(4) PS Illustrated by Satomi Ichikawa. Through rhyme and metaphor, Love brings to life the teacher-child dynamic. Sweet phrases, such as "I am your notes; you are my sing," illustrate how teachers and students complement each other, but some metaphors are less successful. This may be more of a gift for teachers than a story children will appreciate. Ichikawa's soft watercolors of stuffed-animal characters are inviting.

Reviewer: Kari Allen

(4) PS Illustrated by Satomi Ichikawa. On a picnic excursion, a doting grandmother bear describes what she and her grandchild mean to each other. "I am your fountain; / you are my splish. / I am your penny; / you are my wish." The sentiments will likely be clearer to adults than children, but the cheerful watercolor scenes do help explain the verses, and the antics of the young bear's stuffed animals add kid appeal.

Reviewer: Martha Sibert

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Satomi Ichikawa. In the latest in the series, Tanya confides her dreams of dancing en pointe like the dancer in The Red Shoes. She finally gets her wish but discovers that the seemingly effortless beauty of the dance requires much work (and produces many blisters). The use of the present tense underscores the conversational tone, adding verisimilitude matched by Ichikawa's marvelously agile, expressive illustrations.

Reviewer: Mary M. Burns | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2002

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Satomi Ichikawa. "I am your parent; / you are my child. / I am your quiet place; / you are my wild." A teddy bear parent narrates the rhyming couplets that convey how much parent and child love each other. Many of the metaphors are nicely poetic; a few seem forced. Soft watercolors illuminate details of the verse, which is generally sweet, occasionally cloying, but always affectionate.

Reviewer: Frieda F. Bostian

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Satomi Ichikawa. In this sixth book about the budding ballerina, Tanya struggles with the lead in the spring recital. The process of changing from being "only Tanya" to evolving into the role of a beautiful swan parallels in outline the plot of the fairy tale. Lyrical illustrations dominated by blues and whites complete the transformation for Tanya and the reader.

Reviewer: Amy Kellman

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Satomi Ichikawa. Unhappy after Grandma's death, Grandpa finally decides to re-create the soup she used to cook. With each try, he remembers another ingredient, and every day he shares his soup with an increasing number of guests--from mice to children. In this simple but eloquent story, the illustrations become lighter, more colorful, and larger as Grandpa's spirits improve and expand.

Reviewer: Martha Sibert

(2) 4-6 Illustrated by Satomi Ichikawa. In an intriguing mixture of an almost-fantasy and an almost-problem novel, two troubled young sisters work through their own difficulties as they become involved in the work and stories of a garden they believe to be under a spell. Delicately told and understated, the book features a tantalizingly open-ended ending, leaving readers to imagine for themselves what happens next.

Reviewer: Martha V. Parravano | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 1999