(4) 4-6 Illustrated by Raúl Colón. A fictionalized portrait of Miguel de Cervantes in fifteen poems highlights the hardships of his childhood and his persistent optimism to suggest echoes of his most famous character, Don Quixote. Colón's pen-and-ink and watercolor images' muted palette reinforces the grim realities of sixteenth-century Spain. Yet, the book's subdued overall style feels at odds with this writer's witty energy. Contextual notes appended. Also available in Spanish.

Reviewer: Megan Lynn Isaac

(3) 4-6 Book II continues the misadventures of knight errant Don Quixote and his squire, Sancho Panza. The story of one of the literary world's most famous atypical heroes is here retold in a lively style that retains the ribald humor, the heartbreak, and the humanity of the original. Like Quixote's friends at his deathbed, readers will be sad when he's gone.

Reviewer: Carolyn Shute

(3) 4-6 Misguided gentleman Don Quixote, riding his rickety steed Rocinante and accompanied by his squire Sancho Panza, travels the Spanish countryside righting wrongs and comforting the afflicted. Nichol retells Book I of Don Quixote in brief, engaging chapters that retain the irreverent yet poignant spirit of the original while making it more accessible for young readers.

Reviewer: Carolyn Shute

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Leonard Everett Fisher. Cervantes's famous character comes to vivid life for a young audience in this incident adapted from Spain's most famous novel. Bold illustrations from varied perspectives perfectly capture the drama of Don Quixote's illusions. Appealingly told, the text underscores the wry humor and poignancy inherent in this knight errant's story.

Reviewer: Carolyn Shute

(3) YA Great Hispanic Heritage series. This keen biography of the author of Don Quixote, arguably the template for the modern novel, dutifully reports on a life plagued with battlefield injury, imprisonment, excommunication from the Catholic church, and other spirit-crushing embarrassments. Scattered throughout are archival illustrations and modern-day photos of relevant sites, boxed historical touchstones about Cervantes's era, and excerpts from his work. Reading list, timeline. Bib., ind.

Reviewer: Nell Beram