(2) 1-3 Illustrated by LeUyen Pham. Alvin Ho faces previously unknown fears when his family travels to China to introduce his baby sister to relatives; the hilarity (for readers) begins at airport security. This series entry's heartwarming moment involves Alvin's idea to grant Christmas wishes to orphans, including someone's wish for a friend. Pham's many illustrations capture the fun being had in Look's action-packed story.

Reviewer: Jennifer M. Brabander | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 2014

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Meilo So. Look expertly narrates this tale about an ancient Chinese painter whose art fills people with such awe that they claim he has the "brush of the gods." An author's note provides information on the real Wu Daozi (689–759), and So's invigorating art perfectly suits a story about the first Chinese artist to introduce "movement in figures and their clothing."

Reviewer: Jennifer M. Brabander | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 2013

(2) 1-3 Illustrated by LeUyen Pham. In this fifth book, Alvin's current anxieties include two that will resonate with lots of kids: burglars and babies (his mom is expecting). Though there's one fear that only Alvin could come up with: he thinks he's pregnant, too. Alvin is sure to come up with more worries for future installments; as usual, Pham's illustrations capture both the highs and the lows.

Reviewer: Jennifer M. Brabander | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2013

(2) 1-3 Illustrated by Stef Choi. In her third book, Ruby is eager to take pup Elvis to obedience school. Unfortunately, when her dad loses his job, dog school is out of the question. Leavening the seriousness of her family's money worries is Ruby's talent for getting into trouble. New illustrator Choi's art is more cartoony than previous volumes, but still, Ruby and company are as comfortably familiar--and entertaining--as ever.

Reviewer: Jennifer M. Brabander | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2011

(2) 1-3 Illustrated by LeUyen Pham. Alvin's classmates mistakenly think GungGung (his grandfather) has died; the principal even plans a memorial service at school. All's well that ends well, and Alvin, along with readers, learns a lot about funerals, bucket lists, and mourning loved ones. Pham's copious illustrations capture moments both silly and sad as Look tackles real-kid worries in another truly funny story about Alvin.

Reviewer: Jennifer M. Brabander | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2011

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Yumi Heo. When a little girl has writer's block, her grandparents take her to a paint-your-own-pottery place. There she gets her artistic groove back. The book's premise strains credulity and the vertical format seems rather pointless, but the up-with-creativity message is worthwhile. Heo's illustrations recall the best detail work at a kids' art show.

Reviewer: Nell Beram

(2) 1-3 Illustrated by LeUyen Pham. In his third book, Alvin meets two history re-enactors (Emerson and Alcott) on a field trip; is invited to two same-day-and-time birthday parties; and finds himself dressed in girls' clothing not once but twice. Speeding along like a hyperactive kid, Look's story doesn't give even reluctant readers a chance to lose interest--they'll be fervently wishing for more Alvin.

Reviewer: Jennifer M. Brabander | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2010

(1) 1-3 Illustrated by LeUyen Pham. In his second book, not-so-intrepid second grader Alvin, little sister Anibelly, and their dad go camping. The hilarious text includes a twenty-one-step list of "how to pitch a tent." Look takes familiar kid traumas and ramps them up a notch. Pham's illustrations convey the story's humor and capture the pure joy of such things as lying in a sleeping bag under the stars.

Reviewer: Jennifer M. Brabander | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2009

(2) 1-3 Illustrated by LeUyen Pham. This story acknowledges kids' troubles while lightening them in a respectful way. Fearful second grader Alvin Ho doesn't speak in school, though his voice works everywhere else. There's no miracle cure, but by story's end he's made a friend. Generously illustrated short chapters include laugh-out-loud descriptions of Alvin's attempt to grow taller and his brief membership in a not-so-tough neighborhood gang.

Reviewer: Jennifer M. Brabander | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 2008

(3) 1-3 Illustrated by Anne Wilsdorf. Seven-year-old Ruby Lu practices her magic tricks, attends Chinese school on Saturdays, and prepares for the arrival of relatives newly emigrating from China. Ruby is a spunky child--and Wilsdorf's angular sketches are as full of life as Ruby herself. The text is more difficult than the format suggests because the language is peppered with Chinese words and poetic expressions.

Reviewer: Maeve Visser Knoth

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Yumi Heo. Jen and her GninGnin (paternal grandmother) prepare for baby Henry's first-moon (one-month) birthday--cooking food, writing Chinese calligraphy for decorations, and coloring eggs for good luck. Folding in details about language, food, and traditions, the story deftly blends Chinese culture with universal family experiences. Stylized illustrations in mixed media feature a bubbly protagonist.

Reviewer: Tanya D. Auger

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Stephen T. Johnson. Katie wants to be like her Chinese grandma, who works cracking crab at the local factory, but GninGnin has higher expectations for her. The dignity of GninGnin's labor shines through the simple words, while the food she cooks becomes a pungent metaphor--crab "made with love as strong as ginger and dreams as thick as black-bean paste." The small, square pastel and watercolor illustrations reflect the tone of quiet celebration.

Reviewer: Joanna Rudge Long | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 1999