(2) K-3 Illustrated by Emily Sutton. Davies showcases the important role that plants play on Earth as consumers of carbon, producers of oxygen, and mitigators of the effects of human-induced global warming. The meaning of "green" is creatively expanded from the color we associate with plants to encompass the process of photosynthesis and the components of plant cells in which it takes place. "Their green isn't just a color...this green catches the energy in sunlight." Sutton's lush illustrations, naturally featuring many shades of green, fill the pages with tendrils, roots, and leaves at macro and micro scales and portray ecosystems on land and water throughout Earth's history as teeming with plants and animals. As Davies explains the history of plant life and its transformation into today's fossil fuels, the story shifts into how human exploitation of ancient life has meant the release of too much carbon dioxide into our atmosphere. Luckily, today's green plants in the sea and across various environments fight back against climate change. We must "remember that GREEN is the most important color in the world."

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

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Emily Sutton. Veteran science author Davies (Many: The Diversity of Life on Earth, rev. 11/17) introduces DNA to a young audience by making two initial points. First, all living things grow; and, second, growing means change. Here, Davies reinforces the concept of growth and change with clear examples of seeds and caterpillars that grow into, respectively, flowers and butterflies. After establishing these principles, she then relates them to humans, how they change from a "tiny blob, smaller than a dot" to adults. A set of instructions in our bodies, called the genetic code and created by genes, directs that change. Turning these concepts into concrete examples, Davies explains that it takes four genes to create a nose's shape or one hundred genes to create the color and consistency of hair. She further explains that genes come from biological parents, although not in the same combination for all siblings. Although the illustration of DNA's double helix may be too abstract for the audience, it does not impede the text descriptions and may well act as a cognitive placeholder for a later time. There's a small detour into teleology ("Others grow slowly so they can keep going when times are tough") but this should not interfere with overall meaning. Sutton's watercolor illustrations are particularly strong when depicting growth, showing that some living things grow quickly while others grow slowly, and some become large while others grow into small flora or fauna.

Reviewer: Betty Carter | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2020

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Emily Sutton. This oversize collection of more than fifty brief rhyming and free-verse poems about the sea is both observational and interactive: children build sand castles, watch waves, and explore tide pools; boats trawl; divers swim through reefs. Washed with blue hues, the retro watercolor art swells and roils and rolls across spreads, teeming with life and joyful movement. Teachers will appreciate the book's science connections.

Reviewer: Carolyn Shute

(4) 1-3 Illustrated by Emily Sutton. A lonely young boy makes a wish on a shooting star and finds himself in the company of Christmas tree ornaments come to life. With a tin soldier, rocking horse, angel, and robin, Theo has an adventure throughout his snow-covered city on Christmas Eve. Sutton's beautifully intricate watercolor and ink art and the high-quality book production add charm to an otherwise sentimental Christmas story.

Reviewer: Kristy Pasquariello

(1) K-3 Illustrated by Emily Sutton. Davies begins her consideration of biodiversity by discussing that there can be many species of one living thing (e.g., two kinds of elephants), and gradually explaining that these many kinds of things can live and interact with one another. Descriptions of the disruptive effects of human activities on the environment stress the importance of protecting biodiversity. Sutton's spectacular illustrations are dense yet delicate, full of color, life, and movement.

Reviewer: Danielle J. Ford | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2017

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Emily Sutton. Inadvertently tangled up with a healthier tree, a "scraggly" fir tree in a Christmas-tree forest is cut down and taken to the city. The little fir brings cheer to a homeless boy on Christmas Eve, unites the city in song, and ends up being planted in a park where, "against all odds," it flourishes. Fine-lined watercolors nod to the text's wistfulness without veering into nostalgia.

Reviewer: Elissa Gershowitz | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2016

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Emily Sutton. Davies introduces the concept of microbes to young readers through creative, relatable analogies and itchy-but-cool facts about the microbes that live on and in us. The tone is light yet scientifically precise, covering topics such as the shape and variety of microbes, their function, and reproduction. Sutton's colorful, friendly illustrations render microorganisms' shapes accurately and add depth to the presentation.

Reviewer: Danielle J. Ford | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2014