(3) K-3 Illustrated by Yumi Heo. Best friends Katie and Jennifer were inseparable. Then Jennifer chooses to play with Roy at recess and Katie is so "flabbersmashed" that her "whole self felt like a bruise." The first-person narration and emotive child-inspired art astutely capture the anger and hurt of a child being left out, as well as Katie's relief at the kindness of her new "walk-in-from-recess buddy."

Reviewer: Carrie Harasimowicz Sullivan

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Yumi Heo. When a little girl has writer's block, her grandparents take her to a paint-your-own-pottery place. There she gets her artistic groove back. The book's premise strains credulity and the vertical format seems rather pointless, but the up-with-creativity message is worthwhile. Heo's illustrations recall the best detail work at a kids' art show.

Reviewer: Nell Beram

(3) PS Illustrated by Yumi Heo. Katie's sunny preschool life is darkened when the Jibberwillies come at night. In a comforting conclusion, Katie and her mother collect these night fears in a bucket and throw them out the window. Heo's mixed-media illustrations nicely reflect the story arc, as cheerful background colors turn to black and page design becomes hectic when the creatures frighten the little girl.

Reviewer: Sarah Ellis

(4) PS Illustrated by Yumi Heo. "Hey Mr. Choo-choo, / Red, white, and blue-choo, / Hey Mr. Choo-choo, / What are you doing?" Such questions precipitate a train's rhymed answers, which occasionally feature a wayward syllable. Young readers will relish the repetition and onomatopoeia, and the mixed-media spreads convey the scale of both the train and passengers' excitement at riding one.

Reviewer: Nell Beram

(3) PS Illustrated by Yumi Heo. "Relaxing times reading nursery rhymes, / the songs we sing while we sit on the swing." Inventive rhyming verses arranged alphabetically celebrate a joyous relationship between two children and their peppy grandparents. Intensely patterned illustrations sporting sophisticated colors and rich narrative content complement the engaging, imaginative text.

Reviewer: Amy Lois Cohn

(2) PS Illustrated by Yumi Heo. When Baby Lily wakes up crying, the adults around her fuss and worry. The focus in the gently rhythmic text and the fanciful illustrations seems to be on the crying baby and the helpless adults, but preschoolers will zero in on Brother--on the sidelines for most of the story--who "knows JUST what to do."

Reviewer: Kitty Flynn | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2004

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Yumi Heo. Noted adult fiction author Alice Hoffman and her teenage son collaborate on a bizarre, frightening Halloween tale involving werewolf pups, destruction of property, and a lonely, misunderstood old woman. While the narrative is compelling, it ends abruptly, leaving numerous inconsistencies and unanswered questions. Brightly hued collage paintings use unique perspectives to heighten the drama.

Reviewer: CHristine Sarrazin

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Yumi Heo. In this Scottish folktale, Pirican Mor is looking for a "stick both hard and straight to whack and thwack poor Pirican Pic" (who has selfishly gobbled all the walnuts Pirican Mor has gathered). As in many another classic tale, each thing Pirican Mor needs requires getting something else. Heo uses oil washes for a very light-handed, translucent effect. There are no source notes, but this fresh reworking can be used in groups to discuss conflict.

Reviewer: Susan Dove Lempke | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 2003

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Yumi Heo. A narrator introduces the time when the story first begins: two children trade their gathered fruit with a snake, who in exchange tells them riveting stories, a concept unknown to the world. The children in turn tell the stories to their parents, and they to their neighbors. Although sometimes choppy, the narrative is elevated by the detailed pencil and oil illustrations.

Reviewer: Sheila M. Geraty

(4) PS Illustrated by Yumi Heo. When a normally well-behaved girl has a destructive fit of rage, she thinks of herself as Bombaloo instead of Katie. Although her behavior is extreme, some young readers may be able to relate to Katie's hateful and violent feelings, which are reflected in the vigorous, stylized, whirling artwork. However, the author's attempt to portray the girl's angry voice results in a choppy text.

Reviewer: Anne St. John

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Yumi Heo. Jen and her GninGnin (paternal grandmother) prepare for baby Henry's first-moon (one-month) birthday--cooking food, writing Chinese calligraphy for decorations, and coloring eggs for good luck. Folding in details about language, food, and traditions, the story deftly blends Chinese culture with universal family experiences. Stylized illustrations in mixed media feature a bubbly protagonist.

Reviewer: Tanya D. Auger

(1) K-3 Illustrated by Yumi Heo. Miserly Yoshi has no intention of paying for the eels his neighbor Sabu broils each day to sell; and though Sabu lacks customers and always has leftovers, he refuses to share. Yoshi contents himself with the eels' delicious aroma, but when Sabu suggests that Yoshi owes him for the smell of his eels, Yoshi "pays" with the jingle of coins. Told with memorable humor, visually harmonious, this perfectly paced tale is a feast indeed.

Reviewer: Joanna Rudge Long | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2000

(3) K-3 Sprightly rhyming verse describes the myriad choices a pet show offers a boy trying to pick out a pet: "Sleek pets / Slick pets / Do-amazing-tricks pets....Tiny pets / Shiny pets / Prickly-and-spiny pets." Lighthearted mixed-media pictures reveal a fanciful array of pets including salamanders in tutus, pet rocks, and a nice twist, a plaid-pant-wearing cat that chooses to go home with the boy.

Reviewer: The Horn Book, Inc.

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Yumi Heo. This Brazilian Indian pourquoi tale explains why tiny "blackmouth" monkeys spend their nights in thorny trees: they intend to build shelter but end up playing instead. The swinging rhyme leads the reader from phrase to phrase with a noisy monkey jabber refrain, which lends itself well to reading aloud. The pencil, oil, and torn paper illustrations recall simple folk art.

Reviewer: Suzy Schmidt