(4) K-3 Illustrated by Lisa Cinar. Bear is lonely; the other forest animals are all afraid of him. Then Bear invites the others to a pre-hibernation party, which, though initially awkward, becomes quite convivial, with singing, dancing, and good food. The story is amiable if predictable, and the illustrations attract attention with their loose, spontaneous style and unusual use of color. A recipe for Bear's honey-ginger cookies is appended.

Reviewer: Martha Sibert

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Karen Reczuch. Each letter of the alphabet introduces readers to an animal or feature of British Columbia's Pacific Rim region on Vancouver Island's west coast. Lush, detailed full-bleed paintings show familiar (e.g., bears, cougars) and less-well-known (e.g., Xiphister, or prickleback fish) creatures in their habitats (ocean, shore, ancient rainforest). Brief text accompanies each entry. An author's note provides more information. Reading list, websites.

Reviewer: Paula M. Cairo

(3) 4-6 Hodge describes the Kindertransport that rescued nearly ten thousand Jewish children from Nazi-occupied Europe and brought them to Britain between 1938 and 1939. Chapters covering events leading up to and following the mission are sprinkled with 1930s–era art, archival photographs, and sidebars of anecdotes from eight featured survivors, all of which strengthen the book's impact. Reading list, timeline, websites. Glos.

Reviewer: Amy Kellman

(3) K-3 Photographs by Brian Harris. Reflecting the rising interest in urban farming, this simple text explores the different ways and spaces people find to grow food in cities. Occasional boxed sidebars offer gentle encouragement: "A sunny windowsill is a great place to grow herbs." Well-chosen photos show children enjoying fresh produce in addition to pictures of community-, front-, and backyard gardens--and an eye-catching highrise rooftop beekeeper.

Reviewer: Bridget McCaffrey

(4) K-3 Photographs by Brian Harris. Hodge walks readers through four seasons of work on a small farm, emphasizing the contributions of people of all ages; intimate color photos of real farm families show that everyone pitches in. Hodge concludes many pages with a question for readers that both invites contemplation ("How do you care for your animals?") and offers relief from the occasionally dense text.

Reviewer: Nell Beram

(3) K-3 Who Lives Here? series. Illustrated by Pat Stephens. This mini-guide to creatures of the northern forest features one animal per spread. A brief introduction, accompanied by four captioned illustrations (one large, three small), includes facts about the animal's home, diet, young, unique features and abilities, and/or survival techniques. The text provides enough detail to engage readers without overwhelming them. Uncluttered design and finely crafted realistic illustrations are strengths.

Reviewer: Sethany Rancier Alongi

(3) K-3 Who Lives Here? series. Illustrated by Pat Stephens. This mini-guide to creatures of the savanna features one animal per spread. A brief introduction to the animal, followed by four captioned illustrations (one large, three small), includes facts about the animal's home, diet, young, unique features and abilities, and/or survival techniques. The text provides enough detail to engage readers without overwhelming them. Uncluttered design and finely crafted realistic illustrations are strengths.

Reviewer: Sethany Rancier Alongi

(3) K-3 Who Lives Here? series. Illustrated by Pat Stephens. These books describe the animal inhabitants of two habitats. After a general introduction about the habitat, each double-page spread highlights a specific animal, providing enough detail to hold readers' interest without overwhelming them. Muted illustrations, including a large main picture on the left and three smaller ones on the right, effectively supplement and help explain the texts. Review covers these Who Lives Here? titles: Polar Animals and Rain Forest Animals.

Reviewer: Becky Levine

(3) K-3 Who Lives Here? series. Illustrated by Pat Stephens. These books describe the animal inhabitants of two habitats. After a general introduction about the habitat, each double-page spread highlights a specific animal, providing enough detail to hold readers' interest without overwhelming them. Muted illustrations, including a large main picture on the left and three smaller ones on the right, effectively supplement and help explain the texts. Review covers these Who Lives Here? titles: Polar Animals and Rain Forest Animals.

Reviewer: Becky Levine

(3) K-3 Denver Museum of Nature & Science Book series. Illustrated by Julian Mulock. A combination of close-up photos and realistic art shows ants and bees at work. The brief text describes life cycle, habitat, colony organization, and the role of the queen, worker, and male. A double-page spread displays the insect body in detail. Hands-on projects include building an ant or bee (with Styrofoam and pipe cleaners) and making a model ant nest. Glos., ind. Review covers these Denver Museum of Nature & Science titles: Ants and Bees.

Reviewer: Paula M. Cairo

(3) K-3 Denver Museum of Nature & Science Book series. Illustrated by Julian Mulock. A combination of close-up photos and realistic art shows ants and bees at work. The brief text describes life cycle, habitat, colony organization, and the role of the queen, worker, and male. A double-page spread displays the insect body in detail. Hands-on projects include building an ant or bee (with Styrofoam and pipe cleaners) and making a model ant nest. Glos., ind. Review covers these Denver Museum of Nature & Science titles: Ants and Bees.

Reviewer: Paula M. Cairo

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Song Nan Zhang & Song Nan Zhang. When Emma gets upset because she doesn't look like the rest of her family, Grandma tells her once again the story of her adoption from China. There's not much tension in the text, but the description of the joyous welcome Emma received is a satisfying one. The realistic paintings have nice elements but sometimes look awkward.

Reviewer: Martha Sibert

(3) K-3 Kids Can Press Wildlife series. Illustrated by Nancy Gray Ogle. This straightforward account of the salmon's life cycle covers spawning, growth, and migration, as well as salmons' place in the food chain. The realistic illustrations include many smaller inset close-ups and highlighted "Salmon Facts." Geared toward the research needs of young children, the book includes a list of relevant vocabulary. Ind.

Reviewer: Jim St. Claire

(4) K-3 Kids Can Press Wildlife series. Illustrated by Nancy Gray Ogle. Each spread focuses on an aspect of eagle biology, including "Eagles of the world," "Where eagles live," "Eagle food," and "Baby eagles." The book contains numerous interesting facts ("A Bald Eagle's wings can spread up to 2.3 m (7 Å“ feet) from tip to tip. This is longer than a bed"), but the writing is dry. Clear but uninspired watercolor illustrations accompany the text. Glos., ind.

Reviewer: Anita L. Burkam

(3) K-3 Wildlife series. Illustrated by Pat Stephens. Logically organized, these books examine the habitats, physiology, diets, and behavioral traits of beavers or members of the deer family. Realistic illustrations show the animals in action in their habitats. A surprising amount of information is covered in each book, and the final pages describe signs (such as tracks and scent mounds) that will aid in spotting these animals in the wild. Glos., ind.

Reviewer: Daniel Brabander

(3) K-3 Wildlife series. Illustrated by Pat Stephens. Logically organized, these books examine the habitats, physiology, diets, and behavioral traits of beavers or members of the deer family. Realistic illustrations show the animals in action in their habitats. A surprising amount of information is covered in each book, and the final pages describe signs (such as tracks and scent mounds) that will aid in spotting these animals in the wild. Glos., ind.

Reviewer: Daniel Brabander

(3) K-3 Starting with Science series. Photographs by Ray Boudreau. These are engaging presentations of familiar science demonstrations, such as using levers and pulleys, making a worm farm, growing seeds, and creating condensation. Accessible designs, featuring clear, readable texts and bright, colorful photos of children performing the activities, add appeal. A boxed text explains "what's happening" in every experiment, and a note to parents and teachers concludes each book. Glos., ind.

Reviewer: The Horn Book, Inc.