(2) K-3 Illustrated by Alex Boersma. In a narrative beginning and ending at the Ría Lagartos nature reserve on the ­Yucatán Peninsula, readers follow the perilous and often enigmatic life of a single green sea turtle from birth to egg-laying adult. A cross-section image of a tiny green turtle still ­peacefully tucked away in its eggshell provides a moment of reprieve prior to the ­dangers that the hatchling (and siblings) will soon face. Circumstances for a newborn sea turtle are immediately perilous, with threats including everything from hungry predators to ­misdirecting light-pollution. Once in the ocean, and after a mysterious stretch of time in a young sea turtle’s development identified as the “lost years,” the focus shifts to sea turtle ­physiology, diet, defense strategies, migration habits, and other high-interest facts presented through approachable text and supportive illustrations. An emphasis on environmental protection, demonstrated by the actions of conservationists to save the turtle protagonist from a deadly drift net, adds drama. Marine biologist Bearzi skillfully balances scientific information with ­evocative present-tense writing: “The moon is standing witness to this astounding new chapter of our turtle’s life.” Boersma’s detailed graphite and digitally colored illustrations are accurate and expressive, with revealing depictions of life above and below the sand and waves, effective use of panels to show growth and time, and surprising shifts in perspective. Substantial back matter includes an author’s note alongside sources and additional scientific information.

Reviewer: Patrick Gall | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2025

(3) K-3 Right-facing pages show photos of baby zoo animals; in the accompanying text, the animals introduce themselves and one of their identifying features (stripes for a baby tapir; stumpy horns for a rhino). Turn the page to see how that baby grows and changes when they get “BIG.” Like other ZooBorns books, this one has a clean layout, suitably adorable photos, and friendly text; closing pages provide additional information about each of the animals and their species’ conservation status.

Reviewer: Rachel L. Kerns

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Chuck Groenink. The first half of this informational picture book is narrated by the collective “we” of generations of humpback whales: “Before there were ships and streets and buildings and a city called New York, we were here.” Subsequent pages depict whales and other sea creatures cavorting in what would soon become New York Harbor, with devastating harpooning and ship traffic and choking pollution to follow. The once-rich waters are no longer habitable, and the whales take off for “cleaner waters and a safer home.” In a (somewhat abrupt) turn, the art and text shift perspective, moving onto the land, and the narrative “we” becomes the voice of New York’s human inhabitants in the decades before and after passage of the Clean Water Act in 1972. Diverse groups of New ­Yorkers are shown marching in support of environmental action; later, people clear litter from the river and enjoy boating, fishing, and other activities—eventually rejoined by a new generation of New York Harbor whales. Detailed back matter includes whale facts, a timeline, brief profiles of significant activists, and calls to action. Castaldo’s text, accompanied by Groenink’s detailed and expansive gouache and graphite illustrations, offers hope for aspiring citizen activists and makes a compelling case for taking the long view and not giving up the fight.

Reviewer: | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 2025

(1) K-3 Illustrated by Jessica Lanan. Free divers, or those who dive in the ocean without any breathing equipment, claim that being unencumbered lets them immerse themselves in the underwater world, which allows for a strong connection to nature. Such is the case in this moving account when a free diver (based on Fred Buyle’s recorded experience, accompanied by another diver, Kurt Amsler) finds himself in the midst of a pod of sperm whales. They are apparently gathering for the birth of a calf, an event never before known to have been witnessed in this environment by a human. Without a hint of anthropomorphism, the connections depicted between animals -- man and whale -- are both scientific (each must ascend to the surface to breathe) and suppositional (the birth is celebrated by the community). In each case, Cusolito clearly delineates between fact and speculation. Lanan’s watercolor and ink illustrations bring readers into this majestic, alien environment, mirroring the diver’s belief that the whales are welcoming him to this special event. When the calf is stable, the mother appears to nudge him toward the diver; man and whales swim together, their movements perfectly synchronized. The whales descend; the man ascends, “forever changed.” Back matter offers a detailed diagram of a sperm whale, information about freediving and about whales, and print and digital resources for further inquiry. In addition, readers will find a selected bibliography and personal notes from author and illustrator.

