(2) K-3 Three author-illustrators join forces for this story told in three parts about the life cycle of a black swallowtail butterfly. Clanton goes first, rendering Papilio's caterpillar stage "and a bit of egg time too" in a combination of paint, pencil, crayon, ink, etchings, pressings, stamps, and halftone patterns. With pencil and watercolor, Tabor follows Clanton's caterpillar as she moves into her next phase encased in a gooey-centered chrysalis. Finally, in gouache and colored pencil with digital paint and collage, Musser concludes Papilio's story when, as a butterfly, she breaks free and takes flight. Despite their distinct styles, the trio orchestrates a coherent narrative through the book's unifying design and color palette, the incorporation of comic conventions, and a humorous through line with a recurring mouse sidekick. The book encourages readers to make careful observations through punny wordplay and insect antics. Side-by-side panels on the front cover and a circular diagram split into thirds on the back juxtapose the three artists' styles. Likewise, on the verso of the section-opening spreads, diagram-like illustrations of Clanton's caterpillar slowly transition into Tabor's chrysalis and, later, Tabor's chrysalis into Musser's butterfly. Setting details that appear in each artist's section, such as a large, pink, poppy-like flower, are noticeably the same, yet distinctly Clanton- or Tabor- or Musser-esque. A clever celebration of close looking, collaboration, and experimentation that offers a fresh twist on a familiar metamorphosis story.

Reviewer: | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 2025

(2) K-3 The life of an oak tree is beautifully depicted in this engaging informational picture book. It begins with a simple yet profound concept: "A blue jay drops an acorn, and a tree's life begins." The narrative follows the acorn as it grows into a sapling, matures into a towering tree, and becomes a vital part of a forest ecosystem -- providing shelter, food, and resources to birds, insects, and mammals for more than two centuries. It produces acorns, but the text details reasons they don't necessarily grow into new oak trees. It also effectively depicts the effects of changes over time in the tree's environment, and of human development, as the forest gives way to a town. Cole's detailed, fine-lined pen-and-ink illustrations bring depth and life to the natural elements on each spread. With intricate layers, and endless details to pore over (find the camouflaged creatures!), the black-and-white art complements the minimal text, allowing readers to immerse themselves in the beauty of nature. The text strikes a balance between storytelling and information, educating readers about the oak tree's role in its ecosystem. The back matter provides helpful resources, such as steps to create an ecosystem and a diagram of forest habitat layers.

Reviewer: | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2025

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Ellen Rooney. Maude Delap (1866–1953) lacked a formal education, but that didn't stop her from pursuing a life of science. From her island home off Ireland's coast, Delap conducted pioneering research into the jellyfish life cycle, raising the creatures in captivity and observing them carefully as they grew. Cusolito sets her story from June 1899 to September 1900. The passage of time is marked by dated entries, but the text is written in the present tense with frequent use of direct address, plunging readers into both the immediacy of science and its painstaking nature. In Rooney's illustrations, Delap usually wears a smile—it's obvious she's delighted with her experiment—and is frequently accompanied by a young relative, providing a character for readers to identify with. White-on-blue close-ups of the growing jellyfish reveal a complicated, many-phased metamorphosis, their emerging tentacles and frills visually echoed in the curves of the display type. Scientific vocabulary (planulae, polyp, ephyra) is introduced and defined gracefully in context. While a closing biographical note emphasizes both the misogyny that marginalized Delap and the importance of the research she conducted within its constraints, the primary narrative emphasizes the joy of science for science's sake. Further information about jellyfish, author and illustrator notes, and a handful of additional resources fill out the back matter.

Reviewer: Vicky Smith | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 2025

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Isabelle Arsenault. "Wings unfurl. Plop! A pearl!" An eastern monarch butterfly lays a small, round egg on a leaf. A caterpillar hatches ("Pop! A girl!") and a chrysalis forms. Then "our caterpillar, tightly swaddled, will make you gasp! She's been remodeled." This sequence will likely be familiar to readers; Hall's adept rhymes and pleasing rhythms breathe life into the information, as do Arsenault's friendly illustrations, which feature smiling caterpillar and butterfly characters and bursts of vibrant colors on pastel backgrounds. As in the creators' The Honeybee (rev. 7/18), the lyrical text and eye-catching mixed-media illustrations provide snapshots of the species' life cycle and behaviors. A butterfly sips flower nectar and lays eggs. Another one finds a suitable mate ("Two butterflies chase. Two butterflies dance") and locates milkweed on which to lay her eggs. A third one joins a brilliant swarm of other eastern monarchs as part of their epic annual migration from Canada to Mexico and back again. Read quickly, the text might seem to focus on one butterfly, but the back matter states that "it will take upward of four or five generations" to complete the "full migration circle." The text hints at this, and sharp-eyed readers will note the subtle difference among the three main butterfly characters in the art (pay attention to the neckwear). An appended author's note provides more facts, including dangers to monarch populations and how readers can help.

