(4) K-3 Illustrated by Rebekah Raye. Rhyming couplets on one side of a double-page spread face more-in-depth explanations of the interlocking ecological processes in an estuary or bay. Illustrations of estuary plants and animals include tiny captions identifying the species. The text is hard to read against some of the illustrations, but the author's enthusiasm is contagious and the information-dense text will satisfy budding naturalists. Supplemental material includes a species list. Glos.

Reviewer: Anita L. Burkam

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Rebekah Raye. Migrating alewives--silver-green herrings--encounter a new obstacle on the path to their freshwater breeding ground until a boy and his father come to their rescue. Shetterly balances facts and descriptive details with aplomb. Raye's soft watercolors don't always capture the story's urgent tone, but they depict a wide array of animals in their natural habitats. An author's note adds more scientific information.

Reviewer: Hannah Rodgers Barnaby

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Rebekah Raye. "You might mistake me for a puddle...I most certainly am not!" Vernal pools, temporary bodies of water on forest floors in springtime, are critical to the life cycles of their amphibian, invertebrate, and microorganism inhabitants. Lyrical passages about vernal-pool life are accompanied by highly informative sidebars; Raye's jam-packed, woodsy illustrations call for close examination. A welcome addition to books on natural habitats. Glos.

Reviewer: Miriam Lang Budin