(3) 4-6 Candlewick Biographies series. Illustrated by Oliver Dominguez. This biography introduces an individual who knows what he wants to accomplish (an alternating current generator) but struggles to turn that idea into a tangible product. Stylized illustrations surround Tesla with scientific instruments while utility poles and wires crowd the New York City streets. The book's back matter is particularly strong. This is a "reformatted" edition of a picture book. Reading list, timeline. Bib., ind.

Reviewer: Betty Carter | Horn Book Magazine Issue: January, 2014

(2) 4-6 Candlewick Biographies series. Present-tense narration lends drama and immediacy to Tavares's all-smiles-and-heroics biography of Boston Red Sox slugger Williams. Watercolor, gouache, and pencil illustrations depict Williams as large as a double-page spread can hold. The less smiley and heroic side to his character is reserved for an interesting author's note. Originally published as a picture book, this is a smaller-size, reformatted edition. A list of stats is included. Bib., ind.

Reviewer: Dean Schneider | Horn Book Magazine Issue: January, 2012

(2) 4-6 Candlewick Biographies series. With understated, unfussy cadences, Tavares describes young Hank Aaron's major-league dream in this smaller-size, reformatted edition originally published as a picture book. After a brief stint in the Negro Leagues, Aaron signed a minor-league contract with the Braves but faced brutal racism in the South. In a final illustration, Tavares's skillful combination of watercolor, ink, and pencil shows Aaron in his first major-league game. An author's note and Aaron's career stats are included. Bib., ind.

Reviewer: Tanya D. Auger | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2010

(3) 4-6 Candlewick Biographies series. Illustrated by E. B. Lewis. For Walter Anderson, "to paint on Horn Island was to be in paradise." Bass's lyrical text describes Anderson's visits to the isle off the Mississippi Gulf Coast where he immersed himself in art and nature. Lewis's watercolors depict Anderson's love for his island refuge. Biographical details and impressive images of Anderson's artwork are appended in this "reformatted edition." Bib., ind.

Reviewer: Paula M. Cairo

(4) 4-6 Candlewick Biographies series. Illustrated by Matt Tavares. Arranged chronologically, fictional first-person accounts of people who assisted in the statue's design, building, financing, and transport convey a vivid sense of the ingenuity, politics, and hardships involved in making the statue a reality. Tavares's watercolor, pencil, and ink images emphasize the intimacy of Rappaport's vignettes. This smaller "reformatted edition" loses some of the original's impact; it's hard to read the tiny type. Reading list, timeline. Bib., ind.

Reviewer: Kitty Flynn | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 2008

(3) K-3 Candlewick Biographies series. Illustrated by Sean Qualls. In jazzy prose, Orgill tells of young Ella's sad childhood and up-from-her-bootstraps rise to fame. Interspersed in the main text are lyrics from songs Fitzgerald made her own (e.g., "A Tisket, A Tasket"), giving the volume an improvised feel. Qualls's acrylic, pencil, and collage illustrations hum with the energy of a night out in Harlem. This "reformatted edition" includes a list of recommended recordings. Reading list, websites. Ind.

Reviewer: Elissa Gershowitz

(3) K-3 Candlewick Biographies series. Illustrated by Stéphane Jorisch. Before Fred was famous, his sister Adele was "the dancer in the family." Orgill describes the team's childhood and early work in vaudeville and on Broadway, also touching on Fred's later achievements in films. Their dancing comes alive in focused prose and softly colored mixed-media art with period details. Recommended recordings, films, and a website are included in this "reformatted edition." Reading list. Ind.

Reviewer: Frieda F. Bostian

(4) 4-6 Candlewick Biographies series. Illustrated by Paul Lee. Phillis Wheatley's experience of being sold into slavery and her growth as a poet are, along with some fictionalized elements, set against the events of the American Revolution. Although Lasky milks the story for sentiment and handles some of the racial issues clumsily, she does convey the extraordinary quality of Wheatley's achievements. Workmanlike acrylics illustrate scenes from Wheatley's life in this "reformatted edition."

Reviewer: Anita L. Burkam

(3) 4-6 Candlewick Biographies series. Illustrated by Nneka Bennett. This well-written and informative biography captures the entrepreneurial character of America's first woman millionaire. Frustrated by the lack of hair care products for African American women, Walker founded her own cosmetics company in 1905, becoming one of the most successful business owners of her day and a role model for black women. The spacious illustrations evoke the time period in this "reformatted edition."

Reviewer: The Horn Book, Inc.