Edited by Bernice E. Cullinana, I Heard a Bluebird Sing is a selection of poems by NCTE award-winning poet Aileen Fisher, whose work was first published in 1933 yet is timeless in its simplicity, wonder, and joy. Illustrated with delightful black-and-white sketches by Jennifer Emery, the poems comprising I Heard A Bluebird Sing were selected and recommended by children for their enjoyable, simple, read-aloud fun. "Who tells the little deer mouse/before the year is old/that she should wear a warmer coat/to shield her from the cold?/I'm glad that someone tells her/and she does as she is told."

Lilith Jones' beautiful, warm drawings are realistic and fine accompaniments to this simple story of various baby animals who don't resemble their parents. Animal mothers and babies are profiled in You Don't Look Like Your Mother, a very fine survey of differences.

The novel Little Women by Louisa May Alcott is cherished by girls of the past all the way through to today. The story provided a refreshing insight to the typical American family and the love and fun that they shared. This story was modeled after Alcott's family, however, it did not address the life of severe deprivation that the family shared. In We Alcotts by Aileen Fisher and Olive Rabe, the Alcott family story is explained through the eyes of Mrs. Alcott, and it is a tale as well worth knowing as Little Women itself. The authors also felt that this story was a welcome addition to one's knowledge about the Alcott clan. They used journals from both Bronson Alcott and Louisa May Alcott along with writings of Henry Thoreau and Ralph Waldo Emerson, who became close friends of the family. The made sure that this was an accurate representation of the family and that all the situations explained in their story actually happened and that the dialogue incorporated phrases for their sources. Their overall goal was to explain aspects of the Alcott family that are not widely known, but to accomplish this in a historically accurate fashion. The story first tells of the courtship and eventual marriage between Bronson and Abba Alcott. It details the birth of their four daughters, Anna Bronson Alcott, Louisa May Alcott, Elizabeth Peabody Sewall Alcott, and Abba May Alcott. Bronson Alcott was a man of many ideals and possessed great intelligence that he used to set up many schools, almost all of which had failed. This caused the family to be very destitute. Even though Alcott was a man of great aptitude, his ideals were considered outlandish during the time. He was often rejected from high paying positions and was often to take whatever work that he could obtain. He also held friendships with many great thinkers of the time, including Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry Thoreau. These friends and academic companions often filled a void in his life. Also, despite unsuccessfulness, Alcott remained a model father and teacher to his children. This book provided an interesting, yet humbling outlook upon Alcott family life. Louisa May Alcott may have encountered success with Little Women, but all the hardships that she faced up to that point are rarely mentioned, which was why the book provided such a humbling story. It also allowed one to see the transformation of the Alcott family to the characters in Little Women. Eventually it became obvious that Anna was the basis for eldest sister Meg and that Louisa portrayed herself as Jo, a free-spirited tomboy. In addition, the character of Amy was written with artistic Abba May in mind. Louisa also kept in mind the memory of her late sister, Elizabeth. She created a character named Beth that represented her delicate sibling. This book provided answers to all that it set out to accomplish and it did so extremely accurately. The authors cited credible sources such as Bronson Alcott's journals and Louisa May's voluminous record of her life. Therefore, these plausible sources gave the authors, Aileen Fisher and Olive Rabe, the qualification to collaborate in writing such an important story. In addition, their bias was not extremely apparent, but it became clear that they supported the Alcott family. Also, they believed that it was necessary to tell the story of the Alcott family. They believed that many people do not understand the poverty the family faced and what Louisa May Alcott had to overcome to write her classic novel. In conclusion, this book was very informative and anyone who feels Little Women is a valuable story should read this book. Although, the reading level was probably not extremely high, some of the quotations were thought provoking and enlightening. The novel Little Women is a valuable aspect of American literature and it is beneficial to learn the tale behind the book as well. We Alcotts provides an outlook on the family's tragedies and their triumphs, which will serve as an inspiration, not only to young girls, but to people as a whole.

These poems, mostly about nature, are organized around the four seasons in a layout that invites more intermediate young readers, but the strong rhyme and perfect rhythm could also make them well suited for a younger audience, if taken a few at a time. Pencil lithographs accompany the text.