(3) 4-6 Illustrated by Brett Helquist. Calder Pillay (Chasing Vermeer, The Wright 3) discovers that the English village where he's staying has been graced by the mysterious appearance of an Alexander Calder statue. Complications ensue when the Calders (both boy and statue) disappear, and Tommy, Petra, and Mrs. Sharpe fly over to help. As usual, Balliett relies on contrivance but writes wonderfully about art and creativity.

Reviewer: Roger Sutton | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 2008

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Boris Kulikov. Calder fashioned an elaborate circus of "tiny pieces of wire, cork, cloth, buttons, yarn, string, leather, paper, and bits of wood." Stone's narrative, which focuses on the artist's early years, is as animated as Calder's figures. Kulikov's full-bleed spreads, too, are vibrant with energy and color. An author's note and a photo of Calder performing his circus are appended. Bib.

Reviewer: Joanna Rudge Long | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2008

(3) K-3 Life and Work Of series. The books in this series offer brief overviews of an artist's life and work, using remarkably few words to convey a substantial amount of information. Profusely illustrated with photos of the feature artist and reproductions of art, they impart what is innovative about his or her body of work, whether it is Calder's mobiles, Rivera's murals, or Moses's evocative depiction of the rural past. Reading list, timeline. Glos., ind. [Review covers these Life and Work Of titles: Alexander Calder, Diego Rivera, and Grandma Moses.]

Reviewer: Susan Dove Lempke

(3) K-3 Getting to Know the World's Greatest Artists series. This brief biography discusses the evolution of Calder's distinctive artwork, his artistic influences, and some rudimentary analysis. Simple sentences set in large type make this volume easily accessible to the youngest readers. Plenty of photographs of Calder's sculptures, toys, and mobiles provide visual interest, and a few humorous cartoons lighten the tone.

Reviewer: Gail Hedges