(2) K-3 Most readers know someone like Ozzy: fun-loving, energetic, exuberant--and always wanting to be the center of attention. She particularly wants her cool (so cool she displays a poster of Grace Jones in her classroom) music teacher, Ms. Bomba, to notice her. So, when it comes time to pick an instrument for the school's recital, Izzy decides that it's the drums that will make the biggest impact. After creating a lot of noise, however, she discovers that's not the type of impact her teacher wants. Ms. Bomba gently reminds her that rather than be the star of the show, the drummer's job is to be discreet and set the tempo, a task she glumly carries out. "Ozzy felt invisible." Still, she practices her part, but on the night of the recital, she freezes; the bewildered band members are unable to begin. Ms. Bomba smoothly directs Ozzy to establish the beat, and "lead us in." Acting as a cohesive whole, the group performs beautifully, a thematic element emphasized as they sit on a curved stage visually enfolding all the musicians. Steele's vibrant watercolor and ink illustrations reflect the energy of Ozzy's diverse classroom; readers see the students dancing, tapping their toes, and singing in unison, displaying a contagious joy that hits all the right notes.

Reviewer: Betty Carter

(3) K-3 Pip, the only spotted pig in a classroom of solid pink pigs, "started to feel different" when a new classmate asks if her mom, a black pig, is Pip's babysitter. Steele's debut picture book, celebrating a piglet's developing sense of self, is illustrated with bold watercolor and ink illustrations. The story is as successful as it is welcome.

Reviewer: Maeve Visser Knoth