(3) 1-3 Kevin has attention difficulties and dreads doing his report on cheetahs, especially because unsympathetic "Beezer the Buzzard" is substituting while his teacher is in Africa. With help from friends, the librarian, and his gym teacher, Kevin successfully completes the assignment. Nagda's handling of ADHD is judicious, but this lively story also incorporates everyday issues of school pressures, social anxieties, and responsibilities at home.

Reviewer: Rebecca Reed Whidden

(3) 1-3 Illustrated by Stephanie Roth. Jenny (Dear Whiskers) knows she must find a new home for her mischievous cat Munchkin after her little brother develops asthma. But locating a suitable place isn't easy, until Jenny's fourth-grade teacher offers a solution. This sweet story effectively portrays the natural affinity between some children and animals, as well as the funny antics of pets. Cozy black-and-white illustrations complement the tale.

Reviewer: Marika Jeffrey

(4) K-3 Right-hand pages relate how San Diego Zoo trainers paired two cheetah cubs with dogs to help the cubs feel at ease around zoo visitors. Simultaneously, left-hand pages teach division strategies (equal groups, repeated subtraction) in contexts related, but not integral, to the cheetahs' story. The book's dual-purpose format is a little awkward, but the photogenic felines and their canine pals will keep readers interested.

Reviewer: Tanya D. Auger

(3) 1-3 Illustrated by Stephanie Roth. Perfectionist and know-it-all Susan (Dear Whiskers) confidently volunteers to pet-sit when her friend Rana's family goes to India. Susan's also excited about a class project inspired by Rana's trip. Susan completes her assignment without a hitch, but the pet-sitting job proves more challenging. For all her smarty-pants attitude, Susan is a likable character. Roth's well-placed drawings add warmth and cheer.

Reviewer: Kitty Flynn

(3) 1-3 Illustrated by Stephanie Roth. Richard's class project is to create a new cereal, and he's discouraged when he's paired up with the class bully, Kevin. Their unusual class pet, a tarantula named Ruby, inspires Richard to help a younger boy stand up to Kevin. The theme is familiar, but the text is humorous and not saccharine. Many young readers will relate to Richard's experience.

Reviewer: Elizabeth Shaver

(4) K-3 Abandoned polar bear cubs Klondike and Snow must be hand-fed. The authors introduce readers to fractions as they describe how to make polar bear milk, how much food the newborns consume, etc. At times the math is confusingly presented--"Two parts, or 2/3, were half-and-half [milk and cream]"--but the engaging main text and color photos of the adorable cubs are winning.

Reviewer: Bridget McCaffrey

(4) 1-3 Illustrated by Stephanie Roth. In this companion book to Dear Whiskers, shy new-girl Rana dreads the impending visit of her Bombay grandparents--they prefer her gregarious little sister, cook spicy food, and wear "weird clothing." The arrival of a stray kitten not only brings her closer, unexpectedly, to her grandmother but also wins her friends at school. Though perhaps resolved too facilely, this brief novel is true to the feelings and experience of children.

Reviewer: Martha V. Parravano

(4) K-3 Amazing Animal Adventures series. Illustrated by Jim Effler. These newly titled books introduce readers to the behavior and habitat of three young animals: a grizzly in the Pacific Northwest rainforest, a giant panda in China, and a southeast Asian Bengal tiger. The meandering stories and detailed illustrations include mention of other animals found in the specific habitats. An appended foldout depicts the animals in their natural habitats and includes a pictorial glossary. [Review covers these Amazing Animal Adventures titles: Grizzly Bear Family, A Home for Panda, and A Tiger Tale.]

Reviewer: Jim St. Claire

(4) K-3 Amazing Animal Adventures series. Illustrated by Paul Kratter. These newly titled books introduce readers to the behavior and habitat of three young animals: a grizzly in the Pacific Northwest rainforest, a giant panda in China, and a southeast Asian Bengal tiger. The meandering stories and detailed illustrations include mention of other animals found in the specific habitats. An appended foldout depicts the animals in their natural habitats and includes a pictorial glossary. [Review covers these Amazing Animal Adventures titles: Grizzly Bear Family, A Home for Panda, and A Tiger Tale.]

Reviewer: Jim St. Claire

(3) K-3 In clear, simple prose, this book introduces Vishnu, a boy in India whose father and grandfather are snake charmers. Descriptions of the family's subsistence lifestyle and care of the snakes are matter-of-fact and completely nonsensationalized. Through color photos displayed album-style, along with culturally derived borders and other artwork, life in a contemporary Indian village comes alive.

Reviewer: Frieda F. Bostian

(2) K-3 Elementary-level skills of telling and representing time are integrated with the story of Jiggs the chimp, born too small in a zoo and ignored by his mother. While the story is engaging, a major asset is the quantitative information (shown with timelines, graphs, calendars, and charts) linked to each facing narrative page, which assists readers in comprehending the value of mathematics to better understand changes in Jiggs over time.

Reviewer: Danielle J. Ford | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2002

(3) 1-3 Illustrated by Paul Kratter. During the course of a single day, a female snow leopard attempts to catch a variety of prey. Told from the young snow leopard's point of view, the detailed text manages to introduce many aspects of the Himalayan ecosystem. Accurate, realistic illustrations and a picture glossary at the back present a clear view of the flora and fauna of the Himalayas.

Reviewer: Jim St. Claire

(2) 1-3 Illustrated by Stephanie Roth. When Jenny's fourth-grade class is assigned second-grade pen pals with whom they will exchange letters, she learns that her pen pal, a recent transfer student from Saudi Arabia, is in dire need of a friend. Nagda's liberal use of natural dialogue and her plot-driven narrative move the story along quickly, while Roth's illustrations allow opportunities for readers to pause and reflect on the action.

Reviewer: Betty Carter | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2001

(3) 4-6 T.J., a tiger cub whose mother at the Denver Zoo died when he was only ten weeks old, was raised by the zoo hospital. T.J. gained weight slowly and at first had to be force-fed. Appropriate picture, bar, circle, and line graphs depict T.J.'s weight gain, his father's weight at the same age, and how much meat T.J. ate as he grew, while crisp color photos show the young tiger cub's antics.

Reviewer: Anita L. Burkam