Holiday House.

Holiday House

425 Madison Avenue, NY, NY 10017

www.holidayhouse.com

A version of the classic Dybbuk (082341-616X, $16.95) by Barbara Rogasky receives Leonard Everett Fisher's compelling illustrations as it retells one of the best-known stories of the Kabbalah. A promise haunts a rich man in town when a poor scholar and a rich man's daughter fall in love. Sender turns his back on a pact and promises his daughter to a wealthy suitor, and Konin dies of a broken heart but his ghost returns. Vivid brown and white drawings capture atmosphere, kids in grades 3-5 with good reading skills will relish the complex love story. Susanna Leonard Hill's Punxsutawney Phyllis (08-23418723, $16.95) tells of a groundhog who is not like others: she loves to splash in the cold river and tromp through the snow, and is happy year-round. This Feb. 2nd she's excited about a possible early Spring--but can she awaken old Uncle Phil to make his official Groundhog Day prediction? Jeffrey Ebbeler's whimsical color drawings lend to an inviting story. Loreen Leedy's The Great Graph Contest (0823417107, $16.95) presents Gonk the toad and Beezy the lizard, who are having a contest to see who can make the best maps. Bar graphs, pie charts, quantity graphs and more receive step-by-step instruction and the underlying zany competition story in a fun and unique picturebook exploration.