(2) PS Illustrated by Simona Mulazzani. This picture book invites children to observe nature as a variety of creatures busily create homes to live in with their babies. Bajaj's text is simple, specific, and active, reflecting the hard work of each type of creature to stay alive. Mulazzani's mixed-media illustrations use soft colors and have a generally cozy feel, yet they're clear and precise enough that viewers can spot even the smallest insects.

Reviewer: Susan Dove Lempke | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2019

(3) PS Illustrated by Simona Mulazzani. Bothered by the crashing end to the traditional "Rock-a-Bye Baby"? Here's your alternative: evocatively sensory rhymes take Baby from treetop to bird's nest and so on, until "Over the rivers, over the farms, / Baby flies home... / And into my arms." The grin on Baby's face while traversing magical realism–inspired nightscapes leaves no doubt that this is a thrill ride.

Reviewer: Nell Beram

(3) K-3 Translated by Brenda Porster. Illustrated by Simona Mulazzani. In a dreamlike fantasy--told in two separate stories starting at opposite sides of the book--a drop from an artist's ink bottle and a snowflake falling from the sky are serendipitously united in the air (at the book's middle). The Italian import is carried by Mulazzani's gorgeous art, which incorporates delicate, intricate laser cutouts of lacy-snowflake and irregular-inkblot designs.

Reviewer: Paula M. Cairo

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Simona Mulazzani. The Latin American almendro tree hosts thousands of living creatures, including the endangered great green macaw. In this book, one tree provides habitat for two macaws, four toucans, eight howler monkeys, and so on to 1,024 leaf-cutter ants, all illustrated in lush acrylics. Concise information is provided about each species, while mini-creature visuals represent the progressively doubled numbers. Rainforest-ecology-themed math problems are included. Reading list.

Reviewer: Paula M. Cairo

(3) K-3 Translated by Laura Watkinson. Illustrated by Simona Mulazzani. This entertaining Italian import describes a supermarket with "only natural foods," where all the animals--from snails to elephants--come to buy their favorite provisions. "A three-for-two sale on crumbs? The birds twitter and the ants form a long line. What a bargain!" Imaginative, humorous touches draw the reader in: e.g., a mongoose steals eggs by hiding them under his ball cap.

Reviewer: Martha Sibert

(2) PS Translated by Antony Shugaar. Illustrated by Simona Mulazzani. Lush art in cozy nighttime colors lends a magical, drowsy atmosphere to this lyrical look at creatures' bedtimes. Rhyming couplets are full of rhythm and repetition to soothe the youngest ears: "Mouse ate her apple and read her nice book. / Who else is sleeping? Just take a good look." This large-format ode to the joys of dreamland sets the right nighttime tone.

Reviewer: Julie Roach | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 2014

(2) K-3 Translated by Leslie Matthews. Illustrated by Simona Mulazzani. In a poetic text, the narrator wishes for the qualities of various animals. Some wishes are straightforward: the sharp eyes of a blackbird, for instance, while others seem more adult: "I wish I had the forest of thoughts of a deer listening in the woods." The text's mysterious qualities are accentuated by Mulazzani's intricate, deeply hued art.

Reviewer: Lolly Robinson | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2013

(4) 4-6 Poetry for Young People series. Illustrated by Simona Mulazzani. Thirty-four poems "written across four centuries, in North America, Europe, and East Asia" include works by Robert Frost, Edward Lear, May Swenson, and Christina Rossetti. Hollander's five-page introduction is informative, and helpful comments precede each poem; unfamiliar words and phrases are defined on each page. Unfortunately, the book's tiny type, printed over the attractive illustrations, is often difficult to read. Ind.

Reviewer: Jennifer M. Brabander