(2) K-3 Illustrated by Adria Meserve. Seventeenth-century "natural philosophers" Galileo Galilei (who looked out into the universe using a telescope) and Antonie van Leeuwenhoek (who looked closely into water droplets with a microscope) made their important scientific discoveries in astronomy and microbiology, respectively, using innovative improvements to the glass lens. As the cleverly constructed narrative moves chronologically through the lives of both scientists, it steps back and forth between them, highlighting the parallels in their experiences as well as emphasizing the practices and passions of science. Both men had creative aha moments, were meticulous inventors, and remained patient in the face of setbacks on their paths to discovery. They also depended on the scientific community and larger society for patronage and acceptance or rejection of their published scientific models, which led to challenges -- Galileo with the Catholic church and Leeuwenhoek with his unwillingness to share his lens technologies. Meserve's entertaining and informative illustrations are filled with details about the scientists, their objects of study, and the places and times in which they lived; the compositions employ inventive designs to underscore common features of the scientists' lives and work. Galileo and Leeuwenhoek are united in spirit in the final illustration of stars, planets, and the Milky Way filling the sky above a pond crowded with bacteria, microbes, and other tiny living creatures.

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

(4) PS Young Gus, a zebra on the African savanna, does not want to go on "the long walk" necessary to reach lush grazing land. In spite of his family's attempts to make the trip fun, he acts out, each time earning the admonition, "Don't kick up a fuss, Gus." The slight story is given a boost by friendly illustrations that feature funny antics and good use of color to distinguish changing landscape.

Reviewer: Grace Worcester Greene

(4) K-3 When city dog Smog steals a bag of food, he discovers that he's not the only hungry animal in town. While trying to protect his booty, he loses it in a pond. The animals manage to retrieve the food through cooperation. This delightful update of an Aesop fable features charming gouache and collage illustrations, but it's marred by faint and at times rippling or arching type that can be difficult to read.

Reviewer: Patricia Riley