(2) PS This bilingual picture book, a riff on "Mary Had a Little Lamb," is set in the Peruvian Alps. The text mirrors the traditional tale, and both languages (English and Spanish) appear on the same page or spread. Bold ink and gouache illustrations include plentiful cultural clues (e.g., the market, village, musical instruments), and Maria and her llamas' personalities shine through.

Reviewer: Jim St. Claire | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2013

(3) PS Creepy Creatures series. These books introduce children to the anatomy, life cycle, food, and homes of three insects and an invertebrate. Color photos with brief text in circles, which resemble thought-bubbles, create an eye-catching layout. Additional information about the animal is included at the end of the book. Glos., ind. Review covers these Creepy Creatures titles: Ants, Bees, Earthworms, and Mosquitoes.

Reviewer: Jim St. Claire

(3) PS Creepy Creatures series. These books introduce children to the anatomy, life cycle, food, and homes of three insects and an invertebrate. Color photos with brief text in circles, which resemble thought-bubbles, create an eye-catching layout. Additional information about the animal is included at the end of the book. Glos., ind. Review covers these Creepy Creatures titles: Ants, Bees, Earthworms, and Mosquitoes.

Reviewer: Jim St. Claire

(3) PS Creepy Creatures series. These books introduce children to the anatomy, life cycle, food, and homes of three insects and an invertebrate. Color photos with brief text in circles, which resemble thought-bubbles, create an eye-catching layout. Additional information about the animal is included at the end of the book. Glos., ind. Review covers these Creepy Creatures titles: Ants, Bees, Earthworms, and Mosquitoes.

Reviewer: Jim St. Claire

(3) PS Creepy Creatures series. These books introduce children to the anatomy, life cycle, food, and homes of three insects and an invertebrate. Color photos with brief text in circles, which resemble thought-bubbles, create an eye-catching layout. Additional information about the animal is included at the end of the book. Glos., ind. Review covers these Creepy Creatures titles: Ants, Bees, Earthworms, and Mosquitoes.

Reviewer: Jim St. Claire

(4) PS Illustrated by Dorothy Donohue. "If robins made weather, / trees would always be budding, / the grass fresh and green." Bauer imagines what would happen if various animals (flies, bats, polar bears, and, in the end, a young boy) controlled the weather. The plodding free verse detracts from the book's appeal, but the premise and detailed cut-paper illustrations give the book energy.

Reviewer: Jim St. Claire

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Jim Sollers. A young turkey longs to strut like the big turkeys and eventually gets a chance to after a narrow escape from a fox and the passage of a long winter. Conveyed in rhyming text, the plot of this picture book is hackneyed, but the verse itself has rhythm and verve. The book includes expressive illustrations and appended factual information about wild turkeys.

Reviewer: Jim St. Claire

(3) K-3 Farm Animals series. These books use short descriptions and well-matched photos and diagrams to discuss the characteristics, life cycles, different breeds, and behavior of sheep and working dogs. Simple, direct prose makes the books suitable for a wide range of reading levels. Each book contains a related activity. Glos., ind. Review covers these Farm Animals titles: Sheep and Working Dogs.

Reviewer: Jim St. Claire

(3) K-3 Farm Animals series. These books use short descriptions and well-matched photos and diagrams to discuss the characteristics, life cycles, different breeds, and behavior of sheep and working dogs. Simple, direct prose makes the books suitable for a wide range of reading levels. Each book contains a related activity. Glos., ind. Review covers these Farm Animals titles: Sheep and Working Dogs.

Reviewer: Jim St. Claire

(4) K-3 Kingfisher Young Knowledge series. The defining characteristics of deserts around the world--their flora, fauna, history, and weather--are the subject of this informational text. Each double-page spread introduces a general observation about desert life and is supported by compelling details. The color photos give no sense of scale, which is occasionally confusing. Three pages of related craft activities accompany the text. Ind.

