(4) K-3 Illustrated by Debrah Santini. A woman named Abby moves to a new house in a new town and can't figure out why her beloved chairs suddenly look so odd. It's only when she fills them with new friends that she realizes what was amiss. Warm, expressive watercolor illustrations lend some appeal to a sweet moral tale, but the all-adult cast and nature of the metaphor will limit child appeal.

Reviewer: Amy Lois Cohn

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Lloyd Bloom. After her grandfather dies, Anna doesn't want to plant the corn kernels he gave her: "If I bury them, they'll be gone forever." She relents, and when the corn grows, she saves some new kernels for the following spring and is even able to hear the "music" that her grandfather taught her to listen for. This story about the cycles of life is gently told. Bloom's loose pastel and pencil illustrations reflect the book's mood.

Reviewer: Maeve Visser Knoth