(2) K-3 Illustrated by Jenn Ely. This picture-book biography introduces young readers to the conservation efforts of Hoyt, focusing mainly on her life after the death of her husband in 1918. Newly married in 1897, they had moved to Pasadena, California, where it was only a matter of time before she fell in love with the Mojave Desert. She was particularly interested in Joshua trees, which are not trees at all but rather the largest member of the yucca plant family. By 1933, the Joshua trees and their habitat were threatened by carelessness (people cut them down for wood), and Hoyt hatched a plan to designate the area as a national park, preserving this unique ecosystem. It was a hard sell, but she -- and the activists she inspired -- were ultimately successful. "No one who heard her talk could ever again regard the subject of conservation of desert flora with indifference," said a fellow environmentalist. Ely's cozy gouache illustrations (double-page spreads, single-page drawings, and spot art) depict both Hoyt's plucky spirit and the majesty of the high desert landscape. More information about Hoyt and Joshua Tree National Park, along with tips for environmental activists, photographs, an author's note, and a select bibliography, are appended.

Reviewer: Jonathan Hunt | Horn Book Magazine Issue: January, 2024

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Emily Sutton. Davies showcases the important role that plants play on Earth as consumers of carbon, producers of oxygen, and mitigators of the effects of human-induced global warming. The meaning of "green" is creatively expanded from the color we associate with plants to encompass the process of photosynthesis and the components of plant cells in which it takes place. "Their green isn't just a color...this green catches the energy in sunlight." Sutton's lush illustrations, naturally featuring many shades of green, fill the pages with tendrils, roots, and leaves at macro and micro scales and portray ecosystems on land and water throughout Earth's history as teeming with plants and animals. As Davies explains the history of plant life and its transformation into today's fossil fuels, the story shifts into how human exploitation of ancient life has meant the release of too much carbon dioxide into our atmosphere. Luckily, today's green plants in the sea and across various environments fight back against climate change. We must "remember that GREEN is the most important color in the world."

Reviewer: Danielle J. Ford | Horn Book Magazine Issue: January, 2024

(2) K-3 Two succulent-looking sentient plants search for meaning in this philosophical picture book. Easygoing Worthi seems content with life, but Nelli is restless and wonders about finding one's purpose: "I heard it gives you strength when life gets tough." Worthi drags Nelli into the forest to look for answers. The friends try to contemplate (and not be overwhelmed by) the scale of either the concepts they're considering or the natural world they explore, with amusing results: a purpose is satisfying and comforting, but it is not a baked potato. The pair then meets a charming cast of mindfulness-centered characters introduced one by one with a steady, rhythmic pace. A frog stuck in a spiderweb questions goodness; a meditative stinkbug encourages looking within; and a bee endorses following one's heart. The dialogue-only text is full of care and curiosity, with scaffolding for readers new to the comics format provided by color-coded speech balloons and lots of white space. The digital illustrations have a dreamlike texture to them, with fuzzy, misty edges and jeweled hues. When the day is through, the tiny plants haven't found any answers, but they enjoyed the journey and look forward to continuing their quest and thinking more tomorrow.

Reviewer: Elisa Gall | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2024

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Susie Ghahremani. Memory and connections with the "old country" can be important parts of the experience for immigrant families. In this story, a young girl helps her Iranian (as identified in the back matter) grandmother, Nana, tend her garden, while relishing "the stories she tells me about a garden she knows far away." As the two plant and water geraniums, Nana shares tales of "back home," even though the girl doesn't "know where 'back home' is." There were tall cypress trees, fragrant jasmine, lilac, and hyacinth; there was a fishpond, and fruit trees including cherry, mulberry, and pomegranate. Gouache illustrations on vellum represent a modest Western garden in contrast with the lusher, bursting garden of Nana's memories on the facing page. Paisley, floral, and other distinctly traditional Persian designs adorn the pages in saffron yellows, minty greens, and radish-y reds. These embellishments make a visual connection between Nana's new home and her "back home" memories; the book's playful endpapers also capture this design aesthetic. In this gentle tale, stories are like plants that grow in the girl's imagination, taking root to bloom into cultural pride and intergenerational connection. Author and illustrator notes discuss the importance of gardens for many Iranians as well as the importance of cultural transmission.

