(3) PS Shalom Sesame series. Illustrated by Tom Leigh. Sesame Street characters in Israel relate two stories involving doing good deeds. In Mitzvah, Grover and friends clean up a playground after a storm, though Moishe the grouch hesitates to participate. In Passover, Big Bird joins Grover and learns about Passover as they do mitzvot en route to a seder. The tone is un-preachy and preschoolers will recognize the friendly cast of characters. Review covers these Shalom Sesame titles: Grover and Big Bird's Passover Celebration and It's a Mitzvah, Grover!.

Reviewer: Amy Kellman

(3) PS Shalom Sesame series. Illustrated by Tom Leigh. Sesame Street characters in Israel relate two stories involving doing good deeds. In Mitzvah, Grover and friends clean up a playground after a storm, though Moishe the grouch hesitates to participate. In Passover, Big Bird joins Grover and learns about Passover as they do mitzvot en route to a seder. The tone is un-preachy and preschoolers will recognize the friendly cast of characters. Review covers these Shalom Sesame titles: Grover and Big Bird's Passover Celebration and It's a Mitzvah, Grover!.

Reviewer: Amy Kellman

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Brandon Dorman. Lexy loves to dance, until recital time when--"blammo!"--stage fright hits. She becomes an out-of-the-spotlight dance teacher instead, taking on five blue giants as pupils. When stage fright strikes her students, Lexy steps up to help. Bird is light and subtle with the message, and the illustrations of a zestful, rosy-cheeked girl and cute fuzzy creatures dance along with the droll text.

Reviewer: Amy Kellman

(3) K-3 I Can Read Book series. Illustrated by Aleksey Ivanov & Olga Ivanov. Two more very beginning readers feature likable ballerina kitten Mia. In Stage, she finds that a hurt leg doesn't keep her from playing a special role in the big recital. In Twirl, new classmate Sara's eccentricity prompts a lesson that "there are many ways to dance." Mia's sparkle and verve, center-stage in the illustrations, will engage little ballerinas learning to read. Glos. Review covers these I Can Read Book titles: Mia and the Girl with a Twirl and Mia Sets the Stage.

Reviewer: Amy Kellman

(3) K-3 I Can Read Book series. Illustrated by Aleksey Ivanov & Olga Ivanov. Two more very beginning readers feature likable ballerina kitten Mia. In Stage, she finds that a hurt leg doesn't keep her from playing a special role in the big recital. In Twirl, new classmate Sara's eccentricity prompts a lesson that "there are many ways to dance." Mia's sparkle and verve, center-stage in the illustrations, will engage little ballerinas learning to read. Glos. Review covers these I Can Read Book titles: Mia and the Girl with a Twirl and Mia Sets the Stage.

Reviewer: Amy Kellman

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Natalia Vasquez. Max describes for his mother his camp activities, repeatedly declaring, "There are no baths at camp." The eye-pleasing mixed-media illustrations, however, show the different ways the children got (sort of) clean. Finally, before Shabbat dinner, the campers take showers. The slight but lightly humorous story will be enjoyed by Jewish campers.

Reviewer: Amy Kellman

(4) K-3 Photographs by Eliyahu Alpern. In this photo essay, students in Israel grow wheat, harvest it, turn it into flour and, using cheese from goats at a petting zoo, make cheesecake for Shavuot. The reader follows the process from the fall planting to the spring harvest. Vivid color photographs buoy the straightforward but bland text. The recipe and a note about Shavuot conclude the book.

Reviewer: Amy Kellman

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Alexandra Boiger. "Tallulah knew she'd never be a ballerina until she got a pair of pink satin toe shoes." Despite warnings that she is too young, Tallulah takes home a pair she finds in the trash at ballet school. Elegant watercolors reflect Tallulah's dreams of en pointe grandeur (and the pain of swollen toes). Few picture books deal this well with delayed gratification.

Reviewer: Amy Kellman

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Francesca Carabelli. Mr. Modiano owns a fish store and hates cats. His neighbor, Mrs. Spiegel, loves her cat. The two are brought together when Mrs. Spiegel's cat goes missing and Mr. Modiano searches the streets of Tel Aviv to find the missing pet. The cartoon-style illustrations capture the humor of this predictable story.

Reviewer: Amy Kellman

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Patti Argoff. These two lift-the-flap books are basic, acceptable introductions to Chanukah and Purim for more observant families. Readers are asked in rhyming couplets to identify figures and holiday trappings; answers, many in Hebrew terms, are under the flap. Purim mitvos and Chanukah activity ideas conclude the books. The cartoon-style illustrations are amiable (perhaps overly) but uninteresting. Glos. Review covers these titles: Chanukah Guess Who? and Purim Guess Who?.

