(2) K-3 "A face is a poem / with all the parts put together, / adding up to someone / you love." An observant, imaginative speaker offers musings about faces, from the concrete ("the delicate / scratchy hairs") to the hypothetical ("What if you could change faces every morning, / just to see through someone else's eyes?") to the silly ("Even a potato / has eyes!"). The whimsical text is elevated by its thoughtful placement on the page amid the varied, soft-hued mixed-media illustrations. Rows of human and animal eyes punctuate a list of real and imagined potential eye colors. Luminous eyes, and a nose and mouth made of stars take up a full spread, giving way to faces arranged in an inclusive patchwork and then to one bordered by Picasso-esque "rearranged" visages. In a few illustrations, lines of dialogue emanate from small faces or figures, but the emphasis is always on what's being observed about faces. Fans of Julie Fogliano (recently All the Beating Hearts, rev. 1/23) might especially enjoy this meditation on noticing what's in front of -- and, in this case, part of -- our faces.

Reviewer: Shoshana Flax | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2024

(2) YA Alienated from his alternate Victorian London's society by behaviors and sensitivities common to people with autism, Silas is nonetheless valued for his eyes. Their violet color allows the possessor to reach through the Veil and converse with the dead--but only if you're male; violet-eyed females are valued only as breeding stock, and Silas was assigned female at birth. Self-taught in surgical techniques, Silas morbidly dreams of using his knowledge to excise his own womb, but when an attempt to gain the independence to live as his true self goes wrong, he's sent to Braxton's Finishing School and Sanitorium. It's a place where "girls like you" are cured of "the Veil sickness"--and true peril awaits. Can Silas discover why the students are disappearing? The protagonist's travails are coming from so many different directions that readers' sympathies are fully engaged. Secondary characters are rounded as well, creating intriguing dynamics. A well-sustained body horror suffuses the book with tension, and (as an opening note warns) the "transphobia, ableism, graphic violence, sexual assault, discussions of forced pregnancy and miscarriage, mentions of suicidal ideation, and extensive medical gore" can be a lot to take. But readers who are up for it will follow Silas's exploits in horrified fascination and (potentially) delightfully sick dread. A closing note places this fantasy's use of medical experimentation in real historical context.

Reviewer: Anita L. Burkam | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2023

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Dung Ho. An Asian girl takes pride in the beauty of her eyes and of her family's heritage. Her eyes, which "kiss in the corners and glow like warm tea," look like her mother's, her grandmother's, and her little sister's. Mama's eyes radiate love; Amah's eyes "are filled with so many stories"; Mei-Mei's eyes look up at her with adoration and hope. The rich, poetic text is brought to life by fantastical illustrations that move seamlessly from cozy home scenes to mythic landscapes, symbols, and creatures--sometimes in the same image.

Reviewer: Kitty Flynn

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Alleanna Harris. At age six, Patricia Bath (1942–2019) declared: "I want to be a doctor!" Though she faced obstacles because of her gender, race, and socioeconomic status, she succeeded, breaking boundaries in many arenas including becoming the first African American female doctor granted a medical patent. Quotes from Dr. Bath appear throughout, and colorful digital illustrations reflect her curiosity and compassion. Reading list, timeline. Bib.

Reviewer: Elissa Gershowitz

(3) K-3 Translated by Kathryn Bishop. Illustrated by Eve Tharlet. Tiny elf-like Oli finds a large blue stone. The forest creatures tease him for keeping it, but Oli says: "I'm sure I will find a use for it one day." And in fact, he eventually meets a distraught child whose doll is missing an eye. The dreamy illustrations, in which perspective is skewed and emotions are stronger than reality, suit the text’s sense of longing.

Reviewer: Maeve Visser Knoth

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Hannah Tolson. Eyes can be big or small, bulging or hiding, but they are all designed to work for their owners--whether they help an animal see far away, in two directions at once, or in the dark. In the voice of each animal (goat: "I've got OBLONG eyes"), the text is simple but introduces some interesting vocabulary; the bold, clear illustrations give close-ups of the different eyes.

Reviewer: Janet Dawson

(4) K-3 Twenty double-page spreads cover all things related to eyes: anatomical details, range of sight, color perception, vision correction, medical conditions, optical illusions, and more. The richer content focuses on human eyesight, but there are tidbits on animal eyes. The presentation includes engaging color photos and some hard-to-decipher diagrams. The intriguing if scattered information may spark further research. Reading list, websites. Glos., ind.

Reviewer: Gail Hedges

(4) 4-6 Checkerboard Library: Modern Engineering Marvels series. This book briefly introduces biotechnological advances, from implanting a computer chip into the brain that reads wireless signals to a camera in glasses to help blind people see. The clearly written text contains a short, fascinating overview of the past, present, and future of such technologies, but the layout is boxy and boring, with full-color stock photographs and potentially confusing infographics. Timeline. Glos., ind.

Reviewer: Jack Forman

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Dan Krall. Spoiled little rich dog Mabel's vision problems cause various comical misunderstandings until her human "parents" finally take her to a doggy optometrist. This Mabel story is more transparently purposeful than its predecessor (Naughty Mabel), but the authors' wit survives (Mabel's seventy-year-old neighbor is "490 in dog years"), as do Krall's cheeky visuals (don't miss Martha Stewart as seen in Mabel's triple vision).