Reviewer: Betty Carter | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2025

(3) YA Miami teens Vida and Adán, who knew each other as children in Cuba, reconnect through a shared interest in animals. It is unclear whether their relationship can survive familial issues and past traumas until a hurricane strikes the breeding zoo where they are camp counselors, forcing them to protect the zoo’s creatures and support each other. Following the style and themes of Wings in the Wild (rev. 5/23) and Wild Dreamers, Engle’s latest verse novel presents another story of Cuban emigration and teenage romance, this one perfect for animal lovers.

Reviewer: Monica de los Reyes

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Larry Day. “Romping...Chasing...Grabbing...Leaping­...Chewing...CRASHING!” Tucker, a high-energy, tawny-colored dog, possesses an insatiable appetite for rambunctious play. His undirected enthusiasm leads to chaos in homes not well suited for Tucker’s intensity, which repeatedly lands him in the animal shelter. “Not this dog. He’s trouble,” advises the shelter attendant; that is, until a woman named Laura sees his potential. She brings Tucker home, introducing him to a mentally stimulating game sniffing out flowers tucked into cinderblocks, and rewards his keen nose with the vigorous play he craves. Impressed by Tucker’s performance, Laura tells him, “You’re going to help me save wildlife,” and he is unleashed into a thrilling new life: sniffing out animal scat, locating invasive species, and ­trailing endangered animals with researchers and scientists around the world. Day’s illustrations harness the fluidity of watercolor and use loose line work to convey Tucker’s perpetual movement. Back matter shares the true stories of two conservation dogs who inspired Foote’s story, along with an overview of how conservation dogs help to protect wildlife and habitats

Reviewer: | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2025

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Lou Baker-Smith. Winter arrives in the Arctic. The days are shorter, the weather colder. A polar bear searches for a place to make a den, hibernate, and birth her twins. The trek across the ice is more difficult than in years before; ice floes are breaking up, and food has been scarce. Once on land, she finds a south-facing spot and settles down for the winter. The twins are born, she feeds them, and in the spring she and the cubs head toward the sea, where they can hunt for food. But conditions have changed: the ice is disappearing, creating fewer opportunities for them to hunt. Baker-Smith's soft mixed-media illustrations depict the bears' journey and are particularly effective in showing the degradation of the ice floes. Detailed back matter offers the main reason: climate change. In clear language, Jenkins describes the causes of Earth's warming and the effects not just for polar bears but for all life as climate change leads to an increase of extreme weather conditions. He concludes with suggestions individuals can follow to "make a difference when it comes to climate change." This brief glimpse into the experience of one polar bear ends, as it must, on a sober note of uncertainty about the future of the species.

Reviewer: Betty Carter | Horn Book Magazine Issue: January, 2025

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Matt Patterson. In a previous collaboration (The Book of Turtles, rev. 7/23), Montgomery and Patterson briefly featured a large snapping turtle, a.k.a. Fire Chief. Now Fire Chief gets a starring role in his own tale, told with a storyteller’s cadence, which traces approximately sixty years of his life from birth to the present. Realistic illustrations mirror the brief chronological text in this accessible account. The turtle’s first years are lucky ones. After evading predators at birth, he settles in a pond next to a fire station (the provenance of his name). Over the next ten years or so, he expands his surroundings to include a second pond located across a rural road, where he spends each winter. He’s lucky in making this twice-annual journey, until he’s not: a truck strikes the turtle, gravely injuring him. Two women who run the Turtle Rescue League repair his shell and give him physical therapy to strengthen his legs. When he is ready to be reintroduced into his pond, there are still questions: can he survive crossing the road twice a year? Can any turtle? Human habitat encroachment causes Fire Chief’s problem, but human concern and persistence find a solution for him. Back matter details the work of the Rescue League, provides information on handling injured turtles in the wild, adds more information about these reptiles, and includes a bibliography.

