Reviews
Bad News for Outlaws: The Remarkable Life of Bass Reeves, Deputy U.S. Marshal
“Nelson’s well-researched biography reads much like a tall tale or frontier legend – as well it should: ‘Outlaws learned that when Marshal Reeves had your warrant, you were as good as got. . . ’ Christie’s bold full-page paintings echo the heroic… View →
Dino-Hockey
“It’s prehistoric pandemonium on ice as the toothy Meat-Eaters (in red jerseys) and the tough Veggiesaurs (in green) face off in a wild championship game. . . There’s many a tale featuring dinosaurs playing, being pets and even dancing, but here’s an activity… View →
Hush Harbor: Praying in Secret
“Banks’s oversized, almost muralistic figures reflect the strength of the Africans’ spirits and their tremendous physicality. The red outlines used throughout evoke both warmth and danger as the characters steal away to their meeting place. Evans handles the issue… View →
“Basing her tale on legend, Greene provides a smooth, suspenseful view into a rarely depicted portion of Jewish history, when Jews led a dual life and managed to maintain their Judaic rituals by blending in or hiding their beliefs and traditions, sometimes in plain sight.… View →
“Jules’s fourth Ziz book continues her versions of Midrash stories featuring the giant bird of Jewish mythology. The Ziz is summoned by the wise King Solomon of Israel for a critical job-keeping the Princess Magda company in her lonely tower. Locked up to protect her… View →
Jackson and Bud's Bumpy Ride: America's First Cross-Country Automobile Trip
“In his cartoon pictures Hargis depicts all three of his goggle-wearing travelers having the time of their lives, determinedly riding their increasingly mud-spattered horseless carriage through mountains, deserts and storms. The author sticks closely to the historical record in… View →
Millie's Marvellous Hat
“Kitamura matches his quiet story of imagination and empowerment with soft watercolor illustrations that teem with fascinating urban detail. Decked out in a bright-yellow slicker and boots, Millie’s small cheery figure easily stands out amid crowded streets and parks, but… View →
Way Too Many Latkes: A Hanukkah in Chelm
“Oy! Only in Chelm could there be such a problem—and such a solution. Chelm, that beloved but very foolish village of old-time Eastern European Jewry, has a problem as the first day of Hanukkah approaches. Faigel makes the best latkes (potato pancakes fried in oil).… View →
Wonderful Worms
“A celebration and natural history of the helpful ‘underground gardeners.’” —Kirkus View →
“. . . a delight for casual browsers and for would-be cryptozoologists alike.” — Kirkus View →
It's Fall!
“Nature seems to come alive with the pages of this beautiful and interesting tribute. . .” —Kirkus View →
Will and Squill
“The tongue-twisting text further animates this take on a well-worn theme.” —Kirkus View →
Finding Day's Bottom
“Wonderful description, hill-country language, appropriate grief and honesty combine to offer a new take on an old story.” — Kirkus View →
Love, Ruby Valentine
“Engaging watercolors depict Ruby on her quest, and . . . Ruby herself is a charming heroine. A Valentine’s offering as sweet as candy.” — Kirkus View →
![Cover: The Magic Pomegranate: [A Jewish Folktale]](https://assets2.titleleaf.com/lerner/product/cover/s_9780822567424_fc.jpg)
The Magic Pomegranate: [A Jewish Folktale]
“Hall’s imaginative illustrations in jewel tones add to the fairy-tale qualities of the story, and an author’s note, glossary and suggested reading extend the use of the volume.” —Kirkus View →
Splitting the Herd: A Corral of Odds and Evens
“Julian’s illustrations are bright, with cattle faces as friendly and expressive as the humans’ and the occasional playful background detail, and a good fit with Harris’s bouncy rhyming text, which is packed with lessons that go down easy.” … View →
To Root, to Toot, to Parachute: What Is a Verb?
“Working in rhyme, Cleary presents a flurry of verbs to readers – often in humourous juxtaposition – and a sprinkling of grammatical rules. Prosmitsky provides loads of visual clues as to the action that is taking place, and colored type cues readers to which word is… View →
Step Fourth, Mallory!
“Mallory’s chatty, first-person narrative will keep readers’ interest as she tries to solve her problems, with mixed results. With the addition of e-mail messages and a touch of romance, this easy-to-read chapter book has a slightly older theme than its… View →
Real-Life Sea Monsters
“A new addition to the expanding and worthy On My Own Science series makes science feel as mysterious and exciting as science fiction. Jango-Cohen stirs the imagination by sharing spooky sea lore and then moves to scientific research to examine the reality within the myth. . .… View →
An Unspeakable Crime: The Prosecution and Persecution of Leo Frank
“Alphin does a creditable job of unraveling the mess the trial became, a tangle of ‘lies heaped on lies,’ and the rightly ambiguous title leaves readers wondering about two unspeakable crimes – the murder and the public lynching of Leo Frank. Each chapter opens… View →
The Ziz and the Hanukkah Miracle
“Jules incorporates the theme of sharing, as well as apologizing, in a droll version of a holiday tale.” View →
“[A] sweet and gentle…informative story that effectively brings closure to one little boy’s concerns.” View →
Abraham's Search for God
“Jules bases her clearly and effortlessly told legend on several interpretations in the Midrash suggesting how the boy Abraham developed a belief in one unseen God…A promising presentation for early childhood religious instruction.” View →