(3) 4-6 Archer and Craig provide an overview of different plant food sources (including roots, leaves, flowers, and stems) and then, with an emphasis on the process, explain how to grow and cook them yourself. Readers are encouraged to try new foods and techniques with sixteen colorful fruits and vegetables. Novel recipes include chocolate beet cake and zucchini and polenta fries. Glos., ind.

Reviewer: Paula M. Cairo

(4) K-3 This richly illustrated visual miscellany of plant types and functions celebrates botanical biodiversity. Presented alphabetically (if botanically disordered), the browsable volume covers plant groups from aquatics, deciduous, and perennials to "the big eaters," "the stinkers," and "the magical." With pictorial jokes on nearly every spread, exuberance and humor trump scientific information. Includes a useful appendix of illustrated leaf shapes. Glos., ind.

Reviewer: Paula M. Cairo

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Charlotte Voake. A child delightfully observes her favorite plum tree all year: its buds and blossoms in spring, shady leaves and developing fruit in summer, ripe fruit and colorful leaves in fall, and seeing "all the way up to the top" through bare branches in winter. Voake's ink lines and watercolor washes evoke each season beautifully. Superficial botanical facts appear alongside the narrative, but this is mainly a story of sweet appreciation. Ind.

Reviewer: Paula M. Cairo

(3) 4-6 Some methods of studying monarch butterfly migrations--such as tagging and measuring resting colonies--show that populations are decreasing, and Hirsch investigates why? A readable narrative, illustrated with excellent photos and infographics, discusses the environmental culprits (deforestation, herbicides, climate change) and how scientists are helping. Kids, too, can help conserve monarch populations with the appended "citizen scientist" suggestions. Reading list. Bib., ind.

Reviewer: Paula M. Cairo

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Sakshi Mangal. On busy spreads, cartooned "seed students" learn from teacher Ms. Petal how each of them grows at its own rate and into its own type of plant. One "little lost seed" (an acorn) eventually learns he's both like the other seeds and ultimately different. A hokey but effective enough kindergarten botanical lesson that can easily be applied to a child's own development.

Reviewer: Paula M. Cairo

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Steve Jenkins. "Sometimes an animal wants to stand out" for many reasons related to survival. Prolific animal-book authors Jenkins and Page take another look at animal adaptation as they describe why animals puff up, fan out, dance, roar, light up, and more to draw attention to themselves. Such actions are on display in Jenkins's crisp paper-collage art against white backgrounds. More information on each animal is appended. Reading list, websites.

Reviewer: Paula M. Cairo

(3) K-3 The Jouberts, National Geographic filmmakers and photographers, observed and photographed a baby leopard in Botswana over four-plus years. An evocative text and excellent photos follow Legadema's (which means "light from the sky" in Setswana) development as she learns climbing and hunting skills and eventually becomes mother to her own cubs. More leopard information and a photographers' note are appended. Reading list, websites.

Reviewer: Paula M. Cairo

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Margherita Borin. Many kinds of frogs and toads at all life stages are realistically illustrated in watercolor, marker pens, and pencil with a level of detail that should attract nature lovers. Geared to mid-elementary-age readers, the engaging text (in various-size type) emphasizes an appreciation for the diversity of these amphibians and the importance of conservation. Back matter suggests how kids can help "save frogs." Ind.

Reviewer: Paula M. Cairo

(3) YA From ancient cleanliness customs to corsets to Victoria's Secret, this well-documented survey takes a feminist look at the whys and hows of ladies' lingerie. The historical narrative investigates the development of corsets, bras, and other undergarments from the point of view of cultural phenomena and evolving attitudes toward the female figure, including current ideas about gender. Reading list, websites. Bib., ind.

Reviewer: Paula M. Cairo

(3) 4-6 French realist painter of animals Rosa Bonheur forged a unique career in the nineteenth-century art world, despite the obstacle of being a woman. Painting from life, Bonheur kept many animals at her home. Vignettes of her life and work are set in the context of her artistic contemporaries. A handsome volume of great interest to budding art historians as well as to animal lovers. Extensive notes and resources appended. Bib., ind.

Reviewer: Paula M. Cairo

(3) 4-6 In 2013, an irruption (sudden increase) of snowy owl sightings in southern Canada and the U.S.--far south of their normal summer home--prompted studies of their migration behavior. Markle's clear prose describes the research of Project SNOWstorm, which tracked snowy owls and collected data with GPS transmitters. Illustrative field photos help middle-grade readers follow the scientific investigation. Reading list, websites. Glos., ind.