Reviewer: Betty Carter | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2025

(2) K-3 Books for a Better Earth series. Illustrated by Gordy Wright. The partnership between Stremer's expressive and suspenseful text and Wright's evocative hand-painted gouache, ink, and acrylic illustrations (see [cf2[Great Carrier Reef, rev. 7/23) gives readers an exceptionally clear picture of the discovery and correction of one historical threat to wildlife: the use of DDT on crops. The text on the opening spread is positioned like a projectile moving across the page in concert with a brown pelican pod flying together, which plunges as the birds dive for fish. Readers then discover a problem that scientists noticed in the 1950s: fewer and fewer pelicans being born. The text asks: why? Scientists find that the birds' eggshells have become so fragile they cannot support the parents' weight in the nest. Again, the same question: why? And again, scientists search to find the answer, eventually theorizing that DDT contaminates the food chain, leading to weakened shells. They test this hypothesis, and even though they find strong evidence of the link, these findings are rejected by farmers, the companies that produce DDT, and the government. But public protest drowns out these voices, and the use of DDT is finally eliminated. The book concludes with other concerns that threaten wildlife today. Extensive back matter offers further detail (including spelling out Rachel Carson's role in sounding the alarm about DDT), additional brown pelican facts, a glossary, a bibliography, and an index.

Reviewer: Betty Carter | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2025

(2) 4-6 Geetha and her mother, who lives with depression, move from Chennai, India, to Rhode Island, leaving behind the rest of their family and settling in an apartment near Narragansett Bay. Geetha is lonely at school and is made fun of for her accent, food, and thrift-store clothes. She often fights to "hold back the dam of anger building," though regular trips to the library and composing music on her bamboo flute provide release. She befriends Miguel, a Mexican American boy, and the two find a harp seal that has been injured by a fishing line; after it's taken in by the Marine Mammal Rehabilitation Center, they visit it as it convalesces. Inspired to prevent further injury to animals from pollution, the two organize a community beach cleanup. Written in verse, this compact, emotional story brims with metaphors about the ocean and sea life that echo its themes of home and the scary process of learning to let go of people, things, and beliefs. Additionally, there is a strong marine conservationist message that may inspire readers to learn more and take action. An author's note contextualizes Geetha's story in Venkatraman's own experiences; resources about marine life, bullying, and mental health are also appended.

Reviewer: Julie Hakim Azzam | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2025

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Frann Preston-Gannon. Much like superheroes, some animal species have remarkable abilities. The ten featured species with "superpowers" have notable adaptations that help them to survive. These creatures are indeed impressive, and the book's format enhances the drama: after each animal is introduced, a page-turn reveals the superpower and how it benefits that animal. Examples include Turritopsis jellyfish, which possess "immortality" (they can reset their life cycle in response to injury); mountain-dwelling ibex, which survive by "defying gravity" in their ability to scale sheer cliffs; snapping shrimp, which can produce a bubble that, when popped, resonates at a decibel level that can kill their prey; and dogs, with their "super sniffers" that can help rescue humans and detect dangerous chemicals. Preston-Gannon's colorful illustrations capture the essential details of each species and their environments. The end notes proclaim that "action is your superpower!" and show the impact humans have on each of the featured species.

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

(3) K-3 In this nonfiction picture-book sequel to Hawk Mother, red-tailed hawk Sunshine is unable to mate because she was shot, leaving her unable to fly. Coauthor Hagedorn, a zoologist, cares for the bird and brings her two fertile eggs. In clear language, she and Garnsworthy lay out how Sunshine mothers the hawk chicks from a competing hawk species. The book’s dynamic color photography enhances the story. A note about the birds is appended along with more information about hawks and a glossary.

Reviewer: Marva Anne Hinton

(4) 4-6 This sequel to Trouble at Turtle Pond finds fifth grader Miles and his friends, the Backyard Rangers, investigating another wildlife mystery. Someone is “baiting” the owls in the nearby forest—feeding the owls white mice to coax them out of hiding—and the rangers are determined to find out who, and why. The mystery lacks suspense, but readers will learn plenty about owls, including about their habitat and diet; what threatens them; and ways to protect them.