Reviewer: Nell Beram

(4) K-3 National Geographic Readers series. These level-three biographies for "fluent readers" use relatively simple sentence structure and unadorned writing styles to introduce readers to Supreme Court Justice Sotomayor and medieval Arab scholar and scientist Ibn al-Haytham. With various sidebars, text boxes, and visuals (photographs plus static illustrations in Ibn), the presentation is visually cluttered, but the material is solid. A quiz is appended. Glos., ind. Review covers these National Geographic Readers titles: Sonia Sotomayor and Ibn al-Haytham.

Reviewer: Maeve Visser Knoth

(3) K-3 "Most animals need eyes to survive," and their shape, size, color, and more reflect the animal's adaptations. Readers guess which animal belongs to a photographed eye, enlarged to exclude the rest of the creature; information about how that animal (and others) sees and some essential vocabulary (pupil, cornea, lens) facilitates an understanding of eye functions. Streamlined text and colorful photos are suited to young readers.

Reviewer: Paula M. Cairo

(4) 4-6 Tech Bytes series. These two installments in the new-technologies series explore the history of two human assistive technologies: artificial eyes and wearable robotic exoskeletons. Although text-heavy, both books make the information accessible through clear organization, strong writing, and thorough back matter. Limited photographs and bland (if direct) covers do not advertise the fascinating subject matter as well as they might. Reading list, websites. Glos., ind. Review covers the following Tech Bytes titles: Wearable Robots and Artifical Eyes.

Reviewer: Dorrie Karlin

(4) 1-3 Igor's Lab of Fear series. Illustrated by Igor Šinkovec. Professor Igor welcomes readers into his Laboratory of Fear for this collection of creepy chapter books. Each simplistic horror story tries to be more than your usual fright fest with teaching moments augmented by appended "Lab Notes," discussion questions ("Does this story have a moral?"), and writing prompts. The black-and-white illustrations help set a scary tone without being overly explicit. Glos. Review covers these Igor's Lab of Fear titles: Blood Shark, A Jar of Eyeballs, Ooze Is It?, and Werewolf Skin.

Reviewer: Antonio Trujillo

(4) K-3 "Rex did NOT like his specs...AT ALL!" Loosely rendered, borderline-abstract watercolor illustrations depict Rex, an animal character, unhappily coping with his new eyeglasses at home and at school. Rex turns the corner when he locates his teacher's whistle and gains his classmates' admiration. This is a didactic but adequately entertaining introduction to the subject of kids getting glasses.

Reviewer: Sheila M. Geraty

(3) K-3 How It Works series. With Sheila Keenan. Macaulay places a discussion of the biology of the eye and the physics of sight in the context of a game of soccer. As a girl uses her eyes to play, concepts including the eye's structure and how light enters the eye and travels through the lens are covered. The illustrations use creative perspectives to showcase the science. This edition appears to be sized a bit larger than the original. Reading list, websites. Glos., ind.

Reviewer: Danielle J. Ford

(2) 4-6 Illustrated by Gilbert Ford. Ohio's Moonpenny Island is lousy with fossils--specifically trilobites (one of the first creatures to develop eyes) from the Cambrian period--as sixth-grade townie Flor learns when a geologist and his daughter come to explore. Flor's growing, if sometimes awkward, awareness of change and heightened understanding of those around her result in a unique protagonist who, like a fossil, creates a lasting imprint.

Reviewer: Betty Carter | Horn Book Magazine Issue: January, 2015

(4) K-3 When a queen's shadow is stolen during a ball, a sharp-eyed mantis shrimp questions a disparate menagerie of suspects. Along with each creature's claim of innocence, boxed text offers some scientific information about its vision. Coupled with appropriately surrealist images, the weirdly engaging narrative may confuse some readers. Information about the physiology of vision and additional facts about the animals are appended. Glos.

Reviewer: Amy Lois Cohn

(4) K-3 This overview superficially covers placement, size, structure, and other features of different animals' eyes, providing a simple introduction to the subject. The full-bleed double-page photographs are clear but get lost in the gutter. "Fun facts," a detailed four-word glossary, and a matching game conclude the book. Steve Jenkins's Eye to Eye is a more useful, attractive offering.

Reviewer: Kitty Flynn

(2) 4-6 In this excellent presentation of the structures animals use to see, eyes are prominently featured in well-designed layouts that serve both as study guide and display for the beautifully rendered cut-paper art. Each page features a single organism in two images: a main close-up of the animal's eye area(s) and a smaller, full-body image of the animal itself. Additional facts are appended. Glos.

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

(3) K-3 Think About series. Illustrated by Emily Bolam. These animal physiology/human body (animal/human behavior for Smile) hybrids follow a similar pattern. Silly animal questions ("Does a zebra go to the doctor?") and informative answers ("A zebra grazes in the wild") are followed by simple discussions on human health and behavior. Bolam's inviting illustrations make the most of the premise and reflect the texts' informal tone. Prompts for further investigation are appended. Review covers these Think About titles: Does a Hipppo Go to the Doctor?, Does a Seal Smile?, Does a Tiger Go to the Dentist?, and Does an Owl Wear Eyeglasses?.

Reviewer: Kitty Flynn