(3) K-3 Illustrated by Jude Daly. In rural Kenya, Chirchir tries to help with each family member's chore. But she only hinders them--dropping the water bucket, ruining the chai tea, and spilling potatoes. Finally, Chirchir helps by singing to calm her crying baby brother. Cunnane's poetic text effectively incorporates both Kalenjin tribal and Swahili words. Daly's delicate figures, in vibrant clothing set against earthy background tones, add appeal.

Reviewer: Bridget McCaffrey

(1) K-3 Illustrated by Jude Daly. McGill conveys the powerful consolation of imagined freedom. Jane, a slave, witnesses the arrival of five newly purchased Africans. They escape and, hand in hand, spring aloft, vanishing into the sky. Daly's figures are slim and spare in an airy, stylized setting that enhances the glorious sense of freedom seized against all odds. Dramatic pacing and vivid details add immediacy.

Reviewer: Joanna Rudge Long | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 2008

(4) 4-6 Illustrated by Jude Daly. Willard abridges and retells Milton's epic, excising classical references but preserving his Christian interpretation and some of his imagery. This prose version is serviceable, but a good audiobook of the poet's own words is likely to give young people a more dramatic and enticing entry into his work. Daly's illustrations have child appeal, yet they tend to sanitize and oversimplify.

Reviewer: Deirdre F. Baker | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2004

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Jude Daly. In his efforts to comfort the late emperor's grieving elephant, a spoiled young man in "long ago" Peking finds friendship and purpose. Roome's telling is sure handed and satisfying (and the story even includes a riddle). Daly's rich, clear palette is gorgeous, whether depicting open countryside or crowded city shops, tiny figures or the enormous elephant.

Reviewer: Martha V. Parravano

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Jude Daly. In fable style, Imani the grasshopper relates the origin of music in people and in animals along with some history of slavery. Although the storytelling is occasionally ponderous, the muted watercolors capture the moods of the story and move the reader from the plains of Africa to the shores of a strange new land.

Reviewer: Henrietta M. Smith

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Jude Daly. In spare, lyrical language Hofmeyr recounts a tale based on a Heliopolis creation myth from 3000 B.C.E. Lonely, the golden godchild Atum creates the god of air and goddess of dew and rain. Their less-tempestuous children, earth and sky, cling to each other and must be separated to give their creator room to further fashion a world. Daly's stylized Egyptian characters match the tale's poignancy and restraint.

Reviewer: Susan P. Bloom | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2001

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Jude Daly. In this eloquently retold Christmas legend, brought from Persia by Marco Polo, the three magi offer their gifts to a young child, who gives them a mysterious box in return. Inside is a stone that bursts into flame, symbolizing the faith the people must have in the child's gift to humanity. The richly colored illustrations effectively combine wide open landscapes with delicate details. An author's note provides information about the story's origins.

Reviewer: Martha Sibert