Reviewer: Rachel L. Kerns

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Renato Alarcão. Seu Joao lives on an island off the coast of Brazil. When an oil-soaked Magellanic penguin washes ashore, Seu Joao takes him home, cleans him with dish soap, and names him Dindim (a grandson's attempt to pronounce the Portuguese word for penguin). As Dindim rehabilitates, the pair forms an attachment, though Seu Joao, respectful of the needs of wild animals, repeatedly tries to send Dindim back to the sea. Dindim does not leave--until one day, months later, he does. Earle's account of this true story is skillfully restrained, describing only the two characters' actions, and leaving readers to infer what human and animal feel for each other. "Seu Joao sat and drank his coffee. His lap was empty. But he remembered Dindim's silky feathers and the beat of his heart." Four months later, when Dindim amazingly returns, "the penguin waddled as fast as his little legs could carry him, right into Seu Joao's arms." Alarcao's pastel-colored illustrations capture the appeal of the people, animals, and beaches of Praia Proveta. In addition to a brief glossary, appended notes provide additional information about Seu Joao and Dindim, facts about penguins and threats to their survival, and steps that readers can take to help protect threatened species.

Reviewer: Danielle J. Ford | Horn Book Magazine Issue: January, 2023

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Tara Anand. Singh tells the real-life story of how, at age twenty-one and despite coming from an underprivileged background, Rasila Vadher became the first woman forest guard in Gir Forest National Park & Wildlife Sanctuary, established in Gujarat, India, to protect Asiatic lions. Narrated in first-person prose that captures Vadher’s lion-hearted spirit and the risky but rewarding nature of her work, the book describes how pivotal (and painful) events in her childhood thrust her into the role of family breadwinner, stoked her passion for protecting the large, powerful cats, and prepared her to challenge gender bias. Back matter lists intriguing facts about Asiatic lions and acquaints readers with the Lion Queens -- an all-woman forest patrol whose members Vadher trained. Minimalist digital illustrations in tropical monsoon colors create a sense of openness that echoes Vadher’s mindset. Pair with Reynolds’s The Lion Queens of India (rev. 1/21).

Reviewer: Summer Edward

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Qin Leng. In this picture book created in partnership with the David Suzuki Institute (a Canadian environmentalist organization), twins Nakina and Kaoru know to expect adventure when their grandfather, Bompa, comes to visit, but they never know where he'll take them. Equipped with a field journal and a well-stocked backpack, the children are surprised, and maybe a little disappointed, when Bompa announces that they're staying close to home to search for insects. What could there be to learn about bugs? Bompa proves to be a wealth of information as Kaoru and Nakina find their questions along the way. They imagine themselves as dragonflies with big eyes and lightweight exoskeletons and as caterpillars eating two-hundred times their weight in food. Their curiosity ranges from the simple ("are insects animals?") to the existential ("what if we [humans] disappeared?"), and Bompa's answers illuminate the ways that insects of every kind (yes, even mosquitoes) have skills and roles to play in an ecosystem. The commendable detail and specificity in each watercolor illustration invite readers' own explorations down each divergent path and among every tall blade of grass. Back matter provides more information about specific insects, ways to help insects in a child's community, and ideas for backyard expeditions.

Reviewer: | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2023

(2) K-3 Inspired by a news article about a woman who cared for a wingless bee found in her garden, this picture book follows young Sasha, who discovers, rescues, and befriends a small bee in need. The story starts on the ground, below the flowers, tracing the path of a walking bee who has no wings. "On the warm spring day when Sasha first saw the bee, she didn't realize something was wrong. Then she saw." Though the illustrations feature joyous spring colors created with gouache and colored pencils, they effectively express the emotional distress of Sasha (and her cat Molly) and the exhaustion and misery of the little bee. Visual shifts in point of view emphasize how small and helpless it is. With support and care, the creature, eventually named Bea, thrives, but its life without wings still poses challenges. Finally, Sasha imagines and constructs a solution that allows Bea some daily flight time. While the anthropomorphism throughout is fantastical, the story is embedded in firm realism: bees have a short lifespan. "And one sad, unfixable day, Bea was gone." The final tribute Sasha pays to her friend will carry on for generations of bees while offering a jumping-off point for readers. Illustrated back matter includes information and helpful tips for those who want to support the bees who buzz around their own homes and neighborhoods.

