(4) 4-6 Illustrated by Lucy Cartwright. Sleep, nocturnal animals, constellations, vampires...everything you need to know about nighttime is covered in this oversize illustrated guide. Loosely grouped by the sky, earth (which includes animals in different habitats), and humans at night, the information is engaging, with the kind of trivia kids love. Much of the type is extremely tiny; a table of contents and an index would have made navigation easier.

Reviewer: Janet Dawson

(4) 4-6 Illustrated by Thomas Hegbrook. Everything you've ever wanted to know about the moon--its atmosphere, phases, related mythology and legends, its effect on our bodies, poems and songs about it, lunar exploration, and more--is included in this illustrated volume. The disparate subjects, small font, and lack of an index or additional resources make this interesting and browsable book one that may struggle to find an audience.

Reviewer: Janet Dawson

(3) 4-6 Illustrated by Chris Chalik & Dave Shephard. Also illustrated by Jon Davis and Leo Hartas. This impressive book looks at a history of journeys around the world. Litton includes those over water, land, ice and snow, and via machines such as motorcycles, motor vehicles, airplanes, and spacecraft. Brief but informative sections on a diverse selection of explorers and travelers are accompanied by evocative monochromatic sketches of people and places, bringing the fascinating journeys to life.

Reviewer: Kristy Pasquariello

(3) K-3 StoryWorlds series. Dozens of pristine illustrations show different parts of the world at one moment in time: e.g., when kids play soccer in Argentina at 3 p.m., it's 4 a.m. at a deserted beach in Australia. The book can be unfolded and refolded into a text that never ends--hence the "Perpetual" of the subtitle. Hegbrook's timely message? We're all in this together.

Reviewer: Nell Beram

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Jane Newland. In this attractive, small rectangular book, various festivals, customs, and holidays from around the world are given short, cursory descriptions, with some celebrations getting just a few sentences. The accompanying illustrations are bright and colorful and evoke the festive nature of these events. The sheer number of festivals and holidays included is impressive; curious readers may be inspired to research further.

Reviewer: Antonio Trujillo

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Emma Trithart. Tidbits about heroes and deities, myths, lore, and legends from many different world cultures are relayed in this attractive small rectangular book. With so many topics covered, none is explored with any depth and some are given just a few sentences. The illustrations are generally bright, colorful, and expressive; on occasion, a saturated dark-color background makes the black text difficult to read.

Reviewer: Antonio Trujillo

(3) 4-6 This appealing oversize collection features ten well-known world cities in two-page spreads with heavy-stock double foldouts, each of which is colorfully illustrated by a different artist. More successful than the overly broad first In Focus book, the text consists of short captions for each graphic that describe the city's special features: tall buildings, noteworthy geographic points, historical landmarks, sports teams, culinary characteristics, etc.

Reviewer: Jack Forman

(3) K-3 In this oversize volume, simple sequence illustrations in varied formats (multiple panels, full double-page spread, etc.) tell very short animal and nature tales without words. Each page is handsomely designed, with striking compositions framed against crisp white backgrounds. Children are invited to make up their own stories from the illustrations, which are nicely open-ended (though the back matter provides spread-by-spread information on what the author intended).

Reviewer: Grace Worcester Greene