(4) 4-6 Translated by Shelley Tanaka. Illustrated by Rogé. In lengthy picture-book format, an enigmatic, poetic tale of grief is illustrated with nearly colorless mixed-media drawings. Hoping to impress her grief-mired grandfather after the loss of his wife, a young woman wins a contest to fly to the moon. At first thrilled with the trip, she soon feels empty, ejects herself, and parachutes down to her grandfather's awaiting car. Odd but moving.

Reviewer: Grace Worcester Greene

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Rogé. Krensky retells the story of Noah's ark as a pourquoi tale to explain why each animal makes its own special sound. The narration includes plenty of animal noises and a hearty dose of humor. The vibrant figures in the illustrations suit the lively text, especially when the critters make the "wrong" sounds (e.g., snakes saying "quack").

Reviewer: Maeve Visser Knoth

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Rogé. Affable class-pet iguana Cesar grows restless during the students' spring break. While exploring the school he encounters other class pets. Shown in humorous acrylics, the critters enjoy their own vacation, sunbathing under French-fry lamps and playing straw hockey in the teachers' lounge (though the one-note joke goes on a little too long). Iguana facts are appended.

Reviewer: Carrie Harasimowicz Sullivan