(4) K-3 Lester's displaced elderly cousin Clara (her "cottage was consumed by a crocodile") moves in and begins knitting ugly sweaters. As soon as Lester gets rid of one, Clara replaces it. Unnecessary plot points, irritating asides, and too many adjectives threaten to unravel this farcical tale, but the clever conclusion ties things up nicely. The pencil-crayon drawings are rendered in an appropriately dingy palette.

Reviewer: Lela Nargi

(4) K-3 Be Creative series. These volumes are aimed at young crafters, but with somewhat verbose instructions and cluttered spreads, few children could muddle through without adult aid. However, the featured craft ideas--like button jewelry, wall stencils, pop-up cards, and embellished sneakers--will be relished by wannabe DIYers. Basic supplies of magazines, fabric scraps, beads, and paint are needed; additional equipment tips are appended. Glos., ind. Review covers these Be Creative titles: Customize Your Clothes, Cards, Wrap, and Tags, Bedroom Makeover, and Accessories for All.

Reviewer: Lela Nargi

(4) K-3 Be Creative series. These volumes are aimed at young crafters, but with somewhat verbose instructions and cluttered spreads, few children could muddle through without adult aid. However, the featured craft ideas--like button jewelry, wall stencils, pop-up cards, and embellished sneakers--will be relished by wannabe DIYers. Basic supplies of magazines, fabric scraps, beads, and paint are needed; additional equipment tips are appended. Glos., ind. Review covers these Be Creative titles: Customize Your Clothes, Cards, Wrap, and Tags, Bedroom Makeover, and Accessories for All.

Reviewer: Lela Nargi

(4) K-3 Be Creative series. These volumes are aimed at young crafters, but with somewhat verbose instructions and cluttered spreads, few children could muddle through without adult aid. However, the featured craft ideas--like button jewelry, wall stencils, pop-up cards, and embellished sneakers--will be relished by wannabe DIYers. Basic supplies of magazines, fabric scraps, beads, and paint are needed; additional equipment tips are appended. Glos., ind. Review covers these Be Creative titles: Customize Your Clothes, Cards, Wrap, and Tags, Bedroom Makeover, and Accessories for All.

Reviewer: Lela Nargi

(4) K-3 Be Creative series. These volumes are aimed at young crafters, but with somewhat verbose instructions and cluttered spreads, few children could muddle through without adult aid. However, the featured craft ideas--like button jewelry, wall stencils, pop-up cards, and embellished sneakers--will be relished by wannabe DIYers. Basic supplies of magazines, fabric scraps, beads, and paint are needed; additional equipment tips are appended. Glos., ind. Review covers these Be Creative titles: Customize Your Clothes, Cards, Wrap, and Tags, Bedroom Makeover, and Accessories for All.

Reviewer: Lela Nargi

(4) K-3 Many questions and curiosities about the season are answered in this lively, informative volume, from why days get shorter and leaves change color to less-common facts about migrating dolphins and how frost forms; the book occasionally strays from science to present more superficial information on fall cultural traditions. Photographs are nondescript but myriad, and a grouping of crafty activities is appended.

Reviewer: Lela Nargi

(4) PS Illustrated by Patricia J. Wynne. Repeating the refrain, "Monkeys come in many colors," every few pages, this minimal text lists color attributes of twelve species of monkeys. Four pages of back matter provide a bit more about the animals, and a world map indicates on which continent each lives. There's not much information here, but the cleanly rendered ink and watercolor illustrations are engaging.

Reviewer: Lela Nargi

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Jake Parker. This alphabetical tour of apple science and customs sometimes strains for facts, resulting in the uninspired "E is for Eating" and "K is for Kitchen." Some explanations--like the importance of pollen and what characterizes a fruit--are elucidating; more advanced terms (deciduous; grafting) may confuse young readers. The animal characters are superfluous but cute. Apple-related activities, jokes, and expressions are appended.

Reviewer: Lela Nargi

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Kathleen Kemly. African American servant cook Molly Williams became the first known woman firefighter; this biographical snippet starts slowly but gains some momentum as she helps extinguish a fire in her New York City neighborhood. Action-packed text and energetic but muddled-looking watercolors depict the rigors of early-nineteenth-century firefighting. More so than the story does, an author's note and FAQs highlight Williams's accomplishments. Reading list, websites. Bib.

Reviewer: Lela Nargi

(4) 4-6 Illustrated by Zachary Pullen. A romp through history using famous animals as the linchpin, this compendium delivers stories historically significant (Alexander the Great and horse Bucephalus) and culturally cherished (Punxsutawney Phil). Some chapters in the entertaining but text-heavy book, such as one relating the origin of teddy bears to a Theodore Roosevelt anecdote, strain for topical relevance. Photographs and cartoony oil-on-linen paintings illustrate the accounts. Bib., ind.

Reviewer: Lela Nargi

(3) 4-6 This book explores twelve extreme environments and natural disasters along with the flora and fauna that survive them and the scientists who study them. Gruesome details will delight middle-grade earth science buffs. Crisp, often breathtaking color photographs illustrate the extremes. Ind.

Reviewer: Lela Nargi

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Ed Young. This book about exotic animals that inhabit Earth's intemperate environments is a successful mingling of elegant poetry with the natural sciences. Singer introduces facts via poems in free verse and traditional forms such as haiku, triolet, and sonnet. Young's textured, thoughtful collages, as well as endnotes on the animals discussed and on poetry forms, make for a unique and well-rounded volume.

Reviewer: Lela Nargi