(2) K-3 Illustrated by Alison Jay. Perseverance and a willingness to try new things win the day in this lively picture-book biography. Latvian Jewish immigrant Annie Cohen Kopchovsky (1870–1947) is a hard worker with a determined spirit, and when she sees an advertisement that the first woman to bicycle around the world in fifteen months will win ten thousand dollars, she immediately signs up for cycling lessons. Despite never having ridden a bicycle before, Annie (now with a new last name given to her by an advertiser) soon starts a grueling journey from Boston with many setbacks, from injury to thievery to overzealous customs officials. She builds support wherever she goes by connecting with other cyclists, completes her journey in the allotted time, and begins her new life as a celebrity journalist championing women's independence. Kirkfield's text picks up on attention-grabbing details, such as the single pair of underwear that is the only thing in Annie's pocket as she begins her ride, and keeps the story focused with a repeated chorus of "Pedal. Balance. Steer!" That refrain is often worked into the illustrations, the words winding beside Annie's bicycle in Jay's characteristic flat oil paintings with a crackled varnish that adds to the sense of history. Direct quotes are often included in speech bubbles in a cursive text (which can be difficult to decode). Back matter includes an author's note with more information on Kopchovsky, the history of biking and of women riding bikes, a timeline, and an extensive bibliography.

Reviewer: Laura Koenig | Horn Book Magazine Issue: January, 2024

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Alison Jay. Hannigan's lively picture-book biography of Belva Lockwood (1830–1917) focuses on Lockwood's lifelong fight against injustice, especially toward women. She became the first woman to argue before the Supreme Court and run for president, even before women had the right to vote. Hannigan's liberal quoting of her subject brings Lockwood's story to life, as do Jay's period-reminiscent crackled oil-paint illustrations. Timeline. Bib.

Reviewer: Christina Dorr

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Alison Jay. This engaging close retelling of the classic Brothers Grimm tale features the twelve princesses whose shoes are found every morning "worn with holes, as though they had been danced in all night." It takes a clever soldier with a magic cloak to discover the princesses' secret. Jay's colorful, crackle-glazed illustrations give the detailed spreads a folklike, antique feel, which enhances the fairy-tale elements.

Reviewer: Sheila M. Geraty

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Alison Jay. It's morning in Vienna when Oskar begins seeking the perfect birthday gift for Mama. And there it is: a yellow rose. But Oskar trades the gift for another, then another, and on. Eventually, through an act of kindness, he's empty-handed...until the act is repaid. Lodding's full-circle story is as charming as the quaint, cobblestone-street setting, pictured brilliantly in Jay's glowing crackle-varnish paintings.

Reviewer: Katrina Hedeen

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Alison Jay. A young boy can spin clouds into beautiful cloth. His mother taught him prudence--"Enough is enough and not one stitch more"--but a greedy king demands an excess of fine clothing. When the clouds run out, causing a drought, the princess helps the boy make things right. Jay's familiar crackle-varnished art strengthens Catchpool's whimsical cautionary tale of avarice.

Reviewer: Katrina Hedeen

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Alison Jay. Animals all over the earth announce the arrival of "Heaven's son" in a simple, reverent Christmas story. Jay's jewel-like paintings, framed by white space, take readers around the world where desert animals, ocean creatures, and insects all anticipate the birth of a special baby, "God's great gift."

Reviewer: Maeve Visser Knoth

(2) K-3 The paintings in this Nutcracker exude nostalgia, with scenes bathed in golden light and an antiqued crackle added to the paint's surface. Nevertheless, Jay imparts an appropriate sense of danger, combining rounded figures with sharp, stick-thin limbs that seem liable to break at any second; a daring color palette; and page designs with plenty of forward motion.

Reviewer: Lolly Robinson | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2010

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Alison Jay. God asks several creatures--giraffe, bee, child, etc.--if each had been the best they could in the year just ended, contributing their own special gifts for the benefit of the earth and of others. When all answer yes, God is pleased. Jay's paintings, notable for their crackle finish and subtle palette, are more engaging than the message-y text.

Reviewer: Amy Lois Cohn

(4) PS Illustrated by Alison Jay. Rhyming text describes the sounds of each season. Readers are invited to listen to the whistle of the finch in springtime and the plop of acorns dropping in the fall. The text is bland ("Listen, listen...autumn's gone. Snowflakes whisper, 'Winter's fun'"), but Jay's characteristic crackled paintings are striking, giving readers much to pore over.

Reviewer: Maeve Visser Knoth

(3) 4-6 Illustrated by Alison Jay. Illustrations finished with a crackle varnish lend a folksy feel to this unabridged version of Carroll's classic fantasy. Full pages of art, smaller vignettes, and a generous number of double-page spreads appear throughout the book. While Jay's whimsical paintings tend to soft-pedal the story's surreal elements, this is a handsome edition nonetheless.

Reviewer: Carolyn Shute

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Alison Jay. Hans Christian Andersen's classic story of a vain emperor who's a clotheshorse--well, in this case, a clothes lion--is retold in sprightly rhyming couplets. The leonine emperor, advised by a tortoise and a hare, is duped by tailors cast as weasels. The crackle-glazed paintings are rendered in warm colors and depict animal figures simultaneously rounded and elongated.

Reviewer: Carolyn Shute

(3) PS Illustrated by Alison Jay. A child goes for a nighttime ramble with the moon lighting his way and imagines that he is taking it for a walk. Flawless meter and vivid, kid-friendly imagery mark this superb bedtime poem. Jay's signature crackle-painting illustrations present a whimsical moon, with arms and legs (even shoes); the pictures sometimes embellish, sometimes make more concrete, the lyrical poetry.

Reviewer: Martha V. Parravano

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Alison Jay. In this rhythmic, rhymed tribute to the wonderful world of "geography," Lewis recommends traveling by poem to exotic destinations. Some of the twenty-six poems inform; others honor those explorers who contributed to geographic knowledge. Still others are commentaries on phenomena or nomenclature. The illustrations are witty yet understated in color so that they complement rather than compete with the subject.

Reviewer: Mary M. Burns | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2002

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Alison Jay. In this retelling of Aesop's "The Hare and the Tortoise," the famous race starts in England and ends in New York City--Hare travels pell-mell by car, plane, and hot air balloon (to name a few conveyances), while Tortoise takes a more direct but leisurely cruise. Though the story, which is told in uneven rhyme, drags and the characters lack personality, the crackle-glaze illustrations are sophisticated.

Reviewer: Mark Adam

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Alison Jay. The small format and soft pastel illustrations give a private and warm feel to this book of simple prayers. The prayers range from traditional to biblical to original. There are prayers for many needs and occasions, including ones for home, the world, animals, death, seasons, festivals, environment, quiet times, and nighttime. Several of the illustrations are repeated throughout the different sections.

Reviewer: Hilary Breed Van Dusen

(4) PS Illustrated by Alison Jay. Everyone sleeps on the night train--everyone but William, who is determined to stay up and get to Tomorrow as quickly as possible. Rich, detailed illustrations effectively capture the boy's energy, the bustle of the train, and especially the fantastic voyage rendered through William's dreams. The text has a stilted almost-rhyme, almost-rhythm that disrupts the gentle passage toward sleep.

Reviewer: CHristine Sarrazin

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Alison Jay. On her seventh birthday, a young girl wishes that she could dance with a star. The heavenly bodies work together to grant the wish, and on her one-hundred-and-seventh birthday the girl, now an old woman, climbs up a massive tree and reaches her star. Overly contrived language mars an otherwise satisfying story intended to spark discussion of death. Soft illustrations enhance the magical mood.

Reviewer: CHristine Sarrazin