(3) K-3 Illustrated by Nancy Carpenter. Charlotte, James, and Baby John struggle to behave when President Washington comes to have his portrait painted by their father, the well-known artist Gilbert Stuart, who desperately seeks a smile from the serious, portrait-hating general. Carpenter's humorous pen, acrylic, and digital-media illustrations greatly enhance this historically inspired story, which will work particularly well in a classroom setting. An author's note adds information.

Reviewer: Kristy Pasquariello

(3) YA Cullen explores Rembrandt's innovative art and unconventional behavior through the eyes of his illegitimate daughter. The novel's tangle of relationships is worthy of a soap opera, but young Cornelia's pragmatic attitude toward her father's work and her deep emotional attachment to her family make her a convincing narrator. An author's note and a list of notable Rembrandt paintings are appended.

Reviewer: Megan Lynn Isaac

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Amy Young. Marie Antoinette's self-centered pug narrates this playful portrait of the famous queen, focusing on her early years in France and their effects on his comfort. Cullen neatly balances royal opulence against simple canine pleasures. The art captures the magnificence of Versailles's elaborate architecture and fashion but humanizes the world with gentle pastel colors.

Reviewer: Megan Lynn Isaac

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Jacqueline Rogers & Jacqueline Rogers. Based on the folktale explaining "how the dog got its wet nose," this story has Noah building an ark in Appalachia. The illustrations, though cheerful, fail to match the text's description of the ark, which is supposedly so crowded that the dog has to keep his nose hanging outside for forty days. Nevertheless, the text's rhythmic language and Southern mountain dialect are inviting and convincing.

Reviewer: Maeve Visser Knoth

(2) 4-6 Nelly's story, set in 1821 Indiana, is an evocation of frontier life and also a study of a girl's maturation against fearful odds. Nelly is twelve when her mother dies and her distraught father disappears, leaving her and her older brother to fend for themselves. When their father returns, he's accompanied by a young bride, whom both children immediately hate. The conclusion, despite tragic overtones, is hopeful.

Reviewer: Mary M. Burns | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 2002

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Kathryn Hewitt. Believing that happiness lies in wealth and marriage, Lord Leofric marries Godiva, the cobbler's Pollyanna-ish daughter, and raises taxes. For the sake of the poor villagers, Godiva promises to ride through town naked if Leofric will lower the tax; her sacrifice teaches him the value of kindness. The stiff, oil-on-paper illustrations feature a homogenized cast in a medieval setting. An author's note is appended.

Reviewer: Jeannine M. Chapman

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Laurel Long. In this tale of canine loyalty, Prince Llywelyn's hound Gelert saves the prince's infant son from a wolf and is wrongly accused of harming the baby. Gelert disappears, only to return when Llywelyn himself needs rescuing. Exquisitely detailed illustrations inspired by Renaissance art render this medieval Welsh legend in a series of tableaux. An author's note provides historical background.

Reviewer: Pamela McCuen

(4) 4-6 Not wanting to be branded a pariah for farting in gym class, Kenny accuses the new girl to divert attention from himself, then wrestles with guilt as he watches her endure merciless teasing until he finally sets the record straight. Kids will probably identify with Kenny's predicament even though his cowardly, erratic behavior in this and other situations makes it hard to have sympathy for him.

Reviewer: The Horn Book, Inc.