Two-time Caldecott Medalists Leo and Diane Dillon team up with Margaret Wise Brown in Two Little Trains, first published in 1949. Right from the cover, the sleek, horizontal illustrations chronicle the parallel journeys of the titular trains: a toy train wrapped in a gift box waits on the platform next to a massive modern train. "One little train was a streamlined train,/ Puff, Puff, Puff to the West./ One little train was a little old train,/ Chug, Chug, Chug going West." In one spread, the trains look down at the "deep dark river." The streamlined train races across a purple bridge while, opposite, the toy train crawls along the edge of a bathtub, the purple soap and tub basin connecting the tub scene to that of the locomotive. (HarperCollins, $15.95 40p ages 3-6 ISBN 0-06-028376-9; May) Watercolor illustrations by Jane Dyer lend a new look to Patricia MacLachlan's The Sick Day, originally published in 1979. Restful and happy scenes of Emily's father caring for her while she's under the weather play up the gentle humor and tender tone of the text. When she is feeling better, their roles reverse, and Emily takes care of her ailing father. (Doubleday, $12.95 32p ages 4-8 ISBN 0-385-32150-3; May)Green Eyes by Abe Birnbaum, a Caldecott Honor book first published in 1953, is now available in a deluxe edition. The white kitten of the title, boldly outlined in black line, grows and frolics through the seasons. In autumn, as leaves fall "slowly to the ground," the text mimics their movement. (Golden, $14.99 48p ages 2-5 ISBN 0-307-20203-8; June) Trina Schart Hyman fans will be glad to know that Rapunzel, retold by Barbara Rogasky, originally published in 1982, is back in print. The artist frames her dark and dramatic full-page and vignette illustrations in repeated pattern borders, and evokes the detailing and care of quiltmaking as she pieces together the images of this classic story. (Holiday, $16.95 32p ages 4-8 ISBN 0-8234-0454-4; May) Winner of both the Coretta Scott King Author Award and the Coretta Scott King Illustrator Award, Ray Charles by Sharon Bell Mathis, illus. by George Ford, originally published in 1973, traces the star's surmounting of incredible obstacles to become one of the world's greatest jazz musicians. Ford's illustrations capture every emotional nuance, from Ray's disappointment at being tricked by classmates as a child, to his strength as a man, refusing to perform to segregated audiences. (Lee & Low, $16 32p ages 4-10 ISBN 1-58430-017-5; $6.95 paper -018-3; June)
Following up on last fall's reissue of Harriet the Spy by Louise Fitzhugh, Delacorte is reissuing two continuing adventures featuring Harriet and her gang. In The Long Secret (1965), Harriet becomes intent on uncovering the identity of the person who is penning anonymous proverb-like notes all over town that betray a keen insight into the addressees. Money isn't everything, as Harriet's best friend learns in Sport (1979). After Sport's grandfather dies, leaving him millions of dollars, greed draws out Sport's mother, who kidnaps him. How can Sport return to life as it was before? (Delacorte, $15.95 each ages 10-up ISBN 0-385-32784-6; -32785-4; May)
Calling All Resources
With this addition to the At Home with Science series, Listen and See! What's on TV? by Janice Lobb, illus. by Peter Utton and Ann Savage, aspiring scientists can solve everyday mysteries (e.g., "How does a TV screen work?" "How does the light switch on?" and "How can I speak on the phone?"). Amiable animal characters, clear illustrations, riddles and hands-on experiments lead to the answers. (Kingfisher, $10.95 32p ages 5-7 ISBN 0-7534-5336-3; Apr.) Colorful illustrations and photographs contribute to a highly accessible design in First Dictionary, edited by John Grisewood. Underneath each boldfaced large-print word, a clear definition appears, along with an example sentence. Other features include word origins, word games and activities, plus spelling tips. Another attraction: an occasional illustrated page focuses on a theme, such as dinosaurs, planets and flowers; specific names, additional details and clear labels take readers deeper into each subject. (Kingfisher, $12.95 paper 176p ages 5-8 ISBN 0-7534-5385-1; Apr.)
Large, close-up, computer-enhanced photographs and fascinating facts make up the Guide to the Human Body by Richard Walker. Microscopic photos also reveal what hair looks like as it erupts from a follicle, a cross-section of skin and red blood cells. Those with dreams of a career in medicine will gobble up the information here, such as the fact that the silver lining of an oyster's shell can stimulate the growth of a damaged human bone. Fold-out flaps reveal the circulatory system over the length of the entire body. This informative volume closes with several tables of "Body Data," including major medical discoveries, branches of medicine and Web sites for further research. (DK, $19.95 64p ages 8-up ISBN 0-7894-7388-7; May)
The human body is also explored in two titles in the Mysterious You series: Burp! The Most Interesting Book You'll Ever Read About Eating and Hmm? The Most Interesting Book You'll Ever Read About Memory, both by Diane Swanson, illus. by Rose Cowles. In Burp! Swanson explains the functions of the human body parts using a combination of facts ("Your stomach is a J-shaped elastic sac that can stretch to hold about 1.5 L [1½ qt.] of food"), anecdotes ("Boiled briefcases, lipstick, sawdust and plaster made for bizarre food in 1941, when war trapped 3 million starving people in Leningrad, Russia") and child-oriented experiments. With contents such as "The Memory Machine," "Drawing a Blank" and "Sharpening Your Memory," Hmm? offers a similar treatment of how memory works; both books feature cartoon illustrations. (Kids Can, $14.95 each 40p ages 9-14 ISBN 1-55074-599-9; -595-6; Apr.)
Dinosaur fans can step back in time with Dinosaur World by David Orme and Helen Bird. Foldouts with acetate overlays of the dinosaurs and their surroundings offer vivid photo-realistic images of how they lived. The Tyrannosaurus rex looks "prepared to fight," and a turn of the page reveals the eggs she protects. Packed with facts covering the Cretaceous, Jurassic and Triassic periods, the volume includes a pronunciation guide and glossary. (Putnam/Discovery Kids, $16.99 114p ages 6-12 ISBN 0-525-46704-1; Apr.)
Daniel C. Beard (1850—1941), a founder of the Boy Scouts of America, introduces the adventure inherent in the great outdoors and offers simple solutions for overcoming various obstacles in The Field and Forest Handy Book: New Ideas for Out of Doors, first published in 1906 and now reissued in a facsimile edition. Readers can learn how to make a luna kite in the spring, a cheap boat in the summer, an altar camp stove in the autumn and a toboggan in the winter. For those who want to stay indoors, a chapter titled "How to Build Play Houses, Secret Castles and How to Make Mysterious Chests" is included. (Godine/Nonpareil, $14.95 paper 448p all ages ISBN 1-56792-165-5; May)
The Thank You Book by Carole Stuart, illus. by Arthur Robins, encourages youngsters to mind their p's and q's with cartoonish drawings featuring a chipper boy and girl, and an equally upbeat text. The book offers various examples of when a thank-you is in order (when Dad offers a ride to school; when a teacher solves a problem in art class, etc.), and tells how children from all over the world express their thanks. (Four Walls Eight Windows [PGW, dist.], $16 32p ages 4-8 ISBN 1-5685-8170-X; May)
