(4) K-3 Dash!: Planets series. Facts about the eight planets are conveyed in simple choppy sentences constructed for more-advanced beginning readers. Each book includes basic stats about the planet's size, distance from Earth, average temperature, as well as distinctive features such as the storms of Neptune or the crater fields of Mercury. A summary of exploratory missions is included. Images from those missions, as well as colorful artistic renditions, illustrate the spreads. Glos., ind. Review covers these Dash!: Planets titles: Earth, Jupiter, Mars, Mercury, Neptune, Saturn, Uranus, and Venus.

Reviewer: Danielle J. Ford

(3) K-3 Written with her customary succinct text and illustrated with simple yet eloquent acrylics, Winter recounts the Williams sisters' tennis careers, from childhood practices in Compton, California, to international championships. It is clear that their paths have not been easy, and the sustenance of their sororal bond is appropriately invoked and celebrated in this tribute. Bib.

Reviewer: Miriam Lang Budin

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Floyd Cooper. More of an inspirational piece than a straightforward biography, this picture book relates the difficult early years through the Williams sisters' rise to tennis fame and their ensuing setbacks. Themes of hard work, perseverance, and family loyalty are emphasized throughout Bryant's text, which includes occasional (unsourced) quotations. Cooper's trademark subtractive illustrations are full of life, emotion, and character.

Reviewer:

(1) K-3 Illustrated by James E. Ransome. The wife-and-husband team celebrates tennis superstars Venus and Serena Williams, focusing on their formative childhoods and the way their preparation and talent fundamentally changed the game. As Cline-Ransome's chronological account progresses, the sisters are positioned farther apart, eventually on opposite sides of the net, in Ransome's illustrations. A final spread, showing them holding hands after Serena bested Venus in the 2002 French Open, communicates the sisters' ultimate devotion to each other. Reading list. Bib.

Reviewer: Thom Barthelmess | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 2018

(3) K-3 Seedlings: Planets series. Beginner facts about the planets in our solar system are bookended with a greeting ("Hello, Mars!") and farewell ("Goodbye, Earth!"). The simple sentences are accompanied by images that include familiar photographs of the various planets as well as artistic renditions that effectively convey atmospheric conditions and landscapes. Also available in Spanish. Reading list, websites. Glos., ind. Review covers these Seedlings: Planets titles: Earth, Jupiter, Mars, Mercury, Uranus, Venus, Neptune, and Saturn.

Reviewer: Danielle J. Ford

(3) 1-3 Illustrated by Cece Bell. This madcap Inspector Flytrap mystery includes a mountain of zany crimes, a falsely accused sidekick, a "Master Criminal" disguised as a sloth, and a truly epic chase scene. Thankfully, Inspector and blasé partner Nina the Goat save the day ("Big deal"). Nearly every character from the previous books makes an appearance in this third heavily illustrated, pun-filled romp. Best read in series order.

Reviewer: Amy Seto Forrester

(4) 4-6 Who HQ: Who Was...? series. Illustrated by Andrew Thomson. Grosset's long-running Who Was...? series is re-branded. This readable, informative biography is marred only by the caricatured cover illustrations (typical of the classic series) and interior pencil illustrations that are inconsistent in style. Otherwise, the book will give young readers a good sense of who the Williams sisters are. Occasional full- and double-page text boxes successfully illuminate related topics. Timeline. Bib.

Reviewer: The Horn Book, Inc.

(3) YA Adventures of Arabella Ashby series. Levine's steampunk alternate history shifts the Napoleonic Wars to Venus, where French forces mistreat British POWs. Masquerading as captured Captain Singh's wife, Arabella (Arabella of Mars) launches a mission to rescue her beloved, despite the obstacles presented by a cagey chaperone and by a pirate captain's flirtations. Levine touches on the problematic aspects of colonialism even as the novel as a whole leans toward plucky adventure.

Reviewer: Megan Lynn Isaac

(4) 4-6 Captured History: Sports series. A competent overview of the Williams sisters' tennis achievements is hampered by an on-and-off relationship with the series' focus on sports photography and the career of photojournalist Mike Blake. While few of the included photos are actually Blake's, the many pictures add interest, and the book provides a good history of tennis and its only gradual acceptance of black players. Reading list, timeline. Bib., glos., ind.

Reviewer: Roger Sutton

(2) 1-3 Illustrated by Cece Bell. Tough-talking and cerebral Inspector Flytrap (a Venus flytrap) runs the Flytrap Detective Agency. His sidekick Nina, a goat, is deadpan, cynical, and good in a crisis. Their cases--in three easy-to-read mystery stories--involve art restoration (and Da Vinci's boogers), stinky cookies, and a missing rose. Generous illustrations spilling across the pages humorously set the mean-streets, noirish scene.

