(3) 4-6 Dragon Rider series. Translated by Anthea Bell. When the last Pegasus mare dies, leaving behind three eggs, Ben (Dragon Rider) and his father Barnabas journey in search of a griffin feather--their only hope for a successful hatching. But Ben must disguise their quest from his dragon Firedrake, fearing an old dragon-griffin feud will reignite. Funke successfully juggles a large cast and adds notes of humor to this second fantastical adventure.

Reviewer: Anita L. Burkam

(4) YA Silver Trilogy series. Translated by Anthea Bell. Anabel--who tried to kill dream-traveling protagonist Liv Silver in prior books--is free from the psychiatric hospital and villainous classmate Arthur can now mind-control people in their dreams. Surrounded by danger from these adversaries, Liv, Grayson, and Henry must decide how far they're willing to go to protect those they love. The trilogy's main plot inches toward a climactic conclusion that ultimately wraps up neatly in this finale.

Reviewer: Lauren Chambers

(3) K-3 Retold by Anthea Bell. Translated by Anthea Bell. A complex tale with Cinderella-like themes, translated and adapted from great Russian folklorist Alexander Afanasyev's original. Russian artist Morgunova's fanciful, finely detailed illustrations recall the aesthetics of Chagall, Klimt, and Picasso but are also uniquely beautiful. In a short introduction, the illustrator describes her interpretation of Baba Yaga, the woman from whom Vasilisa must get light, as an enchantress rather than a witch.

Reviewer: Melinda Greenblatt

(2) K-3 Translated by Anthea Bell. Illustrated by Lisbeth Zwerger. This collection of eleven stories about fourteenth-century German trickster Till Eulenspiegel is as fresh as ever; its reissue is especially welcome given the dearth of collected folklore currently published for children. The wandering peasant clown outwits thieves, kings, and scholars: he's an equal-opportunity mischief-maker. The language is brisk and concise; accompanying illustrations capture each story's essence in a rich, bright palette.

Reviewer: Martha V. Parravano | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 1991; November, 2016

(4) K-3 Translated by Anthea Bell. Illustrated by Robert Ingpen. In this handsome edition (here reissued in inexpensive paper-over-board) of one of Andersen's best-known stories, the familiar text about the shunned duckling who becomes a beautiful swan has been smoothly translated, and Ingpen's rich illustrations are full of texture and show unusual insight into the animal world. Unfortunately, on some pages the narrow-margin text is a bit difficult to read against the illustrations.

Reviewer: Melinda Greenblatt

(4) YA Silver Trilogy series. Translated by Anthea Bell. With her enemy imprisoned, Liv, who can enter people's dreams (Dream a Little Dream), is ready to just live and enjoy her new relationship. Unfortunately, that proves impossible when her secrets are leaked online and strange things start happening behind the dream door. Despite a slow start and underdeveloped secondary plot lines, fans will enjoy the romantic interlude and anticipate the third volume.

Reviewer: Lauren Chambers

(3) 4-6 Translated by Anthea Bell. Illustrated by Lisbeth Zwerger. A bad fairy enslaves young Jacob, then turns him into a hideous dwarf. He befriends a goose--who is really an enchanted girl--and they work together to free themselves. The lengthy text is crisp; Zwerger's spare artwork employs gentle lines and colors that often carry frightful, haunting undertones.

Reviewer: The Horn Book, Inc.

(3) K-3 Retold by Renate Raecke. Translated by Anthea Bell. Illustrated by Yana Sedova. On Christmas Eve, young Marie and the Nutcracker Prince journey to "Candytown" in a dream--or was it? Simple but vivid language retells the classic tale. Sedova's stylized, jewel-toned illustrations are rich with texture and detail, including clockwork (in homage to Drosselmeier's toy-making) and Christmas tree–ornament motifs throughout. An afterword gives some background on Hoffmann's story and its many adaptations.

Reviewer: Katie Bircher

(3) 4-6 Translated by Anthea Bell. Illustrated by F. J. Tripp. Friends Kasperl and Seppel pursue the infamous robber Hotzenplotz after he steals Kasperl's grandmother's musical coffee mill. The clumsy duo finds itself snared in the robber's den when plans go awry. All ends well with a fairy's aid. Though the silliness is old-fashioned, this folklore-inspired story, first published in Germany in 1962, has some kid-appeal. Black-and-white drawings add levity to the escapades.

Reviewer: Carolyn Shute

(3) 4-6 Retold by Lisbeth Zwerger. Translated by Anthea Bell. Illustrated by Lisbeth Zwerger. Western literature's most famous love story is retold in conversational prose, with brief excerpts from the play incorporated and highlighted in red type. A master colorist, Zwerger's full-page jewel-toned watercolors are sparely drafted, allowing the reader's imagination to fill in details, even as spot art of dying roses foreshadow the conclusion. A final spread ponders an alternate ending for the couple.

