(3) K-3 Step into Reading series. Illustrated by Jada Rowland. This easy reader tells the story of the construction of the Statue of Liberty in France and its journey to America's shore. Very large print and simple vocabulary and sentence structure make this book accessible, while interesting facts and colorful, supportive illustrations--including some photographs--make it enjoyable.

Reviewer: Juliet S. King

(4) K-3 Step into Reading series. Illustrated by Allen Garns. This easy reader presents very basic information about tornadoes. The text is accessible, with a friendly narrative style that occasionally verges on glib ("Tornadoes can even rip somebody's clothes off") or babyish ("Tornadoes can make a loud, scary noise like a million buzzing bees"). This edition is newly illustrated with impressionistic paintings and occasional photos.

Reviewer: Elissa Gershowitz

(3) K-3 Step into Reading series. Illustrated by Peter Barrett. This slim volume provides young readers with just the right amount of information to get them interested in snakes. Not a guidebook but rather a general look at the title animal, its information is concise, factual, and well presented. The illustrations are realistic (if somewhat dated). This new edition features a different cover.

Reviewer: Barbara Barstow

(4) 4-6 Stepping Stone Fantasy series. Illustrated by Allen Douglas. Though the first chapter explains that monsters aren't real, this book confuses the issue with statements such as: "A Cyclops was a type of giant that lived in Greece." Italicized excerpts of legends attempt to provide context. The tense and narrative voice frequently shift, adding some drama but also potential confusion. Cartoonish paintings depict each menacing creature.

Reviewer: Miriam Steinberg-Egeth

(4) K-3 Stepping Stone Fantasy series. Illustrated by Mel Grant. This book presents different cultures' legends about mermaids, from the German nix, Norwegian havfine, and Japanese ningyos to the ancient Syrian goddess of the moon, Atargis, and West Africa's Mami Wata. Though the comparisons are interesting, the flow of information is choppy, and it's hard to discern fact from legend. The illustrations are appropriately varied to suit each interpretation.

Reviewer: Elissa Gershowitz

(4) K-3 Road to Reading series. Illustrated by David LaFleur. With short, simple sentences, Penner describes Shackleton's 1914 attempted expedition to Antarctica. The complete rescue and the most dramatic moments are included, such as Shackleton's plucking a crew member out of the icy water as the floe split beneath their tent, but quotations are undocumented. The text is illustrated with adequate artwork and four black-and-white photographs.

Reviewer: Bridget McCaffrey