Reviewer: Sarah Ellis | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2016

(3) 1-3 Illustrated by Cece Bell. In this welcome sequel, pompous POTUS Horse G. Horse demands that Inspector Flytrap and his ever-blasé assistant, Nina the Goat, save the White House, the city, the country, and the world from a four-hundred-foot Venus flytrap. As in book one, rapid-fire pacing propels a plot filled with ridiculous wordplay. Potty humor and absurdity abound in Bell's two-color cartoons and in the short, punny first-person narrative.

Reviewer: Amy Seto Forrester

(4) K-3 Planets series. These wide-trim books combine simple informational texts with large color images of the described features. Each follows the same uninspiring script: a definition of the solar system and the planet's place within it; facts about the planet, including composition, atmospheric conditions, temperature, and/or rotation and revolution lengths; and visibility from Earth. There are four other spring 2015 books in this series. Glos., ind. Review covers the following Planets titles: Jupiter, Mars, Neptune, and Venus.

Reviewer: Danielle J. Ford

(4) K-3 Out of this World series. Limited facts about objects in the solar system are presented in simple sentences for beginning readers. The two-page illustrations feature images of the planets, the sun, and occasionally spacecraft on eye-catching starry black backgrounds. A chart comparing the featured body to Earth's temperature, atmosphere, and other conditions concludes each book. There are eight other spring 2015 books in this series. Reading list. Glos., ind. Review covers the following Out of this World titles: Icy Comets, Pluto, The Sun, and Venus.

Reviewer: Danielle J. Ford

(4) K-3 My First Look at Planets series. These books present basic facts about Venus and Mercury. Though the texts can be confusing ("A long time ago, the sun's wind blew most of Mercury's air away"), children interested in planets will find some solid introductory information. Bright, well-chosen photographs illustrate the books; each also includes a related "Make a Planet" activity. Reading list, websites. Glos., ind. Review covers these My First Look at Planets titles: Mercury and Venus.

Reviewer: Barbara Barstow

(3) YA Solar System series. This exhaustive coverage of planetary science includes cutting edge theory as well as established facts about planet formation and features, recent and historical exploration and technical innovations, and related physical science concepts. The complex explanations and diagrams are very sophisticated and require advanced knowledge in science and mathematics to interpret. They will be thoroughly appreciated by those who can handle it. Reading list, websites. Bib., glos., ind. Review covers these Solar System titles: Asteroids, Meteorites, and Comets, The Earth and the Moon, Jupiter and Saturn, Mars, The Sun, Mercury, and Venus, and Uranus, Neptune, Pluto, and the Outer Solar System.

Reviewer: Danielle J. Ford

(4) 4-6 Checkerboard: Awesome Athletes series. These books for reluctant readers briefly cover each subject's early years before focusing on his or her athletic career. The coverage is superficial and adulatory but accessible; controversy and adversity are ignored. Action photos, a timeline, and stats help break up the text. Glos., ind. Review covers these Checkerboard: Awesome Athletes titles: Alex Rodriguez, Ichiro Suzuki, Tony Hawk, Kobe Bryant, Venus & Serena Williams, and Yao Ming.

Reviewer: Kitty Flynn

(4) K-3 First Facts: The Solar System series. Dry, simple texts combine with photographs and diagrams to make these introductions to the moon and Venus accessible to young readers. Random "fun" facts (e.g., banging a drum while on the moon produces no sound because there's no air to carry it) along with clear comparisons provide just the right amount of information for the report-driven reader. Reading list. Glos., ind. Review covers these First Facts: The Solar System titles: Venus and The Moon.

Reviewer: Tamara DePasquale

(3) 4-6 Benchmark All-Stars series. These sports biographies feature large color photographs and readable texts. While plenty of books about the profiled athletes already exist, these books are noteworthy for their interesting anecdotes and well-balanced accounts of the stars' lives. Photos and stories from childhood through current competitions are included. Kobe doesn't mention his recent legal troubles. Reading list, stats, websites. Glos., ind. [Review covers these Benchmark All-Stars titles: Derek Jeter, Jeff Gordon, Kobe Bryant, Peyton Manning, Tiger Woods, and Venus Williams.]

Reviewer: Charlotte S. Huck

(4) 4-6 Amazing Athletes series. After an introductory chapter, each of these formulaic profiles cover an athlete's childhood and early career. The remaining sections focus on professional accomplishments and highlights. Despite the perfunctory nature of these brief treatments, a colorful page design, crisp photographs, and large print should appeal to younger and reluctant readers. Reading list, websites. Glos., ind. [Review covers these Amazing Athletes titles: Venus & Serena Williams, Ichiro Suzuki, Jeff Gordon, and Tiger Woods.]

Reviewer: Charlotte S. Huck

(4) 4-6 Black Americans of Achievement series. A biography of this young athlete may seem premature, but those seeking a summary of her life to age twenty will find the volume illuminating. Illustrated with standard black-and-white photos, the book charts Williams's career and describes her still-evolving public persona. A timeline and statistics are included. Bib., ind.

Reviewer: Peter D. Sieruta