Reviewer: Jim St. Claire

(3) 4-6 National Parks series. In this informative series, each book is set up a little differently to highlight what is most significant about a particular park, but all contain excellent photos and a section on future challenges to the preservation of each park. Written for upper-elementary students, these books will be useful for reports. Glos., ind. Review covers these National Parks titles: Everglades National Park, Glacier National Park, Grand Canyon National Park, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Yellowstone National Park, and Yosemite National Park.

Reviewer: Jim St. Claire

(3) 4-6 National Parks series. In this informative series, each book is set up a little differently to highlight what is most significant about a particular park, but all contain excellent photos and a section on future challenges to the preservation of each park. Written for upper-elementary students, these books will be useful for reports. Glos., ind. Review covers these National Parks titles: Everglades National Park, Glacier National Park, Grand Canyon National Park, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Yellowstone National Park, and Yosemite National Park.

Reviewer: Jim St. Claire

(3) 4-6 National Parks series. In this informative series, each book is set up a little differently to highlight what is most significant about a particular park, but all contain excellent photos and a section on future challenges to the preservation of each park. Written for upper-elementary students, these books will be useful for reports. Glos., ind. Review covers these National Parks titles: Everglades National Park, Glacier National Park, Grand Canyon National Park, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Yellowstone National Park, and Yosemite National Park.

Reviewer: Jim St. Claire

(3) 4-6 National Parks series. In this informative series, each book is set up a little differently to highlight what is most significant about a particular park, but all contain excellent photos and a section on future challenges to the preservation of each park. Written for upper-elementary students, these books will be useful for reports. Glos., ind. Review covers these National Parks titles: Everglades National Park, Glacier National Park, Grand Canyon National Park, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Yellowstone National Park, and Yosemite National Park.

Reviewer: Jim St. Claire

(3) 4-6 National Parks series. In this informative series, each book is set up a little differently to highlight what is most significant about a particular park, but all contain excellent photos and a section on future challenges to the preservation of each park. Written for upper-elementary students, these books will be useful for reports. Glos., ind. Review covers these National Parks titles: Everglades National Park, Glacier National Park, Grand Canyon National Park, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Yellowstone National Park, and Yosemite National Park.

Reviewer: Jim St. Claire

(3) 4-6 National Parks series. In this informative series, each book is set up a little differently to highlight what is most significant about a particular park, but all contain excellent photos and a section on future challenges to the preservation of each park. Written for upper-elementary students, these books will be useful for reports. Glos., ind. Review covers these National Parks titles: Everglades National Park, Glacier National Park, Grand Canyon National Park, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Yellowstone National Park, and Yosemite National Park.

Reviewer: Jim St. Claire

(4) K-3 Kingfisher Young Knowledge series. The defining characteristics of whales and dolphins--their anatomy, behavior, life cycle, and habitats--are the subject of this informational book. Each double-page spread, illustrated with not always well-chosen photos, introduces a general observation about whales and dolphins, which is supported by compelling details. Three pages of related craft activities accompany the text. Ind.

Reviewer: Jim St. Claire

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Lindy Burnett. "Settle down, sleepy Swallow. / Sunset has come.... / Open your eyes, little Bat. / The sun is gone." Set at dusk, this picture book portrays the "switch" in animal activity between the animals active during the day and those awake at night. The book's concept is clever--matching creatures that hunt for the same food--but the verse and illustrations are stilted.

Reviewer: Jim St. Claire

(4) K-3 Plants series. These books use short descriptions and well-matched pictures to discuss the characteristics, habitats, and uses of grasses and succulents. Though both books have confusing descriptions of pollination, the otherwise direct, simple prose makes them suitable for a wide range of reading levels. Each book contains a related activity. Glos., ind. Review covers these Plants titles: Grasses and Succulents.

Reviewer: Jim St. Claire

(4) K-3 Plants series. These books use short descriptions and well-matched pictures to discuss the characteristics, habitats, and uses of grasses and succulents. Though both books have confusing descriptions of pollination, the otherwise direct, simple prose makes them suitable for a wide range of reading levels. Each book contains a related activity. Glos., ind. Review covers these Plants titles: Grasses and Succulents.

Reviewer: Jim St. Claire