(4) K-3 Tales of the World series. Illustrated by Kristina Rodanas. Life in Elena's Guatemalan village is difficult, but she finds satisfaction in trying to master Spanish in school so that she can share the stories she reads with younger brother Luis and her mother, who speaks Mam (a Mayan language). The story itself is flat, but traditional clothing, cultural details, and Central American scenery are strongly realized in the evocative illustrations.

Reviewer: Melinda Greenblatt

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Kristina Rodanas. London chronicles the first months of Ko-hoh, a trumpeter swan, from hatching in the North American lake country to his family's departure south for the winter. Accompanied by realistic-looking colored-pencil over watercolor-wash paintings, the narrative highlights dramatic moments, such as Ko-hoh's comical first attempt at feeding and his escape from a grizzly bear. An author's note supplies additional information.

Reviewer: Martha Sibert

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Kristina Rodanas. From an egg laid in a cone-shaped mud nest to the chick's first flight, this book chronicles the start of a flamingo's life. Though the information is sparse, London's prose is lyrical. Realistic watercolor and colored-pencil illustrations, strong with pinks and turquoises, are evocative of tropical climes. An author's note provides more facts about the habits, diet, and habitat of the birds.

Reviewer: Rebecca Reed Whidden

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Kristina Rodanas. The characters of three men are tested when they are asked to "go to the mountaintop" and bring back what they find to Chief Sky, who is searching for a successor. Straightforwardly written and illustrated with detailed, near-panoramic images, this lesson on listening based on a Cherokee take culminates in a timeless reminder to look beyond our own suffering to acknowledge that of others. Glos.

Reviewer: Nell Beram

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Kristina Rodanas. The Christmas song is set firmly in the Middle East with the boy narrator playing a traditional darbuka. While most of the main characters have dark eyes and complexions, Mary is a slightly jarring exception. Nevertheless, the realistic watercolor and pencil illustrations convey the affectionate connections between the characters. The "pa-rum-pum-pum-pum" refrain has been set in gray type, a pleasing design choice. Music is appended.

Reviewer: Lolly Robinson

(4) K-3 The significance of the elk to the Pueblo people is the theme of this story, in which a boy's birth is marked by the visit of an elk. Named for the elk, Blue Elk is unable to speak, but eventually gains a voice through a cedar flute he makes after the elk's death. The writing is poetic, but the story is murky and the illustrations are dark.

Reviewer: The Horn Book, Inc.