(4) K-3 Guardians of Childhood series. Illustrated by William Joyce & Andrew Theophilopoulos. Formerly known as Nightlight, Jack Frost got his new name when he fell to Earth after saving the Man in the Moon from Pitch, the Nightmare King. Jack's role as a Guardian of Childhood is ill-defined and the story is undeveloped, but the draw of the series has always been the lush romanticism of the mixed-media illustrations, here credited to Joyce and Andrew Theophilopoulos.

Reviewer: Roger Sutton

(4) K-3 Guardians of Childhood series. This sequel to The Man in the Moon tells the origin story of the Man's earthly helper, the Sandman, "Lord High Protector of Sleep and Dreams." Faux-archaic language and resplendent Golden Age illustrations make the book seem more substantial than it actually is.

Reviewer: Roger Sutton

(4) K-3 Guardians of Childhood series. An arduously constructed creation story for Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny, etc., posits that the Man in the Moon (whose own biography takes up most of this volume) enlisted them to make life better for Earth's children. The neo-retro art is as extravagant as the text is belabored, but its sentimental lushness will appeal to Joyce's many fans.

Reviewer: Roger Sutton