Reviewer: Kitty Flynn | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 2025

(2) K-3 This picture book offers an enchanting reflection on the interconnectedness of Earth's living things and the sun's vital energy. The story in the illustrations unfolds through a cyclical sequence: the sun rises, illuminating a flower, which attracts a bee. The bee makes honey, enjoyed by a bear; a mosquito bites the bear and is eaten by a bird; the bird's egg falls and is taken by a mouse, who is chased by a fox; the fox's excrement feeds the soil and creatures below; and the pattern continues through various animals and natural elements. At the end of the day, the sun sets and the child narrator sings a song -- illustrated as radiant stardust -- to the sun as night approaches and the moon appears. The well-paced, rhythmic, and question-filled text evokes a sense of wonder and immediacy. It also connects to and extends the visual narrative. For example, on the page reading, "Good golden sun, does your belly ever ache? All the world is filled with sweetness. Would you like a little taste?" a bear is shown enjoying golden honey dripping from a hive. The vibrant, collage-like illustrations are digitally enhanced to create glowing, illuminated effects. Light, shadow, and perspective are thoughtfully employed, emphasizing the transfer of energy from one living being to another. A memorable contribution for readers pondering the universe and their place in it.

Reviewer: Elisa Gall | Horn Book Magazine Issue: January, 2025

(3) PS Barefoot Singalongs series. Illustrated by Brian Fitzgerald. Adapted from a cumulative Irish folk song, this picture book is also a delightful science lesson about the flora and fauna found in bogs. Technicolor, woodcut-inspired illustrations follow a “rattlin’ bird” in a “rattlin’ tree” through the “rattlin’ bog.” Back matter provides facts about bogs and the life cycle of birds and trees, as well as sheet music for “The Rattlin’ Bog.”

Reviewer:

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Clover Robin. In this accessible science picture book, a common swift flies from Africa to Europe in order to nest and reproduce in the summer. The two-tiered narrative (larger print tells a streamlined version for younger readers, while smaller print delves into greater detail) includes such noteworthy specifics as swifts' ability to remain aloft without touching the ground for as long as four years, to sleep with one half of their brain at a time while in flight, and to drink raindrops while in motion. Sidebars introduce the life cycle of the parasitic louse fly, which lives in the bird's feathers and pupates in the nesting boxes. Engaging collage-like mixed-media illustrations against varied backgrounds capture the characteristic motion of swifts in flight. The pacing and level of detail are just right for young readers, while the information on life cycle and abilities is sure to impress slightly older ones. Back matter includes a map of the migration route, descriptions of various swift species, a pertinent web address, and an index.

Reviewer: Anita L. Burkam | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2024

(2) PS Daniel (Daniel Finds a Poem; Daniel's Good Day, rev. 7/19) is back in another open-hearted, child-friendly picture book. It's spring, and Daniel is meeting his grandfather in the park. When Grandpa asks him what's new, Daniel heads off to find out. He learns that his favorite rock is soaking up the sun, the redwing blackbirds are back, ducklings have hatched, a snake has shed its skin, tadpoles are growing legs. Daniel reports his findings and then updates Grandpa with his own news: he can whistle like blackbirds; he "can run fast 'cause [his] legs are growing, just like the pollywogs'"; and he has a new tooth, just as the snake has a new skin. The book ends with our thoughtful hero turning the tables: "Now it's your turn, Grandpa...what's new with you?" Archer's expertly composed double-page-spread illustrations, in "acrylic inks and collage, using patterned collage papers created by the author," portray a world bursting with life and vivid color: the deep blues and greens of the ducklings' pond; the light green of new leaves; the bright spots of red on the blackbirds. (Red is also the color of Daniel's hoodie, surely a call-out to The Snowy Day.) From the spectacular illustrations to the warm relationship between Daniel and Grandpa to Daniel's curiosity about the natural world, there's much to savor here; and the question of "what's new?" may elicit a wealth of reader response and interaction.

