuen

(2) K-3 Pinkney's vision is of a world rich in beauty and brimming with life, both before and after the flood. The narration, which goes beyond raven and dove to a first harvest and the rainbow, is clean and spare, only occasionally varied with fanciful expressions. The artfully composed, full-bleed spreads are varied with creative points of view. This Noah's Ark, eloquently imbued with reverence for God and the natural world, belongs in every library.

Reviewer: Joanna Rudge Long | Horn Book Magazine Issue: January, 2003

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Kris Waldherr. [Collector]This small volume contains forty-five poems and prayers celebrating both pets and wild creatures. Because the authors range from eight-year-old children to poets including Carl Sandburg, Christina Rossetti, and Myra Cohn Livingston, the quality of the pieces varies. Both joyful and gentle in tone, the mixed-media artwork is well matched to the heartfelt selections. Ind.

Reviewer: Anne St. John

(2) K-3 A 1984 Boston Globe-Horn Book honor book, Bang's modern adaptation of the Japanese folktale "The Crane Wife" is illustrated with hauntingly beautiful, realistic artwork that does full justice to the tale. Originally done in calligraphy, the text in this reissue is in a large, clear type that, while less elegant, is certainly easier to read.

Reviewer: The Horn Book, Inc. | Horn Book Magazine Issue: October, 1983

(3) K-3 Each double-page spread in this oversize, interactive book presents choices for the small protagonist and the reader to make: "Would you rather... / clash the cymbals / bang the drum / or blow the trumpet?" The possibilities range from enticing to scary to silly, and the book ends reassuringly with a cozy picture of the child--who has had quite a day--sleeping soundly in bed.

Reviewer: Martha V. Parravano

(3) 4-6 Illustrated by Arthur Rackham. This handsome facsimile of the original 1907 edition includes thirteen full-color plates and fourteen black-and-white drawings. An informative note by Peter Glassman is appended.

Reviewer: Jennifer M. Brabander

(3) 4-6 Illustrated by Alan Tiegreen. Beginning with an explanation of card-playing concepts such as shuffling the deck and dealing, clear, step-by-step directions show children how to play twenty card games, including Concentration, Go Fish, Rummy, and Poker. Lighthearted line drawings appear throughout what is sure to be a popular book among aspiring cardsharps. Bib.

Reviewer: Carolyn Shute

(3) K-3 Wobbly printing on yellow lined paper, decorated with crayon and collage, simulates a girl bunny's journal, in which she feelingly records her friendship ups and downs. The voice is convincingly childlike without being too precious, and the accompanying energetic illustrations show rabbits looking and acting like modern kids.

Reviewer: Christine M. Heppermann

(3) 1-3 Illustrated by Mary Jane Begin. In this handsome edition, each chapter opens and closes with a small vignette and features one full-page painting that interprets a dramatic event. Begin's precise, finely detailed style captures both the cozy interior scenes as well as the pastoral beauty of the story's setting.

Reviewer: Carolyn Shute

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Aliki. A little African-American girl works in the cotton fields alongside her sharecropper father, hoping to earn a sucker if she picks enough cotton. While the young audience for whom the book is intended will need some historical context, Aliki's red and bronze paintings depict the workers and the rural setting with beauty and dignity.

Reviewer: Roger Sutton

(4) 1-3 Park Pals Adventure series. Illustrated by Patience Brewster. In this continuation of PeeWee's Tale, PeeWee is no longer the only guinea pig loose in Central Park. He courts the nervous Plush, makes a plan to survive the winter, and teaches Plush with sophisticated lectures: "only in a large zoo like this one can you find such a range of diverse animals...." Illustrated with active line drawings, this is a pleasant if not entirely convincing fantasy.

Reviewer: Maeve Visser Knoth

(3) 1-3 Illustrated by Mike Reed. Noah's attempts to impress the kids in his new neighborhood don't backfire, exactly, but they land him in water just hot enough to keep readers entertained. Hurwitz gets the summer suburban-neighborhood setting just right. She uses her likable eight-year-old hero's new-kid status to introduce us to a cast of characters who, with any luck, will stick around for a sequel or two.

Reviewer: Roger Sutton

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Christine Davenier. Kindergartner Nina gets mad "when it's my turn to talk and nobody will listen," "when you make a promise and then you break it," etc. Series of vivid double-page watercolor vignettes featuring expressive dialogue explore each frustrating situation. A spread devoted to Nina's revelation that she feels better "when you let me tell you how angry I am!" concludes this cathartic and empowering book.

Reviewer: Martha V. Parravano

(4) K-3 Two sisters--one messy, one neat--argue over their "mess pets," which have sprung magically from the messy sister's clutter. When the pets run away to a land called Mess World, the sisters join forces to find them and then return home to clean their room. The illustrations feature plenty of amusing messy details, but the logic of this occasionally rhyming story doesn't hold up very well.

Reviewer: Martha Sibert

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Mary Jane Begin. Mouse brothers Louie and Dan are an odd couple when they set out to live on their own: Louie is timid and neat, and Dan is courageous but a slob. When Dan nearly becomes cat food, however, Louie's quick thinking saves the day in this satisfying new edition. Finely detailed, realistic drawings evoke a domestic mouse-size coziness and contain humorous details for the observant reader.

Reviewer: Anita L. Burkam

(4) K-3 See More Readers series. Enticing color photographs illustrate this brief, easy-to-read text about fourteen baby animals, including horses, cows, whales, eagles, and garter snakes. Geared toward newly emergent readers, this book is a good starting point but doesn't offer much substance. The paperback edition includes removable fact cards with more information on four of the animals.

Reviewer: Barbara Barstow

(4) K-3 See More Readers series. Dramatic color photographs will draw independent readers to this book, but minimal supporting information is frustrating and at times misleading. For example, the text states: "Lassen Peak in California and Mount Pelée in Martinique are lava dome volcanoes." But it doesn't indicate where in the world the less familiar Martinique is. Overall, this is an adequate introduction. The paperback edition includes removable fact cards.

Reviewer: Barbara Barstow

(4) K-3 See More Readers series. Clear color photos illustrate this history of flying machines. While well designed, this book doesn't adequately explain certain historical events (the Hindenburg disaster, Germany's cancellation of an invasion of England during WWII), which may confuse some newly independent readers. Overall, however, this is a satisfactory nonfiction offering. The paperback edition includes removable fact cards.

Reviewer: Barbara Barstow

(4) K-3 See More Readers series. "In just one minute, pumper [truck]s can shoot out 1,250 gallons of water. That's enough to fill 50 bathtubs." Simon extends dramatic color photos with a brief, descriptive text that provides beginning readers with basic (though slight) information about firefighting equipment and hazards. The paperback edition includes removable fact cards.

Reviewer: Barbara Barstow