(4) K-3 Translated by Annette Appel. Illustrated by Aya Gordon-Noy. A girl begins a drawing but can't stay in the lines; her scribbles evolve from a piano keyboard to a horse to an airplane and so on in the childlike mixed-media illustrations. At last, the young artist transforms the drawing into a satisfying self-portrait. The rhyming text (translated from the Hebrew) is ungainly, but it's a sweet-enough tale of frustration, creativity, and persistence.

Reviewer: Sheila M. Geraty

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Aya Gordon-Noy. After Nora's kindergarten classmate says something mean, her mom gives her a magic (bubble) wand through which she can see what people are really thinking. Speech- and thought-balloons illustrate her mind-reading powers effectively, but the smartly told story loses momentum with a tacked-on ending. Gordon-Noy's mixed-media illustrations are dainty and sweet, but the superimposed photograph of the bubble wand is an odd-looking touch.

Reviewer: Katrina Hedeen