(1) K-3 Illustrated by Susan Gal. This picture-book biography of Holocaust historian Yaffa Eliach (1935–2016) begins with her happy childhood in the shtetl of Eishyshok in what is now Lithuania, emphasizing the village's deep connection to its nine-hundred-year history and its enthusiasm for preserving memories through photographs. When the Nazis invade, Yaffa and her family escape, and the approachable text continues to center the importance of memories, including the photos Yaffa saves in her shoes. Years later, when the adult Eliach is a renowned history professor in the U.S., President Jimmy Carter asks her to build a memorial in the new United States Holocaust Museum, and she seeks out photos saved by other survivors to "rebuild Eishyshok, not brick by brick, but photograph by photograph, story by story." The result is the Tower of Faces, which Eliach calls the Tower of Life. Gal's illustrations, created with ink, watercolor, and digital collage (including two actual photos), begin with cheerful blues and yellows on plentiful white space, then turn to angry, arresting reds and blacks when the Nazis appear. Photos and other ephemera in varied grayscale and sepia tones are creatively incorporated into broader scenes of memories as those scenes are reconstructed. An affirming tribute to a Jewish past that was lost in the Holocaust as well as to one survivor's work. Back matter includes a timeline, a bibliography, further reading, and an author's note.

Reviewer: Shoshana Flax | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2023

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Daphna Awadish. Mendel loves Hanukkah but is prone to, and known for, making mistakes. He over-onions the latkes, for example, and uses sparklers in place of Hanukkah candles. "Oy, Mendel!" When Rabbi Klein asks him to drive the Mitzvah Mobile to spread the word about the big Hanukkah bash, everyone is nervous. Things go surprisingly well--at first. Details in the childlike illustrations give this community lots of personality; and Mendel's personal journey very loosely mirrors the Hanukkah story in a lighthearted way. "A Brief History of Hanukkah," a glossary, and some holiday activities are appended.

Reviewer: Elissa Gershowitz | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2022

(3) K-3 Animals on the Family Farm series. One family's farm is the setting for these six simple books about domestic animals. In each volume, a conversational text and colorful photos briefly cover basics: what the animal eats, where it lives (coop, pen, etc.), differences between males and females (size, coloring), care of young, and what it's raised for (eggs, cheese, meat). Reading list, websites. Glos., ind. Review covers these Animals on the Family Farm titles: Chickens on the Family Farm, Cows on the Family Farm, Goats on the Family Farm, Pigs on the Family Farm, Sheep on the Family Farm, and Turkeys on the Family Farm.

Reviewer: Barbara Barstow

(3) K-3 Animals on the Family Farm series. One family's farm is the setting for these six simple books about domestic animals. In each volume, a conversational text and colorful photos briefly cover basics: what the animal eats, where it lives (coop, pen, etc.), differences between males and females (size, coloring), care of young, and what it's raised for (eggs, cheese, meat). Reading list, websites. Glos., ind. Review covers these Animals on the Family Farm titles: Chickens on the Family Farm, Cows on the Family Farm, Goats on the Family Farm, Pigs on the Family Farm, Sheep on the Family Farm, and Turkeys on the Family Farm.

Reviewer: Barbara Barstow

(3) K-3 Animals on the Family Farm series. One family's farm is the setting for these six simple books about domestic animals. In each volume, a conversational text and colorful photos briefly cover basics: what the animal eats, where it lives (coop, pen, etc.), differences between males and females (size, coloring), care of young, and what it's raised for (eggs, cheese, meat). Reading list, websites. Glos., ind. Review covers these Animals on the Family Farm titles: Chickens on the Family Farm, Cows on the Family Farm, Goats on the Family Farm, Pigs on the Family Farm, Sheep on the Family Farm, and Turkeys on the Family Farm.

Reviewer: Barbara Barstow

(3) K-3 Animals on the Family Farm series. One family's farm is the setting for these six simple books about domestic animals. In each volume, a conversational text and colorful photos briefly cover basics: what the animal eats, where it lives (coop, pen, etc.), differences between males and females (size, coloring), care of young, and what it's raised for (eggs, cheese, meat). Reading list, websites. Glos., ind. Review covers these Animals on the Family Farm titles: Chickens on the Family Farm, Cows on the Family Farm, Goats on the Family Farm, Pigs on the Family Farm, Sheep on the Family Farm, and Turkeys on the Family Farm.