Reviewer: Martha V. Parravano | Horn Book Magazine Issue: January, 2024

(1) K-3 Illustrated by Stephanie Fizer Coleman. "LOOK AT IT. Wounded, worn, twisted, torn. / One day this tree will fall / and this story will end. / Won't it?" So begins this Pacific Northwest set saga of one tree surviving when other giants around it don't. There are so many ways the tree might not have stood. From the very beginning, other seeds landed on bare rock and didn't live, or dropped into a stream, or were eaten. But this tree thrived, despite wind, drought, ice, and fire. And not only survived. "This tree flourished. This tree aged" and became its own ecosystem, "a world / of miniature forests / meadows / rivers / seas... / of silken death traps / and venomous fangs, / of bright, begging mouths / and fluttering wings." Lively, poetic writing and beautiful illustrations in a rich palette, which emphasize unique angles and close-up images of the tree's denizens, combine for a volume perfect for reading aloud, and not only in science classes. Even the youngest of readers and listeners will grasp the concepts of ecosystems and the continuity of life. A model of what an excellent STEM-focused picture book can be in its effective interplay of text and illustrations. Appended is a discussion of the science behind a tree's life, death, and life after death.

Reviewer: Dean Schneider | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2024

(1) K-3 Illustrated by Jason Chin. As a ninety-year-old blue whale dies, one story ends and another begins. Her body provides food for other creatures before it gradually descends to the depths of the ocean floor. But it doesn't stop there: her body will sustain life of one kind or another for the next few hundred years. Small marine animals, from fish to crabs to octopuses, pick the skeleton bare before another wave of animals moves in. Eventually, rich nutrients seep into the water, and that water is carried to the surface, where it nourishes krill, the major food source for blue whales. Brunelle's engaging voice strikes the right balance between narration and exposition, while the book design adroitly places her text judiciously across double-page spreads and into sidebar columns. Chin's (The Universe in You, rev. 1/23) always-exquisite watercolors thus dominate the layouts in a variety of double-page spreads, spot illustrations, and thumbnails -- even as supplemental maps, models, and cross-sections effortlessly convey complex visual information. Back matter includes more information about blue whales, marine ecosystems, and the four distinct phases of a whale fall. Recommended resources and a select bibliography are appended as well. Dedicated enthusiasts may also want to seek out Stewart and Dunlavey's Whale Fall (rev. 1/23).

Reviewer: Jonathan Hunt | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2024

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Jackie Traverse. Daniel's (Sometimes I Feel like a Fox; Sometimes I Feel like a River) latest offering invites readers to commune with trees. Short first-person verses assign attributes to twelve different trees ("Sometimes I feel like a maple, / full and most generous... / Sometimes I feel like a birch, / smooth and fresh, anew"), following the cycle of the year from early spring to late winter. Traverse's lush acrylic and gouache illustrations never depict a tree in its entirety, with the tops always breaking the edge of the page. This choice suggests that art cannot fully capture the trees' majesty and en-courages readers to imagine what lies beyond the confines of the page, reinforcing Daniel's core concept that there is more to trees than meets the eye. Back matter offers thumbnail images of each tree, restating their names and highlighting the attributes Daniel's verses assigned to them--generosity for the maple, optimism for the birch, and so on. A closing author's note begins, "Like my Algonquin ancestors, I believe that trees are ­sentient beings with spirits who can feel things," prompting readers to reflect on what they, in turn, feel as they consider this Indidenous perspective and how it inspired this book.

Reviewer: Megan Dowd Lambert | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2024

(2) PS A child explores the outdoors on a sunny day, observing living things all around: a tall, verdant tree and animals on land, in the air, and underwater. Author Daniel gives voice to each of these living entities: "I'm afraid," says a leaf in the air. The tree from which the leaf fell tells it, however, that it's not alone. A bird nestled in the same tree notes: "I could fall," and the wind replies, as the yellow bird soars through the air: "I will lift you." And so it goes: the stream provides water to a thirsty skunk; a fish provides camaraderie to a lonely crab; the creek cools a hot bear; the grass comforts a worried deer; and more. Daniel stresses the interdependence of living things, stating in a short appended note that "every single living thing depends on another living thing" (such as, for instance, the story's "bored" mushrooms that accept a mouse's invitation to play). The illustrations in thick acrylics are inventive: in one spread, a butterfly's wing, adorned with a pupil-like shape, overlaps with the child's left eye as that eye looks at a snail needing encouragement, and in the final spread, the child sleeps under a full moon while dreaming of creatures. James personifies the animals, many of them with tears and frowns. It's an empathetic primer for the youngest of readers on the interconnectedness of all living things on our planet.