Reviewer: Amy Kellman

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Jenni Desmond. When the leading lady's cat, Simon, is frightened by a noise, he climbs a tree on the play's set. After the stage manager, stagehands, and electrician fail to lure him down, the star steps in and the show goes on--until something frightens her and Simon takes the spotlight. The story and the sketch-like illustrations both capture the theater's backstage world with humor.

Reviewer: Amy Kellman

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Christine Davenier. The very fairy princess returns as a flower girl in her aunt's wedding, and her family has to keep her from going over the top (e.g., leaping down the aisle). Geraldine is discouraged when it literally rains on her parade, but a neat resolution restores her sparkle. The story is too familiar, but Davenier's ink and colored-pencil drawings add pizzazz.

Reviewer: Amy Kellman

(4) 4-6 Dance Class series. Illustrated by Crip. REVIEW MISSING

Reviewer: Amy Kellman

(4) 4-6 Dance Class series. Illustrated by Crip. These graphic novels offer somewhat fractured comic strips loosely held together by the ballet class's (wacky) production of "Romeo and Juliet" and then their letting loose with African dance; the climaxes are both unexpected and humorous. The tiny cartoons of teen characters, focus on dating in the stories, and occasional innuendos are aimed at older middle-schoolers. Review covers these Dance Class titles: African Folk Dance Fever and Romeos and Juliet.

Reviewer: Amy Kellman

(3) PS Photographs by Leyah Jensen. Each of these books features five energetic young kids experiencing their first gymnastics or karate class. Important words and basic steps appear in bold, colorful type; lifting the page flap reveals an explanation or demonstration of each move. The texts are minimal and clear, reinforced by the accompanying combination of photographs and drawings atop lots of white space for a clean look. Review covers these titles: My First Gymnastics Class and My First Karate Class.

Reviewer: Amy Kellman

(3) PS Photographs by Laura Hanifin. Each of these books features five energetic young kids experiencing their first gymnastics or karate class. Important words and basic steps appear in bold, colorful type; lifting the page flap reveals an explanation or demonstration of each move. The texts are minimal and clear, reinforced by the accompanying combination of photographs and drawings atop lots of white space for a clean look. Review covers these titles: My First Gymnastics Class and My First Karate Class.

Reviewer: Amy Kellman

(3) K-3 I Can Read Book series. Illustrated by Aleskey Ivanov & Olga Ivanov. Mia the ballerina kitten is back in two easy-to-read stories: when a friend needs help practicing her solo, Mia comes to her rescue (Daisy); Mia's class sees her big sister Ava perform, but she feels left out when Ava doesn't watch her dance during a special teaching session afterward (Big Sister). Simple dance vocabulary and colorful, twirl-packed illustrations are equally pleasing. Glos. Review covers these I Can Read Book titles: Mia and the Big Sister Ballet and Mia and the Daisy Dance.

Reviewer: Amy Kellman

(4) K-3 I Can Read Book series. Illustrated by Aleksey Ivanov & Olga Ivanov. Dancing kitten Mia is back, this time teaching some beginning dancers the first three ballet positions. When the little ones have problems mastering the steps, Mia turns their mistakes into new moves. The simple story uses short sentences, while colorful illustrations add humor and reinforce the text. The title is misleading—the story isn't about toe shoes.

Reviewer: Amy Kellman

(3) K-3 I Can Read Book series. Illustrated by Aleksey Ivanov & Olga Ivanov. Mia the ballerina kitten is back in two easy-to-read stories: when a friend needs help practicing her solo, Mia comes to her rescue (Daisy); Mia's class sees her big sister Ava perform, but she feels left out when Ava doesn't watch her dance during a special teaching session afterward (Big Sister). Simple dance vocabulary and colorful, twirl-packed illustrations are equally pleasing. Glos. Review covers these I Can Read Book titles: Mia and the Big Sister Ballet and Mia and the Daisy Dance.

Reviewer: Amy Kellman

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Diane Goode. Rosie always loved to dance at home with Bear, but her love falters when she struggles in her new ballet class. A gift of special ballet slippers from her encouraging teacher gives Rosie the confidence to dance her best. The message isn't subtle; but the spare, delicately colored brush, pen-and-ink, and pastel illustrations, set on plentiful white space, allow the movement of dancing to dominate.

Reviewer: Amy Kellman