(3) PS Illustrated by Huy Voun Lee. "Shoulder seat / Thumping beat / July 4th drums down the street." This celebratory ode to Independence Day uses rhyming couplets and tercets to illustrate the traditional ways the holiday is commemorated. Cut-paper collages reflecting the many ethnicities and backgrounds of the American population depict parades, beach parties, picnics, and fireworks displays. A cheerfully festive introduction to the Fourth of July.

Reviewer: Rita Soltan

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Huy Voun Lee. Jasmine's grandfather (agong) uses storytelling to introduce her to calligraphy. After Agong dies, Jasmine begins teaching her younger brother the same way. Attractive cut-paper illustrations cleverly incorporate Chinese characters into the objects they represent; thus, the stylized character for "horse," for example, becomes part of the horse image. Brief notes about Chinese art and food, as well as Mandarin pronunciation, are appended.

Reviewer: Martha Sibert

(3) PS Illustrated by Huy Voun Lee. The lively activity of young children comes to a halt when they hear the school fire alarm. Startled faces look to teachers as the direct, rhythmic text introduces the rules and procedures for a fire drill: "Do not run. / Do not talk. / Watch the teacher. / Walk. Walk. Walk." Colorful cut-paper collages fill the pages with texture and movement.

Reviewer: Sarah Novogrodsky

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Huy Voun Lee. Sayre takes young nature enthusiasts through the early stages of the goose reproductive cycle, beginning with a (discreet) treatment of mating and ending with the baby chicks' births and first days. The birds' waddles and flaps are readily recognizable in Lee's movement-filled cut-paper illustrations. Further details on the goose life cycle are appended.

Reviewer: Danielle J. Ford | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2009