Horn Book Herald: Early February 2026

(3) K-3 Right-facing pages show photos of baby zoo animals; in the accompanying text, the animals introduce themselves and one of their identifying features (stripes for a baby tapir; stumpy horns for a rhino). Turn the page to see how that baby grows and changes when they get “BIG.” Like other ZooBorns books, this one has a clean layout, suitably adorable photos, and friendly text; closing pages provide additional information about each of the animals and their species’ conservation status.

Reviewer: Rachel L. Kerns

(3) YA Miami teens Vida and Adán, who knew each other as children in Cuba, reconnect through a shared interest in animals. It is unclear whether their relationship can survive familial issues and past traumas until a hurricane strikes the breeding zoo where they are camp counselors, forcing them to protect the zoo’s creatures and support each other. Following the style and themes of Wings in the Wild (rev. 5/23) and Wild Dreamers, Engle’s latest verse novel presents another story of Cuban emigration and teenage romance, this one perfect for animal lovers.

Reviewer: Monica de los Reyes

(3) K-3 Illustrated by David Hohn. When Maryland's chief apiary inspector, Cybil Preston, needed help checking hundreds of beehives each year for foulbrood, a disease deadly to bees, she adopts a dog named Mack and trains him in scent detection. Gibeault’s text nicely balances details about beekeeping and dog training with plenty of action and emotional appeal. Hohn’s soft illustrations in an earthy palette bring dog Mack’s lovable, if at first unruly, personality to life. Informative back matter about these real-life heroes and a bibliography are appended.

Reviewer: Cynthia K. Ritter

(3) K-3 A female Anna’s hummingbird builds a nest on young Noah's apartment balcony. The third-person narration offers an engaging mix of Noah's observations and facts about hummingbirds’ flight abilities, diet, and more. The back matter provides valuable tips for how to create a safe environment for these birds. Beautiful photographs enhance this story for young nature lovers. Author’s note included.

Reviewer: Summer Edward

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Stephanie Laberis. Part one of this book about animal play introduces play activities that have a purpose, such as hyenas having a tug-of-war to strengthen their jaws and otters “juggling” rocks to increase dexterity. Part two is about animal play that is just for fun, such as sledding ravens and body-surfing saltwater crocodiles. The text is informative and fascinating (who knew orangutans played dress-up?); the complementary digital illustrations, in mainly muted colors, show a variety of animals having a great time. A glossary and bibliography are appended.

Reviewer: Rachel L. Kerns

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Susan Deming. Author Payne (a TikTok-famed zookeeper) takes readers behind the scenes of an unnamed zoo, explaining how staff and volunteers feed, train, and care for the animals over the course of a day. Readers are also introduced to the variety of jobs available at the zoo as well as its role in promoting conservation and environmental protection efforts. Appealing soft-toned illustrations depict a variety of happy, healthy zoo residents and their human caretakers and visitors.

Reviewer: Rachel L. Kerns

(3) 4-6 Illustrated by Laurel Scheel. Adapted from an adult book by the same name, this title invites readers into the fascinating world of octopuses. In straightforward yet vivid language, a scientist who specializes in octopuses describes the creatures’ many unique qualities, such as the biological adaptations that make them superior hunters and hiders, their apparent ability to recognize and relate to one another, and even the possibility that they dream while asleep. Occasional line drawings break up the text. The level of included detail makes this most appropriate for very devoted octopus admirers; a glossary, source notes, and index (unseen) are included.

Reviewer: Rachel L. Kerns