(3) K-3 Creative, strange, energetic Billy (a young Joyce) finds an outlet for his imagination when he enters a school contest for the best kids' book. He's devastated to not win--until he discovers his entry (included as a book within this book) is the most circulated entry at the library. Budding writers and illustrators will find reassurance and inspiration, plus plenty of chuckles.

Reviewer: Pam Yosca

(3) K-3 Illustrated by William Joyce & Kenny Callicutt. The story of "Jack and the Beanstalk" gets a quirky update in this hefty picture book, wherein Jack traces a drought in the kingdom to a young giant's prolonged bath time. Joyce's rhythmic cadence is perfectly complemented by epic multimedia art, which combines realistically rendered backgrounds and objects with doll-like characters to create an inviting fairy-tale world.

Reviewer: Hannah Rodgers Barnaby