(2) 4-6 Illustrated by Jerry Craft. Two fifth graders vie to win their middle school’s annual creative storytelling contest. Both are already experienced storytellers: J illustrates books without words, and K writes stories without illustrations. In real life, Craft and Alexander have a lively friendly rivalry on display in social media posts and joint school visits, and this highly illustrated novel (cartoonlike black-and-white drawings appear throughout; final art unseen) is the perfect playground for their fictional ­counterparts—and for themselves, as both authors interject regularly with notes. Ever competitive, J and K try undermining each other’s chances for winning the contest by giving bad advice: draw with your nondominant hand, write what you don’t know, write in “sixth person.” Readers will soon suspect that J and K will join forces to write a book together, combining their talents, and indeed they enter the contest with their frog story collaboration, “Croak and Swagger: The Most Ribbiting Story Ever Told.” The culminating award ceremony, related with suspense and humor, isn’t the final word. Not only are readers told “To Be Continued…” but Craft and Alexander also offer “more fun…with this QR code” and write each other’s author bios with more of their trash talk.

Reviewer: Dean Schneider | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 2025

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Kinuko Y. Craft. This lengthy text is a loose retelling of Jeanne-Marie Leprince de Beaumont's version of the classic fairy tale, first published in France in 1756. It is set with large initial letters on most verso pages to give the feeling of an antique volume. Presented in full pages and spreads, the sumptuous, fantastical oil-over-watercolor paintings emphasize Beauty, not the Beast.

Reviewer: Melinda Greenblatt

(4) 4-6 Illustrated by Jerry Craft. When Bakari is nominated for hall monitor, he provokes hostility from his classmates Keisha and Tariq. To make matters worse, Zenon--the king of an icy zombie dimension--kidnaps Bakari and threatens to destroy humanity if a missing magical ring is not returned. Both classroom and interdimensional conflicts are quashed in this fresh (if underdeveloped) urban fantasy. The slick black-and-white illustrations are unfortunate.

Reviewer: Shara Hardeson

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Kinuko Y. Craft. This lengthy retelling embellishes the traditional tale, adding a scene in which the twelfth fairy returns to the sleeping castle in a chariot drawn by dragons. Exquisitely detailed illustrations lavish in color and design make this a suitable gift edition. The pictures feature elaborately adorned costumes, an abundance of flowers, and plenty of other details to pore over.

Reviewer: Pamela McCuen

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Kinuko Y. Craft. Events in this elegant retelling are similar to other versions: an elderly couple longing for a child are gifted through magic with a son as big as his father's thumb. Mayer adds a new twist: Tom's greatest triumph is his overcoming a giant who has been plaguing King Arthur's lands. Craft's paintings, at once decorative and interpretive, suit the mood and time. Both words and pictures capture the essence of fairyland.

Reviewer: Mary M. Burns | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2001

(3) K-3 In this fresh retelling, Cinderella is tending to a wounded bird in the woods when she accidentally meets the prince for the first time. The bird later transforms into her fairy godmother and makes it possible for her to attend the ball, where she captures the prince's heart. Ornate illustrations, echoed by elaborate marginalia that swirl around the text, place the tale in seventeenth-century France.

Reviewer: Pamela McCuen

(3) K-3 Illustrated by K. Y. Craft. This sophisticated retelling, set in the Middle Ages, places King Midas in a sumptuous palace and portrays him as a goodhearted, devoted father with an unfortunate obsession for gold. The elaborate oil-over-watercolor illustrations show the wondrous, tragic effects of the golden touch, as Midas's bedcovers, his garden, and then his daughter turn gradually to gold before the reader's eyes.

Reviewer: Martha Sibert

(3) 4-6 Ordered to kill the fire-breathing, dragon-clawed Chimera, the Greek hero Bellerophon enlists the help of "the winged horse Pegasus." Together they slay the beast and in the process develop a brotherly love for each other. Dark, painterly illustrations set in gold frames heighten the mysticism in this lyrical interpretation of the Greek myth. Horse fans will love this one.

Reviewer: The Horn Book, Inc.