Reviewer: Paula M. Cairo

(3) K-3 Photographs by Ian McAllister. Striking photographs of the Great Bear Rainforest in British Columbia feature majestic landscapes and form a backdrop for Life's fact-based, year-in-the-life narrative following grizzly, black, and spirit bears. In Garden, equally dazzling up-close photographs under nearby Great Bear Sea accompany the pertinent text explaining why seals, otters, and sea lions take shelter in rocky seal gardens during storms. Review covers these titles: A Bear's Life and The Seal Garden.

Reviewer: Paula M. Cairo

(3) K-3 Twenty-one rodents are briefly introduced and appreciated in actual-size ink illustrations for comparison with one another; for larger rodents such as the capybara, only the head appears. Munro's message is that rodents are a diverse group of clever and useful creatures. Keyed to the understanding and interest of primary grades, with added information on each rodent at the end. Websites. Bib., glos., ind.

Reviewer: Paula M. Cairo

(4) PS Illustrated by Suzanne Kaufman. A boy and girl on a farm rise and shine early and go bug-hunting in a jaunty rhyming text, illustrated with bright, slick digital art. They, and readers, find ten of a kind hidden on each two-page spread, for one hundred by book's end. Along with counting, readers also learn combinations that make ten, then combine tens to make one hundred. Each bug is briefly described at the end. Bib.

Reviewer: Paula M. Cairo

(3) 4-6 Illustrated by Gilbert Ford. This primer explains how itching works in the layers and nerve endings of human skin, and which bugs, plants, and fungi can cause it. Funny cartooned illustrations depict dressed-up fleas, lice, bedbugs, nettles, poison ivy, and more. Sidebars offer "Soothe the Itch" and "Avoid the Itch" tips. An entertaining and informative volume for middle-grade readers fascinated by the slightly disgusting. Websites. Bib., glos., ind.

Reviewer: Paula M. Cairo

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Brianne Farley. Bunny Charlotte figures things out using the scientific method. She loves doing experiments and making discoveries but lives with lots of siblings who get in her way and spoil results. After going to outer space, she realizes that she misses her family and returns to claim "her own space." Whimsical illustrations show a stepped approach to problem-solving. More on the scientific method is appended.

Reviewer: Paula M. Cairo

(3) 4-6 Illustrated by Eleanor Taylor. Separated into five sections by ocean layer, the large square volume showcases a variety of unusual creatures and organisms in "one of the least understood places on the planet." Each life form's spread provides brief facts (including Latin name and size), a paragraph of interesting information, and a larger-than-life mixed-media illustration that zooms in to show intricate designs and focus on the unusual. Websites. Bib.

Reviewer: Paula M. Cairo

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Sam Brewster. This handsome volume presents "record-breaking" facts about the framework that gives vertebrates their shape. On each spread, readers view a skeleton and ponder clues (given by the animal in the first person) to guess which animal has the largest, smallest, longest, heaviest, etc., bones; turn the page for the detailed answer accompanied by a graphically sharp full-body illustration with tactile raised embellishments. Reading list, websites. Glos.

Reviewer: Paula M. Cairo

(4) K-3 Animal Olympics series. This series imagines how three species would fare in fictional Olympic competitions. After introducing a human Olympian in the featured sport, each book discusses its animal contenders, focusing on agility and other traits that give the animal an edge. A double-page "Award Ceremony" declares who wins gold, silver, and bronze. Gimmicky but informative. There are four other fall 2017 books in this series. Reading list. Glos., ind. Review covers these Animal Olympics titles: Animal Boxing Stars, Animal Diving Stars, Animal High Jumping Stars, and Animal Gymnastics Stars.

Reviewer: Paula M. Cairo

(4) 4-6 Be What You Want series. Bedell is realistic about job requirements and helps readers understand pluses and minuses of veterinary animal care as well as many other careers involving domestic and wild animals, including farming, conservation, training, and research. A dynamic narrative is peppered with "Spotlights" on real professionals, interviews, quizzes, and more, but the layout would benefit from photos instead of dull clip art. Reading list, websites. Bib., glos.

Reviewer: Paula M. Cairo