Reviewer: Barbara Barstow

(3) K-3 Animals on the Family Farm series. One family's farm is the setting for these six simple books about domestic animals. In each volume, a conversational text and colorful photos briefly cover basics: what the animal eats, where it lives (coop, pen, etc.), differences between males and females (size, coloring), care of young, and what it's raised for (eggs, cheese, meat). Reading list, websites. Glos., ind. Review covers these Animals on the Family Farm titles: Chickens on the Family Farm, Cows on the Family Farm, Goats on the Family Farm, Pigs on the Family Farm, Sheep on the Family Farm, and Turkeys on the Family Farm.

Reviewer: Barbara Barstow

(3) K-3 Animals on the Family Farm series. One family's farm is the setting for these six simple books about domestic animals. In each volume, a conversational text and colorful photos briefly cover basics: what the animal eats, where it lives (coop, pen, etc.), differences between males and females (size, coloring), care of young, and what it's raised for (eggs, cheese, meat). Reading list, websites. Glos., ind. Review covers these Animals on the Family Farm titles: Chickens on the Family Farm, Cows on the Family Farm, Goats on the Family Farm, Pigs on the Family Farm, Sheep on the Family Farm, and Turkeys on the Family Farm.

Reviewer: Barbara Barstow

(4) 4-6 Ye Yucky Middle Ages series. Illustrated by Gerald Kelley. This series puts a comedic focus on the smellier, nastier aspects of life in medieval Europe. Each chapter covers a different topic and is balanced between the sensational and the informative. Humorous illustrations keep things lighthearted and fit well with the overall theme. Some of the information is repeated across volumes, with Castle being particularly redundant. Reading list, websites. Glos., ind. Review covers these Ye Yucky Middle Ages titles: Don't Let the Barber Pull Your Teeth!, Sweaty Suits of Armor, There's a Rat in my Soup, and Ye Castle Stinketh.

Reviewer: Antonio Trujillo

(4) 4-6 Ye Yucky Middle Ages series. Illustrated by Gerald Kelley. This series puts a comedic focus on the smellier, nastier aspects of life in medieval Europe. Each chapter covers a different topic and is balanced between the sensational and the informative. Humorous illustrations keep things lighthearted and fit well with the overall theme. Some of the information is repeated across volumes, with Castle being particularly redundant. Reading list, websites. Glos., ind. Review covers these Ye Yucky Middle Ages titles: Don't Let the Barber Pull Your Teeth!, Sweaty Suits of Armor, There's a Rat in my Soup, and Ye Castle Stinketh.

Reviewer: Antonio Trujillo

(4) 4-6 Ye Yucky Middle Ages series. Illustrated by Gerald Kelley. This series puts a comedic focus on the smellier, nastier aspects of life in medieval Europe. Each chapter covers a different topic and is balanced between the sensational and the informative. Humorous illustrations keep things lighthearted and fit well with the overall theme. Some of the information is repeated across volumes, with Castle being particularly redundant. Reading list, websites. Glos., ind. Review covers these Ye Yucky Middle Ages titles: Don't Let the Barber Pull Your Teeth!, Sweaty Suits of Armor, There's a Rat in my Soup, and Ye Castle Stinketh.

Reviewer: Antonio Trujillo

(3) 4-6 True Forensic Crime Stories series. This series uses real-life examples from the eighteenth century through today to introduce readers to forensic science. Case studies demonstrate how investigators use chemistry, biology, and good detective skills to solve crimes. The science is generally accessible and the accompanying photographs are well used. Ignore the pages' hokey blood spatters. Reading list, websites. Glos., ind. Review covers these True Forensic Crime Stories titles: Trace Evidence, Gun Crimes, Bones, Cybercrime, DNA and Blood, and Fingerprints.

Reviewer: Barratt Miller

(4) 4-6 Weather Channel Kids series. This accessible if somewhat scattered volume covers the basics of earth and atmospheric sciences with an emphasis on natural disasters such as earthquakes and volcanoes, hurricanes, storms, and floods. Each double-page spread includes a vivid background photograph over which basic information about the title phenomenon is presented; sidebars and text boxes of related facts enhance the presentation. Glos.

Reviewer: Danielle J. Ford