(3) PS Illustrated by Jennifer A. Bell. As storm clouds gather, an adult collie guides a puppy home. Glimpses of other adult animals protecting their young follow, each captioned with a comforting rhyming couplet assuring young readers that "a storm will always end." Soothing, swirling double-page illustrations accompany the story, which ends with the collie and pup cuddling peacefully indoors.

Reviewer: Grace Enriquez

(2) 4-6 Scientists in the Field series. Dr. Kimberly Stewart, a.k.a. the "turtle lady," studies endangered sea turtles with The Wider Caribbean Sea Turtle Conservation Network (WIDECAST) on the island of St. Kitts. Swinburne covers what we know about the species and how we know it, and showcases WIDECAST's refreshingly cooperative, respectful approach to the island's human residents as it works for the turtles' preservation. Reading list, websites. Glos., ind.

Reviewer: Betty Carter | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2014

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Mary Peterson. A barnacle, sea urchin, starfish, mussel, hermit crab, and other tide-pool dwellers introduce readers to their watery habitat--and individual habits--in rhyming first-person poems. The verse is uneven, but the lighthearted approach and colorful, cartoony illustrations will likely make a splash with kids. Brief information about the specific critter follows each poem. Reading list, websites. Glos.

Reviewer: Carolyn Shute

(2) PS Swinburne's crisp, clear photographs show children with favorite shoes, without shoes, and with seasonal footwear (e.g., flip-flops). He then turns his attention to special shoes for special jobs, first presenting a photograph of shoes; posing the question "Whose shoes?"; and, with a page turn, providing the answer and a full image of the worker. The book begs for interaction between reader and listener.

Reviewer: Betty Carter | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2010

(4) 4-6 British best friends Wiff and Dirty George (nicknames, thankfully) witness a bizarre event on the tube: a man dressed as a rabbit uses a device to make everyone's pants drop. This is but the first in a long line of oddities that fill their story. Funny, but perhaps too gratuitously strange (and with too much British slang) for its intended audience.

Reviewer: Betsy Murray

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Bruce Hiscock. This book traces the lives of a mother armadillo and her four babies from their births to maturity. As the story unfolds, readers learn about the characteristics, habits, and geographic migration of armadillos. The straightforward text is enhanced by atmospheric watercolor illustrations. An afterword presents additional information and comparison ("Armadillos are like pocket-sized dinosaurs"), including a map showing nine-banded armadillo migration.

Reviewer: Luther B. Clegg

(3) PS Translated by Aída E. Marcuse. This bilingual book shows young children how to recognize patterns in the natural world around them. Using simple words and phrases and a repetitive language structure, the text teaches what patterns are and where to look for them. The vibrant photographs are well suited to the subject matter.

Reviewer: Antonio Trujillo

(3) 4-6 Close-up underwater photos, a breezy, first-person narrative, and well-chosen historical and scientific facts draw readers into this captivating look at the curious marine mammal that resembles "an eggplant with chin and whiskers." Readers tag along as Swinburne follows a manatee vet, observes a necropsy (scientific examination of dead animals), and snorkels with excited fourth-graders who encounter manatees in their natural habitat. Reading list, websites. Ind.

Reviewer: Paula M. Cairo

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Bruce Hiscock. In this simple account of the sea turtle's birth pilgrimage, spare prose and fine paintings emphasize the sequence of animal encounters that reduce one hundred eggs to one lone hatchling survivor. Though there's scant factual information about size, location, or life cycle, and Swinburne mentions the species name (loggerhead) only in his author's note, this is a compelling introduction. Reading list.

Reviewer: Margaret A. Bush | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2005

(3) K-3 With a naturalist's genuine appreciation for the bears he's observed, the author describes his work with northeastern U.S. bear biologists studying the black bear. Factual information is woven into the narrative and illustrated with detailed photos. Endearing pictures of cubs and "Black Bear Facts" appear in boxes on some pages, adding layers of information. Websites. Bib., ind.

