(4) K-3 Illustrated by Elaine Pedlar. Zettie and her widowed mom are immigrants from Jamaica; because Mama doesn't have a steady job, they must live in their car, inspiring taunts of "Junk Car Zettie!" from some school kids. It's unclear how Mama and Zettie would have a car in the first place, but readers will find eye-opening both Gunning's well-chosen details and Pedlar's brooding, expressionistic art.

Reviewer: Nell Beram

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Ken Condon. A collection of poems recounting a young girl's move from Jamaica to the United States, this book chronicles both the excitement and hardship of the immigrant experience, giving voice to a point of view not often heard in poetry for young children. Clear and straightforward, the poems vary in quality, with some more compelling than others. Warm illustrations of city life accompany the text.

Reviewer: Jim St. Claire

(4) 4-6 Sprinkled with Jamaican dialect and local colloquialisms, conversational blank verse gives sometimes cryptic glimpses into aspects of everyday life, traditions, and relationships in the Caribbean. Minimally detailed scratchboard illustrations add little to strengthen the text. Glos.

Reviewer: The Horn Book, Inc.