Reviewer: Julie Hakim Azzam | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2024

(2) 4-6 In the five years since her parents divorced, twelve-year-old Holly has lived in and visited lots of places with her actor father; she is used to not feeling rooted in any one spot. Now her father has flown off to San Francisco for his "big break" in A Midsummer Night's Dream while Holly goes to Burlington, Vermont, "a city she'd never heard of in a state she'd never been to," to stay with her uncle Vincent for a month. Holly hasn't seen him since three Christmases ago, but she remembers a lot about him: he's gay; is a year younger than her father; lives alone in a small town outside Burlington; and runs a bookstore, where he is "drowning in books." The beautiful cover illustration and even Holly's name refer to her love of plants, and the metaphor will not be lost on readers: Holly yearns for roots in her life, and Uncle Vincent and his community just might be the ones to help. And, sure enough, she does find much of what she's looking for. Holly is a well-drawn, likable protagonist dropped into a New England setting, where she thrives. A gentle, uplifting, and memorable story.

Reviewer: Dean Schneider | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 2024

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Madelyn Goodnight. A Native boy learns about the kinship between plants and humankind from his great-grandparents before his people's untouched lands are destroyed for urban development. He loses his “connection to spirit” as he grows older until a lone city flower inspires him to keep the voices of his human and plant relatives alive. Hummingbird's (Cahuilla/Apache) autobiographical account of his journey to becoming a Native plant expert/activist balances pathos and ethos, bolstered by Goodnight's (Chickasaw) gentle illustrations. Back matter includes plant conservation tips and further reading.

Reviewer: Summer Edward

(2) PS Brushy watercolors in sunny pastel tones illustrate a meditation on change in the form of a paean to the daylily. Raschka's big blue text (which looks hand-lettered) guides readers through the rhyme: "Monday's lily / blooms // for the baby. // Tuesday's lily blooms / for the cat. // Wednesday's lily blooms for Mommy. / Thursday's lily blooms // just like that." Each double-page spread zooms in on a lily in bloom; viewers will notice that yesterday's shriveled-up blossom droops from a different stem in nearly every composition, emphasizing the flowers' evanescence. Bugs, rabbits (one "the baby," the other "Mommy"), a gray tabby, a turtle, and other critters happily explore the greenery surrounding the lilies. In structure and rhythm, Raschka's verse recalls the nursery rhyme "Monday's Child," but its intent is far lighter (nobody is "full of woe" here) and less deterministic. "Sunday's lily blooms for her and him," we learn, and "Tomorrow's lily blooms for them"; readers are free to interpret this in multiple ways, including as an affirmation of gender diversity. Likewise, lines that address lilies' mortality do not dwell on death but touch on coming and going, and on lasting memories. Even as the verses' focus expands, the illustrations never lose their gentle sweetness, with the bugs, ants, and butterflies that inhabit this garden providing visual counterpoint. Whether read literally or metaphorically, this lilting ode gifts little ones a dollop of seasonal sunlight.

Reviewer: Vicky Smith | Horn Book Magazine Issue: January, 2024

(2) 4-6 In this verse novel set in 1999, twelve-year-old Isabel Ligaya leaves her home in the Philippines to reunite with her mother in California. Mama immigrated to the U.S. five years ago to work as a nanny, and Isabel is eager to see her but nervous about leaving her grandparents, her friends, and her beloved sampaguita (jasmine) plant. Having grown up with grandparents who sell vegetables at the market, Isabel is familiar with tending a garden, but the transition to growing a life in the U.S. has challenges. She's self-conscious about her accent, finds making new friends daunting, and is disappointed that Mama spends most of her time looking for a job. Over the course of a year, Isabel discovers what can grow when one nourishes a seed with tenacity, love, and friendship. Respicio conveys Isabel's experience mostly through accessible free verse and narrative poetry, and includes acrostic, haiku, palindrome, tanaga (an indigenous form of Filipino poetry), and concrete poems. The novel brings light to unconventional family structures and hate crimes against Asian Americans elders. An author's note discusses the poetic forms and imagery, as well as the experiences of Asian Americans today.