Reviewer: Julie Danielson | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 2024

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Gardiner Kate. When Francis's family plants Gaawaandagoonce ("little spruce" in Ojibwemowin) in her grandmother's garden located alongside Gichigamiing (Lake Superior), the tree and baby Francis are almost the same height. The two grow together: "While Francis learned to walk on two little feet, the spruce tree walked in her own way -- stretching her roots out into the ground, where they talked to roots of other trees." Grandma knows that "trees, like people, are stronger together," which is why Gaawaandagoonce was planted near older spruces. Drouillard's inviting text naturally weaves information about trees' root systems and species' interconnectedness into a story about adjusting to change. When Francis's grandparents eventually need to move from their Grand Portage home, the family brings the little spruce to Francis's aunt's house. They carefully and lovingly transplant the tree, but acclimating is tough. Slowly, she connects with the other spruces and begins to feel at home again. Children who have had to move to a new place will relate to Francis and Little Spruce. The gouache and colored-pencil drawings' limited palette is a good match for the text's contemplative tone. An author's note explains that the story is based on a real spruce tree, and Drouillard discusses the importance of land and the significance of its loss for the Ojibwe people. Two Anishinaabe uses for white spruce and a glossary of the Ojibwemowin words included in the story are also appended.

Reviewer: Nicholl Denice Montgomery | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 2024

(2) K-3 Books for a Better Earth series. Illustrated by Kate Cosgrove. This beautifully crafted ode to trees and their vital role in the ecosystem is composed of a free-verse text that lends itself well to reading aloud, accompanied by mixed-media illustrations in a muted palette but with plenty of vibrancy and movement. The story begins with two children playing beneath a large tree in the springtime as "the rain / ROARS! / GUSHES! / POURS / down through that / rich, / dark / soil." The rain nourishes the tree, which in turn drops seeds, continuing the natural cycle as animals find shelter and sustenance in and around it. The book explores the seasons, culminating in the return of spring, which brings "RAIN, / and rain brings / BUDS. / Buds bring / FLOWERS, / and flowers bring / BUZZ." Though the focus in the middle of the book is purely on the tree and the animals, we eventually return to the two children, blowing bubbles as the text reminds us of the role trees play in our breathing. Facts about how trees filter air and produce oxygen are supported by sources cited in the bibliography and expanded upon in the back matter. This poetic and educational book serves as an engaging introduction to the significance of trees in the environment and the importance of conservation efforts.

Reviewer: | Horn Book Magazine Issue: January, 2025

(2) K-3 In 1733 a hurricane wrecks a Spanish galleon, which then sinks to the bottom of the Caribbean Sea and begins to serve as an artificial reef. Hevron's account of the transformation from shipwreck to coral reef steps across the years, decades, and centuries to the present day. In "year 1," the ship is food, shelter, and a sturdy resting place for organisms with entertaining names such as piddocks, gribbles, and sea lettuce and to the coral larvae that begin to multiply. By "year 10" the ship has become an "underwater nursery" for blue tangs, damselfish, and lobsters, while the coral continues to grow. Numerous aquatic species continue to proliferate over the centuries, as the ship itself decomposes and disappears into the sand. Hevron's textured wood-grain digital collages are a natural choice to represent not only the wooden ship but also the movements of ocean currents and the swirling sands of the sea floor. In the foreground, the colorful animals that compose the "rainbow of reef life" take on human expressions with their cartoonlike eyes and add humor with jokes in speech bubbles. End notes explain more about artificial reefs and provide additional sources and resources.

Reviewer: Danielle J. Ford | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2024

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Natasha Donovan. Hocker reminds readers that there is more to nature than a casual glance affords. When a group of child and adult hikers discovers an animal skull, they are prompted to consider what they can deduce from examining it, for this natural relic has a story to tell. "A skull speaks in arches and ridges and caverns of bones. It speaks in teeth and cracks, and holes into, and holes through. It says: I was." Readers turn the page and examine the skull (enlarged from the previous page's illustration), noting the two large openings where eyes once were, eyes that defined this creature as a "watcher." Donovan's full-bleed digital art on the next double-page spread depicts a lynx spotting a rabbit while hunting at twilight. This pattern continues, introducing a deer, a beaver, a hummingbird, a wolf, and an owl: shades of blue outlined in black display each animal's skull, text describes a prominent feature, and the animal is seen in its habitat employing this feature. Extensive back matter utilizes both text and a labeled illustration of a human skull to define features such as orbits, the cranium, and the mandible; additional attributes of the six skulls discussed in the main text; and resources for further inquiry. Once readers catch on to the unusual device of narrators being a succession of animal skulls, the text flows smoothly, and both the facts presented and the plea to appreciate the multiple ways nature speaks to us are clear.

