(3) 4-6 Illustrated by Kristjana S. Williams. Five linked stories expand the adventures of Kipling's Mowgli. The first four stories illustrate important qualities and skills through the experiences of Mother Wolf, Bagheera the panther, Baloo the bear, and Kaa the snake. In the final tale, Mowgli draws on each lesson to prevail over his own adversary, the great white ape. Williams's illustrations add interest, but Rundell's storytelling is the star of this collection.

Reviewer: Megan Lynn Isaac

(3) PS After human baby Leo is swept out to sea, he's raised by sea lions that he grows to love. Upon being discovered on shore by another child, Leo is reunited with his birth parents; unfortunately, he misses his sea family. The problem is resolved to everyone's satisfaction--including the reader's. Vogel packs an impressive amount of tenderness into flagrantly cartoonish digital art.

Reviewer: Nell Beram

(3) 4-6 Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place series. Illustrated by Eliza Wheeler. In this spirited conclusion to the series featuring upstanding governess Penelope Lumley and her "incorrigible" raised-by-wolves young charges, all identities are revealed, disguises thrown off, relationships explained, villains dispatched, and long-lost loved ones returned. The arch narration and tongue-in-cheek humor that characterized the previous five volumes will here carry readers through to the tidy and satisfying but forward-looking ending.

Reviewer: Martha V. Parravano

(4) K-3 Illustrated by K. G. Campbell. Little orphan "Wee Sister Strange" roams the woods at night, free-spirited yet seeking something unknown. She finally finds it when she overhears a mother reading a book (Sister's own story) to her child. Sister snuggles to sleep in a leafy bed outside their window. The watercolor and colored-pencil illustrations and the twee verse's cadence both evoke an eerie tone--effective if questionable for bedtime reading.

Reviewer: Sheila M. Geraty

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Debra Bandelin & Bob Davey. Retold by Joe Rhatigan and Charles Nurnberg. Vibrant illustrations portray Kipling's famous jungle as an enchanting place exploding with color and energy. Mowgli's childhood among the wolves and monkeys is a perfect idyll. Even Shere Khan, lurking on nearly every page, seems more of a challenge than a threat in this diluted, abridged retelling that follows Mowgli from infancy until he's forced to join the human world.

Reviewer: Megan Lynn Isaac

(3) 4-6 Illustrated by Aljoscha Blau. Eight stories and verse feature "man-cub" Mowgli, raised by wolves in the Indian jungle. The beautiful but spare artwork is muted compared to the colorful setting and language. Wide margins and generous use of white space add appeal. A handsome but sophisticated (many of the illustrations show an older Mowgli sans loincloth, buttocks exposed) visualization of these classic stories.

Reviewer: Carolyn Shute

(3) 4-6 Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place series. Illustrated by Eliza Wheeler. In this fifth installment, exemplary governess Penelope Lumley comes closer to solving the ongoing central mysteries, from curing the Ashton family curse to discovering the identities of her three raised-by-wolves charges. She also admits her love for Simon--and, in a cliffhanger ending, is exiled to Russia. Wood's narration is as cheeky as ever; the plot continues to be filled with humorously exaggerated incident.

Reviewer: Martha V. Parravano

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Charles Vess. In Nowhere, Texas, the five Upagainstit siblings find a baby in a tumbleweed. Despite the "littlest-of-all" girl's wishes, they bring Tumbleweed Baby home--where she wreaks havoc. The nonsensical story will prompt a chorus of "Why?" and "How?" from listeners, but the ending helps bring it all together. The inconsistent figures in the ink and colored-pencil illustrations befit the odd tale.

Reviewer: Chelsey Philpot

(2) 4-6 Illustrated by Timothy Basil Ering. The feral child who inspired Truffaut’s L’Enfant Sauvage gets a scrupulously nonfictional account. Admirably refraining from conjecture, Losure documents each known fact about the boy, from his favorite foods to his bout with smallpox to his fear of heights. The book’s intimate tone makes his alienation heartbreaking, as do eloquent black-and-white sketches. An author’s note and source notes are included. Bib., ind.

