(4) 4-6 Basher Science series. Written by Tom Jackson. Physical science and engineering concepts are transformed into odd manga cartoon creatures, who explain--in hokey, pun-laden first-person narratives--their characteristics and/or purposes in the engineering process. Arranged in a field guide–like format, topics covered include scientific principles such as force and motion; classical mechanics; design processes; construction materials; and the buildings, vehicles, and technologies produced by engineers. Glos., ind.

Reviewer: Danielle J. Ford

(4) 4-6 Basher Science series. Written by Dan Green. The pun-laden prose of this handbook accurately introduces microbes, or "bugs." Group color-coding of topics like "Bacteria Basics" is repeated throughout as individual subtopics speak for themselves (e.g., Helminth: "[I'm] A squirmy, wormy bag of fun..."), and anthropomorphized cartoon illustrations reinforce the point (Thermophile wears a hazmat suit). Standard data, such as capabilities and year discovered, accompany each subtopic. Glos., ind.

Reviewer: Frieda F. Bostian

(4) 4-6 Basher Science series. Written by Adrian Dingle and Dan Green. The jaunty prose of this handbook accurately introduces the periodic table. Group color-coding on the standard matrix is repeated throughout, as each personified element gives its own attributes (e.g., Calcium: "They call me 'The Scaffolder'") and oddly anthropomorphized manga characters reinforce the point (Calcium wears a tool belt and hardhat). Standard data (symbol, atomic number, etc.) accompany each element. Removable poster included. Glos., ind.

Reviewer: Frieda F. Bostian

(4) 4-6 Basher Science series. Written by Dan Green. The pun-laden prose of this balanced discussion introduces major factors in climate change, such as El Niño and acidification. Color-coding of topics like "Greenhouse Gang" is repeated throughout as individual subtopics speak for themselves (e.g., Smog: "I'm a flagon of foul air, a can of cough and splutter"), and anthropomorphized cartoon illustrations reinforce the point. Standard data, such as capabilities and extremes, accompany each subtopic. Glos., ind.

Reviewer: Frieda F. Bostian

(3) 4-6 This compelling art-appreciation/hands-on-activity volume acquaints children with wide-ranging works of art and their creators, then engages them with a related, (mostly) easy-to-follow project on a gatefold. The simple focus in this series installment--"how stories have inspired famous artists"--will help kids connect with the examples and their own projects. Crisp reproductions dominate the snazzy book design. Glos., ind.

Reviewer: Katrina Hedeen

(4) K-3 Kingfisher Readers series. In each volume, an easy-to-read if choppy text provides basic information on the titular animal, touching on habitat, physical characteristics and adaptations, and diet. Written at a slightly more advanced level, Chimpanzees features topical two-page chapters. Relevant photos (to which the text periodically refers) provide resting points and often illustrate the concepts. Glos. Review covers these Kingfisher Readers titles: Seals and Chimpanzees.

Reviewer: Rebecca Fox

(4) K-3 Kingfisher Readers series. "Birds are everywhere!" This beginning-reader text explains "what makes an animal a bird" (feathers, wings, a beak), highlighting adaptive benefits and interspecies variation of these features, then traces a bird's egg-to-flight development; the content includes some minor inaccuracies. Bright bird photographs, including an actual-size image of a bee hummingbird, illuminate in-text descriptions and may occasionally assist new readers. Glos.

Reviewer: Rebecca Fox

(3) 4-6 This newly updated all-things-soccer guide covers the sport's history, rules, tactics, star players and teams, memorable games, top competitions, and the soccer industry. Each chapter opens with a full-spread photo and a short description of a famous feat (or defeat). Loads of other action-packed photos and "fact file" boxes break up the text. Removable poster included. Reading list, websites. Glos., ind.

Reviewer: Tanya D. Auger

(4) K-3 Kingfisher Readers series. In each volume, an easy-to-read if choppy text provides basic information on the titular animal, touching on habitat, physical characteristics and adaptations, and diet. Written at a slightly more advanced level, Chimpanzees features topical two-page chapters. Relevant photos (to which the text periodically refers) provide resting points and often illustrate the concepts. Glos. Review covers these Kingfisher Readers titles: Seals and Chimpanzees.

Reviewer: Rebecca Fox

(4) K-3 Kingfisher Readers series. This is a very basic look at the African savanna, illustrated with stock photos (some animals pictured aren't identified). The easy-to-read text presents random facts, and children will come away with a general if limited sense of the habitat. Each two-page spread focuses on a distinct topic; highlighted words in the text are defined in an appended glossary.