Reviewer: Betty Carter | Horn Book Magazine Issue: January, 2024

(2) K-3 In an assortment of nest homes, baby birds happily await the breakfasts brought by their parents. These basic needs will be familiar to humans, too, providing a welcoming introduction to birds and an invitation to learn more about them. In the pages that follow, Ignotofsky interweaves generalized information about bird life cycles (using the Eastern Bluebird as exemplar) with explanations of bird anatomy and behaviors. Questions placed throughout the text ("What's inside an egg?" "How does a bird know where to go each year?") drive the narrative forward across topics such as nest building, learning to fly, and bird diets. The cheerful illustrations ("created traditionally and using a computer") of cartoonlike birds are the highlight of the book: packed with movement, color, and humor, they sometimes fully cover one or more pages and sometimes divide into smaller panels to explore variations across species or lists, such as the steps readers can take to preserve bird-friendly spaces in their neighborhoods. A short "sources and resources" list is appended.

Reviewer: Danielle J. Ford | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2024

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Brooke Smart. The main table in a home is often where memories are made. Killian's debut picture book explores this table's many roles in one family's life. The easy-to-read story starts where a wooden table begins: "as a seed that grew into a great strong tree." The tree is felled, taken to a workshop, and carefully crafted. The top is sanded, legs attached. The wood is stained, sealed, and set to dry. The family places the table "in the middle of a house, and life grew up around it." Smart's watercolor illustrations add to the story with playful and inventive scenes. The number of people grows and shrinks, and scenes evolve from the quiet act of arranging flowers to a birthday party spilling over with family and friends. Their table is filled to overflowing with the chaos of an unfolded map, children's drawings, and more. A clean, empty table shown near the end prompts discussion about readers' own experiences around family tables. The story concludes where it started: "This table began as a seed and became the heart of someone's home."

Reviewer: | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2024

(2) 4-6 Translated by Adam Cullen. Illustrated by Marja-Liisa Plats. This reflective, folksy book explores concepts of memory, life, death, and everything surrounding them. The story follows a skeleton named John -- a discarded educational tool who is taken in and fixed up by an elderly couple, Gramps and Grams. Though a static figure in the illustrations, John is portrayed in the text with liveliness, warmth, and depth; he is described thinking, speaking, and feeling as he offers comfort and companionship to Gramps and Grams and their two grandchildren. With his new family, John bathes, sleds, takes saunas, and even participates in a museum exhibition. At one point, Gramps and Grams plot to bury John with Gramps when he passes away, but Grams dies first. Gramps, grieving, has a magical encounter with Grams's spirit through the word pahnahaitsmetsai, which translates to "linden-blossom tea." He later teaches the word to his grandchildren so that "it can keep them together forever." The direct third-person present-tense text uses short, vignette-style chapters, adding an immediacy to the telling. The art, using textured shades of gray that appear to be rendered with pencil alongside striking pops of bright pink, creates a feel that is both haunting and fresh. An endnote explains that the book was inspired by another retired classroom skeleton who lives on a farm in the south Estonian countryside.

Reviewer: Elisa Gall | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2024

(2) K-3 Long's poignant picture book about a school bus is a meditation on the passage of time while finding purpose in all seasons of life, in the tradition of Virginia Lee Burton. "There was once a bright yellow bus who spent her days driving" passengers (first school children, then elderly people) "from one important place to another. And they filled her with joy." Eventually abandoned under a bridge, the bus becomes a resting spot for unhoused persons. One morning she's towed away and left in a field near a river, where the bus becomes a playground for a herd of goats. When the river floods the valley, fish take up residence. The striking grayscale graphite- and charcoal-pencil illustrations (with "charcoal dust...scratched out with X-Acto blades and smudged with Q-tips") feature color, done with acrylic paint, occasionally; the school-bus yellow of the protagonist is all the more eye-catching for it. Bird's-eye views alternating with partial closeups help steer viewers' emotions along with the narrative in witnessing and understanding the beauty of service to others. The book concludes with the story of the abandoned school bus that sparked Long's imagination, along with his techniques for creating a 3D paper mini-town in which to place the bus as a model for his illustrations.

Reviewer: | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 2024