(4) K-3 Illustrated by Vanessa Hié. In an island village where people are "always cheerful," young Tevai encounters magical sisters who give him a special banana leaf that transforms the villagers into people who are true to their emotions. The story is a little too cryptic for kids, but the illustrations faithfully honor Gauguin's style, and a reproduction of the story's source painting and biographical information on Gauguin are enlightening.

Reviewer: Katrina Hedeen

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Lucie Albon. A wintry tale of a kindly peasant (Bird); a young ballerina transported to nineteenth-century Paris (Ballerina); the legend behind a Japanese celebration (Wave); a mailman on a dreamy voyage finding love (Journey). Four attractive oversize picture books inspired by works of Bruegel, Degas, Hokusai, and Chagall contain homage-paying illustrations, a reproduction of the influential masterpiece, and artist biographical information in question-and-answer format. Review covers these titles: A Bird in Winter, Little Ballerina, The Great Wave, and Journey on a Cloud.

Reviewer: Katrina Hedeen

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Stéphane Girel. A wintry tale of a kindly peasant (Bird); a young ballerina transported to nineteenth-century Paris (Ballerina); the legend behind a Japanese celebration (Wave); a mailman on a dreamy voyage finding love (Journey). Four attractive oversize picture books inspired by works of Bruegel, Degas, Hokusai, and Chagall contain homage-paying illustrations, a reproduction of the influential masterpiece, and artist biographical information in question-and-answer format. Review covers these titles: A Bird in Winter, Little Ballerina, The Great Wave, and Journey on a Cloud.

Reviewer: Katrina Hedeen