Reviewer: Paula M. Cairo

(3) 4-6 Scientists in the Field series. Photographs by Susan C. Morse. The text follows habitat ecologist Susan Morse on a trek through a Vermont forest to find evidence of wildlife. There are bear claw marks on trees, antler rubs, footprints, and scat to interpret. Morse shares tracking techniques and encourages readers to try them, cautioning them not to disturb animals. The text is immediate and conversational, with excellent supporting photographs. Reading list, websites. Glos., ind.

Reviewer: Hilary Breed Van Dusen

(4) PS The question "What's your favorite way to move?" launches this text-light photo-essay of kids in motion in New York City and in Vermont. Preschoolers will be enthralled by the color images of ethnically diverse children at home and at school jumping, skiing, climbing, and otherwise romping for the camera, although critical adults might consider some of the photos less than artistic.

Reviewer: Nell Beram

(3) K-3 Short poems focus on the courtship rituals of twelve different animals. For example, the alligator "make[s] the water sizzle like soda," and the whooping crane puts on its "best bird ballet show." Illustrated with color photos and followed by additional facts about each animal, this is an interesting introduction to animal mating rituals. While of limited use for school reports, this may catch browsers' interest.

Reviewer: Beth L. Meister

(3) K-3 Swinburne deftly weaves together information about bobcats' physical features, habitat, diet, and behaviors with his personal experiences tracking them on various outings and observing them in captivity. His first-person narrative has an easy, intimate tone and is filled with the insights and fascination of a true and passionate naturalist. Sidebars and a variety of photos round out this absorbing book. Bib., ind.

Reviewer: Erica L. Stahler

(3) K-3 Attractive, full-color photographs and succinct text introduce everyday number vocabulary in contexts familiar to young children--a pair of boots, a triple-scoop ice-cream cone, a dozen donuts. In the second half of the book, readers puzzle over questions such as "Can you find the pair?" and "Who's first in line?" The numerous color photos feature fresh-faced children casually posed in rustic settings.

Reviewer: Tanya D. Auger

(4) PS A simple text and clear color photographs of a multiethnic cast of children introduce such opposites as winter / summer, in / out, leaning / standing up straight, and few / many. The text is bland and merely describes what the photos already show, but otherwise the book is an adequate introduction to the concept of opposites.

Reviewer: Maeve Visser Knoth

(4) PS Engaging color photographs with one or two sentences per page explain what a shadow is and give the reader opportunities to guess what object (i.e., a bicycle, a dog) is making a particular shadow. Both the text and the foreword contain a few statements about light and shadow that are confusing and contradictory, but overall the text is clear and simply written.

Reviewer: Bridget McCaffrey

(3) 4-6 Conversational and informative, Swinburne's discussion combines personal accounts with scientific data. Sidebars provide additional facts about the life cycle, behavior, and history of this adaptable animal, and sometimes-captioned color photos liberally pepper the pages. While not a comprehensive overview, this book explores complicated issues regarding the coyote's survival, and Swinburne's genuine fascination shines through. Ind.

Reviewer: Emma Loy-Santelli

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Joan Paley. In sometimes forced rhyme, this text lists the various shapes beaks take and the uses birds have for them but never clearly correlates the shapes with the uses. Paint, crayon, and pencil accents add texture to the bold cut-paper collages, which offer striking, close-up portraits of the birds. A glossary briefly catalogs the beak shape, diet, and region of each of the thirty-nine birds depicted.

Reviewer: Emma Loy-Santelli

(2) 4-6 Photographs by Jim Brandenburg. Brandenburg's unparalleled wildlife photographs illustrate this cogently organized and skillfully designed account of the reintroduction of gray wolves to Yellowstone National Park. "The number-one goal of the Yellowstone Wolf Project is to remove the gray wolf from the endangered species list," and while the book is in full agreement with this intent, the approach is bracingly journalistic, not sentimental. Bib., ind.

Reviewer: Roger Sutton | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 1999