(3) K-3 Illustrated by Jeff Newman. Using their weekly allowances of five quarters each, James and Danny try for the lone silver racer inside the gumball machine at Mr. Wright's store. Newman's ink illustrations, with strong swaths of gumball-bright colors and loose black outlines, create a retro feel. The nostalgic book harkens back to a time adults will understand, but the late author's dialogue-driven text also speaks to today's kids.

Reviewer: Amy Seto Forrester

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Jeff Newman. At the zoo with his mother, Evan asks how many balloons it would take to make animals fly. Mom, thinking he's referring to his figurines, is unaware that Evan is handing out balloons to the real animals, who go soaring. Paired with an all-dialogue text, the visual narrative plays out in far-away perspectives as well as close-ups of distracted mother and curious, smiling son.

Reviewer: Elisa Gall | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2016

(2) PS Illustrated by Jeff Newman. Young Phoebe scores a toy truck (yay!) at the same time she acquires a baby sister (boo!). The story is notable for its sympathetic depictions of a rambunctious truck lover, her harried mother, and a not-always-adorable little baby; mixed-media illustrations in subdued hues enhance the straightforward text while playing up the tale's small moments and its big emotions.

Reviewer: Elissa Gershowitz | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2013

(2) PS Illustrated by Jeff Newman. The Bruchacs retell a pourquoi tale that the elder included in two previous collections (Iroquois Stories and The Boy Who Lived with the Bears). This version differs significantly--unfortunately, there's no source note. Shorter sentences and more patterning and repetition make this a good preschool read-aloud. The watercolor, gouache, and ink illustrations' classic mid-twentieth-century style echoes Simont, Hurd, and Weisgard.

Reviewer: Kathleen T. Horning | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2012