(2) K-3 Translated by Johanna McCalmont. Illustrated by Nicoletta Bertelle. "Once there was a tiny seed. So small in the great big world, it felt lost and lonely." The earth, rain, and sky all help the seed thrive, offering a place to land, plus water and sun so it can grow into a strong apple tree. "The Earth said to the seed, 'Don't be afraid. I'll take care of you.' And welcomed it into its sweet, soft soil." Once grown, the tree extends the care given to it by inviting a bird to raise her chick in its branches. The bird, in turn, carries an apple seed to fertile soil to start the cycle again. "Carefully, she picked up the tiny seed in her beak and gave it to the Earth." With relatively few words, Giraldo gives readers a simple science lesson, a message about interdependence, and a comforting story about generosity (perfect for elementary classroom social-emotional learning). Bertelle employs rich, bold colors for her lush illustrations. The thick layers of acrylic paint with visible brushstrokes and scratched lines are as multilayered as the story itself. In the final spread, when the bird sings to the seed, waiting for it to sprout, the birdsong is pictured as multicolored egg-shaped bubbles, bursting with apple blossoms and other flowers, suggesting a celebration of the rebirth to come.

Reviewer: Maeve Visser Knoth | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 2022

(2) PS Translated by Johanna McCalmont. Illustrated by Florian Pigé. A girl in a treehouse regularly explores the woods through her binoculars: "I know the forest inside out." Suddenly, she spots something new--the antlers of a deer reaching into the sky. She runs to the deer and secures permission to climb his antlers. "You can tell me what you see," says the deer. As she climbs, she passes a birthday party of woodland creatures; a mouse reading a newspaper; a garden, complete with a Venus flytrap; and a huge sleeping snake. From the top of the antlers, she takes in a brilliant sunset. "I didn't know I could climb so high," she tells the deer when she's back on solid ground. The enchanting scenes of the creatures settled into the twisting, curving antlers will thrill young ­viewers--expect to linger on these spreads to engage with the details in Pigé's velvety and textured earth-toned illustrations. Both author and illustrator give the wide-eyed protagonist an abundant curiosity that propels page-turns. Best of all, the inquisitive girl takes it all in as the habitual nature-watcher she is. Though she knows nature is wondrous (mice drying off with towels don't surprise her), she's still awed by seeing a glorious sunset from an all-new height.

Reviewer: Julie Danielson | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2022