Reviewer: Carolyn Shute

(3) YA Silver Trilogy series. Translated by Anthea Bell. Liv's mother drags Liv, her sister Mia, and nanny Lottie to London to settle down with a new British beau whose son is mixed up with a spooky society that meets in a cemetery. Why do Grayson, his friends, and their graveyard keep showing up in Liv's dreams, and who's this "Chosen One"? This engaging supernatural mystery offers believable characters and sharp prose.

Reviewer: Morgan Stewart

(3) K-3 Retold by Renate Raecke. Translated by Anthea Bell. Collected by Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm. After the people of Hamelin refuse to pay the Pied Piper for ridding their town of rats, he takes his revenge by leading the town's children away. This eerie, faithful retelling includes exact details (the year 1284; 130 children), giving it a ring of authenticity. The sophisticated illustrations have a subdued, foreboding quality suitable for slightly older picture-book readers.

Reviewer: Lisa Catherine Findlay

(4) K-3 Translated by Anthea Bell. Illustrated by Yana Sedova. This large-size, newly illustrated edition features art with delicately rendered details and dominated by icy blues. With the interest in Disney's Frozen, this should be a sought-after volume, although some may be put off by the lengthy text. The 1987 edition was illustrated by Bernadette Watts.

Reviewer: Melinda Greenblatt

(3) K-3 Translated by Anthea Bell. Illustrated by Gerda Raidt. The historical note by folklorist Jack Zipes emphasizes the familial love at the heart of this smoothly translated story of the little sister who sacrifices herself, vowing silence and weaving shirts to transform her brothers, imprisoned in swan bodies by their evil stepmother's spell. Finely detailed illustrations capture both the story's darkness and its moments of domestic happiness.

Reviewer: Melinda Greenblatt

(3) 4-6 Translated by Anthea Bell. Illustrated by Sybille Schenker. The gothic cutout lettering and the hand-sewn binding signal that this is a special retelling of the familiar story. In Bell's excellent translation, the girl is called Little Red Cap; Schenker uses intricate die-cut pages to reveal the action and heavy black contour lines that are reminiscent of woodcuts. This gorgeous (but delicate and expensive) volume will intrigue sophisticated readers, young and old.

Reviewer: Melinda Greenblatt

(3) YA Translated by Anthea Bell. Rosa (Arcadia Awakens; Arcadia Burns) and Alessandro are the heads of their Sicilian Mafia families. But when they are framed for a judge's murder and almost kidnapped, they must uncover an ancient plot and the secret of their shapeshifting powers to stay alive. Multiple twists and turns bring the supernatural-thriller trilogy's many elements together in a satisfyingly tense climax.

Reviewer: Lauren Chambers

(2) 4-6 Translated by Anthea Bell. Originally published as The Satanic Mill, this is a foreboding tale, set in seventeenth-century Germany, of fourteen-year-old Krabat, newly apprenticed to a miller who is running a school of black magic. Once a year, one of the twelve apprentices dies under mysterious circumstances. The atmosphere is menacing, the combination of realistic events and eerie dream sequences extremely effective. Preussler's horror novel still has significant power.

Reviewer: Martha V. Parravano | Horn Book Magazine Issue: April, 1973; November, 2014

(3) YA Translated by Anthea Bell. The trilogy's final book (Ruby Red; Sapphire Blue) reveals that founder Count Saint-Germain has been manipulating the time-traveling Circle of Twelve. Sixteen-year-old Gwen must be persuaded to work with handsome Gideon again after he betrayed her, and motives are blurred as it becomes clear the Circle has been corrupted. An entertaining ride with a well-built conceit and reliable characterization.

Reviewer: Ariel Baker-Gibbs

(3) YA Translated by Anthea Bell. Now the head of a Sicilian shape-shifting Mafia family, eighteen-year-old Rosa (Arcadia Awakens) has to contend with rivals who want to kill or manipulate her. And dating the head of her family's rival clan doesn't make things easier. A shrewd narrator and a focus on entertaining action and romance help balance out the more emotional undercurrents of secrecy and violence.

Reviewer: Lauren Chambers

(4) K-3 Translated by Anthea Bell. "Pint-Sized Pete" befriends an even smaller bird, a yellow chick named Steve, who tries teaching Pete to fly. Steve's flock sadly moves on, and though he can't fly, it cheers Pete up when his mother lets him try swimming on his own. Illustrations use simple, feathery-edged shapes to convey emotion more effectively than the rather drab text.

Reviewer: Shoshana Flax