Reviewer: Roger Sutton | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 2013

(3) 4-6 Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place series. Illustrated by Eliza Wheeler. This fourth series entry finds plucky governess Penelope Lumley visiting her alma mater, the Swanburne Academy for Poor Bright Females, where trouble ensues and more of the mystery surrounding the Ashton family and Penelope's three orphaned, raised-by-wolves charges is revealed. As ever, the sprightly narration is the strongest feature, and fans will revel in the voice even as the plotting slows.

Reviewer: Martha V. Parravano

(4) 4-6 Illustrated by Robert Ingpen. Ingpen illustrates Kipling's classic tale of a boy raised by jungle animals. His richly colored handsome illustrations appear on almost every page, pulling readers into Mowgli's world. The text's small type size is unfortunate.

Reviewer: Maeve Visser Knoth

(3) 4-6 Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place series. In this second installment, plucky governess Penelope and her unusual charges (three orphaned children raised by wolves) leave the family's country estate to visit London, where they continue their eclectic education and discover more clues to their mysterious pasts. The tongue-in-cheek narration and highly sympathetic main characters nicely balance the over-the-top-eventful plot. Fun for Lemony Snicket fans.

Reviewer: Martha V. Parravano

(4) 4-6 Callum, a boy who has lived with wolves since he was a baby, rejoins civilization. Adventures ensue as Callum learns to speak English, navigates middle school, and is reunited with his family. The text often tries too hard to be funny, but readers may appreciate the silliness resulting from Callum's attempts to use his wolf skills to navigate human society.

Reviewer: Carolyn Shute

(2) 4-6 Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place series. Illustrated by Jon Klassen. Miss Penelope Lumley is governess to three uncivilized (understandably, as they've been raised by wolves) children on a full-of-secrets country estate. Let the over-the-top characterizations, ludicrous situations, and tongue-in-cheek humor begin! This first installment is practically all setup, settling Penelope in and introducing various mysteries. Like Lemony Snicket, Wood has the gift of simultaneously sending up and inhabiting the story she's telling.

Reviewer: Martha V. Parravano | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2010

(4) 4-6 Illustrated by Scott McKowen. These classic stories are presented in unabridged formats. A handful of scratchboard illustrations in addition to a repeating chapter heading spot illustration accompany each story. A ribbon bookmark is attached. The books conclude with some generic open-ended questions. Review includes these titles: The Jungle Book, Frankenstein, Gulliver's Travels, and Journey to the Center of the Earth.

Reviewer: Elissa Gershowitz

(2) K-3 Illustrated by August Hall. Seven-year-old Bulu lives in an orphanage in India. When feral children Amala and Kamala arrive, Bulu tries to help. After Amala dies, Bulu overcomes her growing frustration to comfort Kamala. Hall's luminous acrylic illustrations are varied in tone, from deep browns to vibrant purples and greens. Touches of humor prevent the book from becoming overly heavy. An author's note is included. Bib.

Reviewer: Elissa Gershowitz | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2007

(2) YA In this fable with religious overtones, Boy, abandoned at birth and raised by a wild dog, is rejected by all but a kind village servant. In a country plagued by drought, Boy's ability to find water leads to material success, but it is not until he has abandoned all pretensions to importance that he attains his full identity.

Reviewer: Deirdre F. Baker | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2006

(3) K-3 A solitary child and her little brown dog fend off a bear seeking entry to their wintry mountain cave, only to discover that the bear was simply trying to get to its cub. The quietly luminous art reinforces the characters' vulnerability and their eventual bond, allowing all four of them to curl up together for warmth in the cold night.

Reviewer: Christine M. Heppermann

(3) YA Fire-us Trilogy series. In the conclusion of this suspenseful post-apocalyptic series, the band of feral children at last finds the President of the United States and uncovers his insane, messianic decision to wipe the world clean with a virus. The many child characters are successfully delineated, their misremembered store of phrases is simultaneously funny and touching, and the vision of a destroyed world is chilling.

Reviewer: Anita L. Burkam

(3) YA Fire-us Trilogy series. In a post-apocalyptic age when a virus has killed the grownups, seven traumatized children band together to survive, forgetting their names and much of the past. When a disturbed youth with knowledge of the virus arrives, he persuades them to embark on a search for the president. The convincing setting, varied characters, and rising action form a solid foundation for an intriguing series.

Reviewer: Anita L. Burkam