(3) 4-6 Illustrated by Drazen Kozjan. This picture book chronicles the friendship of Washington and the French nobleman Lafayette during the American Revolution. Lafayette's deep affection and admiration for Washington are recorded, as well as Lafayette's military leadership and contributions to the American and French Revolutions. Full-page pen-and-ink illustrations, sidebars from Lafayette's writings, and extensive timelines of the lives of both men accompany the informative text. Bib., glos.

Reviewer: Luther B. Clegg

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Drazen Kozjan. A series of bouncy rhymes describe the jobs of various "mummies" (moms): "Wanda's mum's a waitress. / She says 'Bone appétit!' / When serving hungry skeletons / Big bowls of Scream of Wheat." The punch lines are enhanced by the illustrations, all of which are completely realized scenes of ghoulishness, except for the final page, which shows--eek!--maternal love.

Reviewer: Nell Beram

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Drazen Kozjan. Kinerk covers all sorts of etiquette-related behavior (including adults forgetting to use the manners they demand of children) in poems that are varied and funny; along the way readers should also find themselves picking up a tip or two. Kozjan's digital illustrations look slightly retro and feature a multicultural cast of characters, each with spindly limbs and a highly expressive face.

Reviewer: Susan Dove Lempke | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2011

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Drazen Kozjan. Paul's new neighbor, Prudence, teases him mercilessly. Following his grandmother's advice, Paul tries to win over Prudence with kindness; when he finally snaps ("Why are you so mean, Pruneface?"), the tough cookie crumbles. A universal challenge is laid out with particularity and approached with measured action, then resolved a bit too easily. Kozjan focuses his detail-hungry eye on the story's plentiful comic aspects.

Reviewer: Nell Beram

(2) 4-6 Illustrated by Drazen Kozjan. In her third book, Julia Gillian navigates middle school while sparring with her third-grade "reading buddy," an anti-reader. Meanwhile, Julia Gillian's dog, Bigfoot, is growing frail; a moving sketch by Kozjan shows the two curled together on the vet's table, girl singing to dog about their life together. McGhee adeptly braids these plot strands together, and the result is tender and lovely.

Reviewer: Christine M. Heppermann | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2010

(2) 4-6 Illustrated by Drazen Kozjan. An amalgamation of minor lies becomes a major weight for Julia Gillian--Julia Gillian (and the Art of Knowing)--who struggles with trumpet lessons, her mysteriously distant best friend, and a new school cafeteria monitor. McGhee's affectionate, humorous portrayal of her protagonist's emotional state reveals a keen perception of elementary-school worries. Kozjan's pen-and-ink drawings animate the characters' high and low notes.

Reviewer: Christine M. Heppermann | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2009

(2) 4-6 Illustrated by Drazen Kozjan. After Julia Gillian banishes her half-read, anxiety-producing book to the fire escape, her babysitter lays out options: "Are you going to risk an unhappy ending, or are you going to live in fear?" McGhee channels Beverly Cleary in her affectionate depiction of the close-knit Minneapolis neighborhood through which Julia Gillian roams. Lively ink and pencil drawings show her making the rounds.

Reviewer: Christine M. Heppermann | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 2008

(4) 4-6 Illustrated by Drazen Kozjan. When Hunky Dory, a witch by birth, is expelled from witchcraft school, she becomes a fairy-godmother-in-training. After practicing her new art on several familiar characters (including Goldilocks and Rumpelstiltskin), Hunky grants Cinderella's wishes and earns her certification. Codell plays with role reversals and overturned expectations in a lighthearted but ultimately predictable story about finding one's life path.

Reviewer: Maeve Visser Knoth