(2) K-3 Illustrated by Tiffany Bozic. Acting as narrator, a young hummingbird describes his first year, beginning when "my older sister and I hatch, two days apart, from eggs as small as navy beans." They feel a breeze "many times a day," signaling that food is coming. And then one day it doesn't. The two wait, cold and hungry, until the next morning when the breeze returns. Here listeners must infer what has happened; a human hand lifts their tiny nest and uses a syringe to feed the babies. They are orphans, now living in a hummingbird rescue center and gradually learning the skills they will need to survive in the larger world. Realistic and delicate, Bozic's depictions of the main points in the narrative (learning how to hover, sip nectar, and catch insects) are rendered in acrylic paint on wood with the birds placed in natural settings and poses, resembling the best of scientific illustrations. Readers follow the two as they make their way in the world, migrate south for the winter, and then return to find mates. An author's note explains that this touching success story is based on an observed hummingbird rescue. Montgomery outlines ways to save such abandoned birds (clearly emphasizing that readers shouldn't try this at home) and the many resources available to help these tiny animals of the Americas. Also appended are facts about hummingbirds, including their size and habitats.

Reviewer: Betty Carter | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2024

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Tiffany Bozic. In simple yet poetic language accessible to young readers, Johnston describes trees' place in nature: "Trees are friends. Their branches say, Come. Come. Climb." The observations are accompanied by visually soothing acrylic-on-wood paintings--in some, the wood grain of the substrate is preserved, adding texture--that show identifiable trees, birds, animals, wildflowers, fungi, and amphibians, as well as children. Less science lesson than appreciation for these stately companions, the text ends with back matter that names the trees pictured, gives further reading for children and adults, lists websites for tree advocacy organizations, and offers author and illustrator notes.

Reviewer: Anita L. Burkam