(4) K-3 Tales of Young Americans series. Illustrated by Tammy Yee. In Rudy the young title character rides the rails during the Great Depression, and Quilt is about the 1946 Hawaiian tsunami. The plots are bland; Quilt is message-driven and Rudy doesn't really have an ending, but they both impart some historical information. The illustrations in Quilt are colorful but stiff, while the paintings in Rudy are muted and impressionistic. Review covers these Tales of Young Americans titles: The Tsunami Quilt and Rudy Rides the Rails.

Reviewer: Jack Forman

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Jennifer DiRubbio. This poetic tale about creatures under a rock (earthworms, spiders, beetles, etc.) is richly and realistically illustrated. However, by story's end the cumulative rhyming style of the text becomes a tiresome gimmick. Field notes give additional information. A list of four related organizations and their websites is included. Bib.

Reviewer: Luther B. Clegg

(4) K-3 Early Bird Nature Books series. Photographs by Gerry Ellis. Stilted, choppy sentences provide information about these mollusks' locomotion, habitats, eating habits, and enemies. In an unfortunate omission, a chapter devoted to "slug babies" never mentions how adult slugs reproduce. Well-captioned photos of many different kinds of slugs accompany the text. A note to adults is included. Glos., ind.

Reviewer: Maeve Visser Knoth

(4) K-3 Early Bird Nature Books series. Photographs by Gerry Ellis. Primary readers learn about the behaviors and characteristics of the zebra in a book designed for report writing and classroom use. The information is solid and the photographs are clear, but the presentation is rather dull and the text is somewhat choppy. A habitat map is included, and a note to adults discusses reading with children. Glos., ind.

Reviewer: Maeve Visser Knoth