Reviewer: Julie Roach | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2023

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Jenni Desmond. Today in the wild expanses of Yellowstone National Park, wolves roam freely. This was not the case for most of the twentieth century, as wolves there were hunted out of existence by 1926. In 1995, through the efforts of scientists (opposed by some ranchers and hunters), fourteen wolves were reintroduced, and they survived to produce today's flourishing population. Barr splits her informative tale into two parts: first, the conservation story of how the wolves were brought from Canada, including details about wolf life cycles throughout the seasons. As the wolf population increased, the packs gradually spread out through the park and established hunting grounds in their territories. Desmond's graceful watercolors of the animals in summer and winter landscapes give a sense of the breadth and diversity of nature in the protected spaces of the American West. In the second half, Barr illustrates the effects of the wolves return on the entire ecosystem (a graphic in the endpapers compactly diagrams this concept of trophic cascade). Barr includes not just the main food chains but the full range of ecological impacts: insects, grasses, trees, even the water levels and paths of rivers change in response. The final pages include profiles of the fourteen original wolves and examples of other human interventions to reintroduce species affected by human activity.

Reviewer: Danielle J. Ford | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2022

(2) K-3 Photographs by Ellen Harasimowicz. This clear and engaging book documents the painstaking work of relocating a hive of honeybees that has outgrown its hive box. In Burns's conversational text, readers are introduced to Mr. Connery, who owns a "ramshackle barn" where he's discovered a colony of honeybees. He calls on the services of Mr. Nelson, a bee-rescue expert. Harasimowicz's eye-catching photographs document the entire relocation process, showing each step required to carefully move thirty-five thousand bees to a safer spot. Nelson uses a lot of patience, specially designed tools (e.g., his bee-vac: a modified vacuum connected to a traveling case), and ­Connery's assistance to gently collect the bees, disassemble their hive, and move the colony to a larger hive box on Connery's property. Details about honeybee life and behavior are smoothly woven into the discussion. An illuminating interview with Nelson explains why rescuing honeybees is important and how he's able to do his work without protective equipment. Back matter includes a glossary, a source list, further reading, and an author's note. A book that will inspire ­further curiosity about this important pollinator.

Reviewer: Laura Koenig | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 2022

(1) K-3 Illustrated by Eric Rohmann. Showcasing another fascinating animal (Giant Squid, rev. 9/16; Honeybee, rev. 3/20), and with their usual dynamism and immediacy, Fleming and ­Rohmann turn their attention to polar bears, specifically a year in the life of one female and her two cubs. In April the mother emerges from the den in which she's been nursing for four months. Her stored fat has sustained her, her milk providing nourishment for the cubs. But now it's time to eat, and she guides her cubs to Hudson Bay, where she can position herself on the ice to hunt. By June the mother and cubs have grown bigger and stronger, but they "must fatten up now...to survive summer's lean months." An attempt to capture "one last meal" causes the ice to break, and the trio drifts far out into the bay. Their swim back to shore is arduous and dangerous for the cubs (the long passage of time is revealed in a dramatic gatefold); once back on land, they must wait until the bay refreezes, which shortens the feeding calendar. Rohmann's early oil paintings depict the bear as an apex predator, but Fleming's straightforward text makes it clear that this creature faces potentially fatal danger--even the most powerful animal cannot overcome the grave threat of habitat loss. "Too much ice is melting too soon. And too little ice means too little food." Back matter addresses climate change head-on, while a diagram explains how the bear's physiology helps it survive. Ten "cool facts" about polar bears, a list of websites, and a selected bibliography complete this outstanding book.

Reviewer: Betty Carter | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2022