(4) 4-6 Illustrated by Richard Cowdrey. German shepherd Ellie tells how she is trained from puppyhood to be a search-and-rescue dog. Her thoughts include concern for her trainers' happiness and observations about the uselessness of cats. There's suspense and action, and the human-dog interactions are heartwarming; occasional black-and-white illustrations are dark and poorly proportioned. Back matter includes search-and-rescue dog facts and a reading and activity guide. Reading list, websites.

Reviewer: Grace Worcester Greene

(3) 4-6 Illustrated by Richard Cowdrey. Salten's classic story of a deer growing to be a buck under the tutelage of an old stag, first translated into English in 1928, is repackaged with new art. Cowdrey's black-and-white illustrations, reminiscent of woodblock prints, have some of the wide-eyed sweetness of the Disney art but are generally more sophisticated, making this an attractive new edition.

Reviewer: Maeve Visser Knoth

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Richard Cowdrey. Joseph asks, "Have you heard?...A baby! A baby is coming!" In response, angels, animals, and people gather at the stable to greet the newborn Jesus. Bauer connects the Christmas story with the excitement spread each time a baby is born. The text is soothing and rhythmic, but the acrylic illustrations of round-cheeked angels and smiling animals are overly sentimental.

Reviewer: Maeve Visser Knoth

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Richard Cowdrey. Readers are enjoined to appreciate the beauty and diversity of "God's creation" by spending time outside in nature each day of the week. The effect of the quiet verse and panoramic paintings featuring animals and landscapes is somewhat impersonal, but the book may find use in Sunday schools.

Reviewer: Maeve Visser Knoth

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Richard Cowdrey. Tor, a miniature man, discovers that small flakes from a dragon's scale cure his insomnia. Eager to help others fall asleep, he bravely collects more scales, sands them down, and visits children, tossing the magical sand over their eyes. Though the plot is uninspired, acrylic illustrations round out the story by providing amusing details about Tor's tiny existence.

Reviewer: Patricia Riley

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Richard Cowdrey. This easy reader gives two or three sentences of information about each of seven animals, naturalistically depicted, usually in bright close-ups. The book concludes with an unlabeled map, showing the continent of origin of some of the animals. The typeface is large, but a poor design places the text too close to the gutter or to the bottom of the page.

Reviewer: Susan Halperin