This tallest of tall tales is an original from an intriguing newcomer to children's books, Anne Isaacs. In the tradition of Paul Bunyan and Pecos Bill, the story of a self-sufficient, tornado-wielding, unflappable heroine lopes along at a perfect pace. Paul O. Zelinsky's folksy oil illustrations are painted on cherry, maple, or birch veneers, with old-fashioned frames; the extravagant and fanciful paintings have garnered the distinguished illustrator yet another Caldecott Honor. (Zelinsky has already received one Caldecott Medal for Rapunzel and two Caldecott Honors for Hansel and Gretel and Rumpelstiltskin.) The dry and fantastically far-fetched humor of the author-illustrator team will make readers of all ages feel as though Angelica herself has tossed 'em in the air so high that they are still on the way up at nightfall. (Ages 4 and older) --Emilie Coulter

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Kellogg is well known for his stories about Pinkerton the Great Dane, retellings of classic tales such as Chicken Little, and illustrations for books such as How Much Is a Million? by David Schwartz. But Kellogg's most important contribution to children's literature is his series on American folk heroes, including Johnny Appleseed, Mike Fink, Sally Ann Thunder Ann Whirlwind Crockett, and of course, the tallest hero of the tallest tale of all--Paul Bunyan. A great legend and great fun. (Ages 5 to 9) --Marcie Bovetz

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Mike Fink was king of the keelboatmen -- the strongest, rowdiest bunch of fellows ever to work on the Mississippi. Mike was a whole lot more than a keelboater -- yes, sir! He was a crack shot and the best grizzly and gator wrestler on the river. They don't make 'em like Mike these days, now do they?

On the day she is born this amazing baby proudly announces she can out-talk, out-grin, out-scream, out-swim, and out-run any baby in Kentucky. Within a few years Sally is off to the frontier, where she stuns a hungry grizzly bear, makes a lasso out of six rattlesnakes, and is more than a match for the mighty Mike Fink. And when Sally Ann rescues Davy Crockett from a pair of ferocious eagles, even her hornet's-nest bonnet and skunk perfume don't stop him from proposing marriage.

You won't find Sally Ann in any history book, but that hasn't kept her from becoming an authentic American frontier legend and the unforgettable heroine of Steven Kellogg's most delightfully rip-roaring tall tale.

When Josh McBroom learns that the eighty acres of Iowa farmland he's purchased are all stacked up on top of each other at the bottom of a muddy little pond, he thinks he's been bamboozled. But McBroom knows he's got the better of the bargain when the pond dries up to reveal an acre of soil so rich that seeds spring up into full-grown plants in no time and even nickels grow into quarters.

Margaret Willey's clever version of the classic brains vs. brawn yarn rises above and beyond the garden-variety fairy tale by virtue of Heather Solomon's stunning, unusual illustrations. Incorporating photo scraps of flowers and wood grain into her watercolor, oil, and acrylic paintings, Solomon creates richly textured visions of the upper peninsula of Michigan. Especially magical are the portrayals of men fishing, mining, and logging in the densely wooded northern landscape. We can only hope that this, Solomon's first venture into picture books, is just the beginning of a long, prolific career. (Ages 5 to 9) --Emilie Coulter

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