Reviewer: Grace Worcester Greene

(4) K-3 Kingfisher Readers series. Two-page chapters introduce newly independent readers to key moments in space-travel history; explain takeoff, landing, and astronauts' many jobs; and highlight ongoing work on the International Space Station. Fact boxes and captioned photos (many from the NASA photo library) expand on the accessible if limited text. Three "Astronaut Records" and a timeline are appended. Glos., ind.

Reviewer: Rebecca Fox

(4) 4-6 Basher History series. Written by Mary Budzik. This easy-to-navigate field guide–style volume includes brief rundowns of deities from ancient Greek, Norse, and Egyptian cultures. In the first-person voice of the god, each is given a two-page treatment, including a basic breakdown of major attributes and stories as well as a superfluous and cutesy emoji-looking illustration. A removable poster is included. Glos., ind.

Reviewer: Antonio Trujillo

(4) 4-6 Basher History series. Written by Dan Green. This easy-to-navigate field guide–style volume provides brief descriptions of the U.S. states and territories. In the first-person voice of the state, each is given a two-page treatment, including basic facts and what it's known for plus a superfluous and cutesy (and strangely anthropomorphized) emoji-looking illustration of the state. A removable poster is included. Glos., ind.

Reviewer: Antonio Trujillo

(3) 4-6 This compelling art-appreciation/hands-on-activity volume acquaints children with wide-ranging works of art and their creators then engages them with a related, (mostly) easy-to-follow project on a gatefold: e.g., printmaker Hokusai's Mount Fuji in Clear Weather leads to instructions for a cardboard printing plate to use "as many times as you like!" The art reproductions are crisp, and the book design is snazzy. Glos., ind.

Reviewer: Katrina Hedeen

(3) K-3 Kingfisher Readers series. In two-page chapters, the book introduces foundational environmental concepts, including animal species, ecosystems, climate, and fossil fuels, then seamlessly unites these concepts in discussions of environmental threats and possible resolutions. Complex connections (e.g., the relationship between global warming, habitat loss, and endangered species) are illuminated. Captions lend substance to bright stock photos; simple maps and diagrams offer additional points of engagement. Glos., ind.

Reviewer: Rebecca Fox

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Marc Aspinall. Thirty-two pages contain a potpourri of facts very loosely grouped (brain, muscles, etc.) on double-page spreads. The tidbits of information are quirky though largely useless. Small details in the bright, amusing cartoon art link spreads: e.g., an arm and hand in a striped shirt on the bottom of one page leads to a girl in the same shirt on the next page.

Reviewer: Gail Hedges

(3) K-3 Kingfisher Readers series. This easy-to-read book introduces beginning readers to perhaps the most well-known dinosaur, Tyrannosaurus rex. The you-are-there text ("Triceratops gets away!") describes how T. rex hunts for his next meal and battles with his prey while presenting bold-faced vocabulary words and pronunciations for the dinosaurs mentioned. A mix of digital art and photographs of paleontologists at work ground the information. Glos.

Reviewer: Julie Bartynski-Fenner

(4) K-3 Kingfisher Readers series. Offering limited information about their subjects, which is suitable for the reading levels noted, these slim books feature lots of colorful photos and somewhat halting texts that closely match the photos. Rainforest uses a double-spread format with headings; Colors has continuous text that's more like captions for the photos. Rainforest doesn't distinguish between tropical and temperate rainforests. Glos. Review covers these Kingfisher Readers titles: Animal Colors and In the Rainforest.

Reviewer: Frieda F. Bostian

(4) K-3 Kingfisher Readers series. Stock photos featuring children engaged in their daily routines (waking, washing, eating breakfast) pair with easy-to-read sentences that trace the arc of a day from sunrise to midnight, then describe the relationship among various units of time. The text is choppy, and the early sections on morning, noon, and midnight omit mention of minutes and hours, which limits the later content. Glos.

Reviewer: Rebecca Fox

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Stuart Jackson-Carter. Young readers come face to face with the amazing animals that live deep in the ocean and in rainforests. From pygmy seahorses and the giant Pacific octopus to the Parson's chameleon and a jaguar, readers learn basic information while taking in the captivating full-spread illustrations to real-life scale. Each book includes additional facts on each featured animal and information on ocean and rainforest conservation, respectively. Review covers these titles: Lifesize Ocean and Lifesize Rainforest.

Reviewer: Julie Bartynski-Fenner