(2) 4-6 Double-page spreads feature many research projects revealing changes in ecosystems, driving home the message that change really is occurring at an accelerated rate. Illustrations include sharp photographs of researchers and children in the field and laboratories as well as age-appropriate graphs and tables that transform observations into evidence. A strong underlying message is that kids can make a difference. Reading list, websites. Ind.

Reviewer: Danielle J. Ford | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2008

(4) K-3 In this fictional narrative, a seed from a mangrove tree drops into the currents of the Caribbean Sea, takes root in a lagoon, and grows into a tree that shelters pelicans, crabs, seahorses, and other tropical sea animals. The author's note further drives home the book's overt preservationist message. The detailed illustrations realistically depict the mangrove's residents.

Reviewer: Hilary Breed Van Dusen

(3) K-3 Little Groundhog happily munches on tasty vegetables, but the animal-gardeners scold him for eating their food and teach him to plant and tend his own crop. Cherry's illustrations of both the small backyard critters and the garden at various stages are sharply detailed and appealing, and may help attune children's eyes to the natural world.

Reviewer: Susan Dove Lempke

(3) 4-6 Meet the Author series. Photographs by John Christopher Fine. A preoccupation with the natural world links these autobiographies by two successful children's book writers. Simon focuses on the writing process, while Cherry talks more about her environmental activism. Both authors effectively convey the challenges and rewards of their chosen career. Photographs, as well as reproductions of some of Cherry's earliest illustrations, reinforce the books' feeling of intimacy.

Reviewer: Nell Beram

(4) K-3 Kamanya, a Tirio Indian boy, admires the village medicine man, who heals with natural substances he finds in the rainforest. The shaman loses the respect of the villagers when missionaries introduce pills and synthetic medications, but a visiting researcher later explains that these modern medications are derived from rainforest ingredients. More purposeful than dramatic, the story is illustrated with somewhat static watercolors. An author's note provides additional information.

Reviewer: The Horn Book, Inc.