(3) K-3 Illustrated by Bronwyn Bancroft. While visiting Australia with her mother, Ally meets Pauline, an Aboriginal artist, who encourages Ally to see beauty in unexpected places. Pauline's observations about Ally's work are eye-opening ("Crocodiles bite, kangaroos bounce, koalas curl...Every picture has a story to tell"). The rich acrylic illustrations outlined thickly in black creatively incorporate motifs from Aboriginal artwork.

Reviewer: Nell Beram

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Bronwyn Bancroft. Dealing with the explanation of day and night, the characteristics of Australian animals, and the beginnings of human life, this story is illustrated with vibrant paintings by an artist with Aboriginal roots. Wolkstein, as usual, is careful to give the provenance of the story in full detail, thus telling the reader that the story may have European themes as well as Aboriginal origins.

Reviewer: Melinda Greenblatt

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Bronwyn Bancroft. In the dry Australian outback, Old Stephen predicts rain on Sunday. Each day of the week passes, but the rain doesn't come until Saturday. Though the plot lacks tension, the vibrant, stylized gouache and acrylic illustrations, with the Aboriginal symbol of the Rainbow Serpent as a repeated motif, compel attention. Well-chosen details in the sparse text convey context superbly.

Reviewer: Frieda F. Bostian