Reviewer: Gabi K. Huesca | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 2024

(2) K-3 Nature walks and gardening result in an introspective child thinking small (and big) thoughts about the natural world in this quiet, poetic account, effectively told in the first person. The narrator's sister, experienced and knowledgeable about many things leafy and blossoming, makes grand statements about the plants and flowers they encounter. "Magnolias smell like lemon cake," she announces, causing her sibling self-doubt because "they just smell like flowers to me." Her confident observations about quince trees, dandelions, and maple saplings have the narrator wondering how she knows so much, while our protagonist cannot grasp the complexities of goutweed or even name the big tree outside the window. Wong deftly plays with perspective throughout, often showing the children from overhead as they walk through the woods or pull weeds in the garden. Heavy on greens, his pastel paintings have a serene, hazy feel, evoking the season of spring. One striking sequence shows the child lying in bed at night, looking with curiosity out the window at the sparkling stars in the sky. Wong brings the action to a satisfying close when the child finds a plant that even confounds the older sister. They will look it up in one of her books, after they tend to the garden. This book emerges as both a celebration of nature and of a loving sibling bond.

Reviewer: | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2024

(2) K-3 Propelled by the wind, a dry, brown tumbleweed named Tumble travels across the desert, its journey depicted by a series of dotted lines reminiscent of the bouncing ball following words in a song. Short, direct sentences on each double-page spread describe the action: "Wind blows. / Tumble goes. / Fence stops. / Tumble hops." Full-bleed, bold-hued illustrations mirror the text and add native animals (such as a collared lizard) and plants (a mesquite tree) that appear along the way. "Tumble goes and goes and goes," until a cactus impedes its progress. There, the protagonist stays for several days. Rain falls; Tumble puts down roots, turns green, blooms, and dries out, carrying its seeds as the wind again blows it across the desert. An appended double-page spread identifies the plants and animals, asking youngsters to spot them in the text and subtly reinforcing that reading is an active process. The book concludes with additional facts about tumbleweeds; a diagram of a tumbleweed's life cycle may need adult clarification, since the narrative begins in the middle of the cycle. The book begs for a group read-aloud that allows youngsters to re-create Tumble's hopping, going, stopping, and staying.

Reviewer: Betty Carter | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2023

(2) 4-6 Raised by her two papas on a remote island (the setting is loosely based on the Azores), Henna has a gift for plants, so when she learns her papa Niall has incurable cancer, she vows to save him using her plant knowledge. Tales of a nearly extinct specimen with miraculous healing powers, the nightwalker, send her off-island to St. Basil's, the botanical secondary school where a nightwalker seed is rumored to be stored in a secret repository. Henna and another student who calls themself P are both admitted on scholarship, with the requirement that they act in service to fellow new student Lora, the wheelchair-using daughter of the exorbitantly wealthy Windover family. At first standoffish, Lora confides her desire to do more things for herself and later provides help when Henna and P's efforts to find the seed land them in trouble. Issues of disability accessibility, gender identity, and grief and loss figure heavily, yet naturally, in the intertwined storylines. Dairman evokes a Victorian plant-hunter aesthetic while skirting the border of fantasy (the nightwalker is described in magical terms as able to "walk" up the trunk of its host plant, the orange tree), although the affecting ending lands the book squarely in realism. Readers intrigued by the wonders of the natural world will find a kindred spirit in Henna, whose determination and unwavering love for her papas propel this story to its dynamic conclusion.

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

(2) K-3 Harrington and Taylor (Buzzing with Questions, rev. 11/19) introduce the life of another pioneering Black scientist, Charles S. Parker (1882–1950). Clear, engaging prose outlines Parker's lifelong love of plants, his desire to know "where, when, why, and how they grew," and to help others "learn to love plants, too." Parker not only made his mark locating, collecting, and identifying plant and fungi specimens, he also served as a mentor to Black scholars, particularly women who were underrepresented in the academic world. Clearly, that desire to help others guided him: as a young man he co-founded a newspaper focusing on jobs for Black workers and, as a First Lieutenant in WWI, petitioned for equality for Black soldiers. After the war, Parker's research began in earnest as he collected plants across the U.S. and Canada, devised a process for preserving them, and pioneered work in mushrooms and other fungi. With an appropriately earth-toned palette, Taylor's digital art spotlights Parker's collection expeditions, the plants and fungi he studied, and his fieldwork with students. Appended with a scientific glossary; additional biographical information about Parker; a timeline of his life; brief biographies of six notable Black scientists (three of whom he mentored); and extensive bibliographic material.

Reviewer: Betty Carter | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 2023

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Ishita Jain. In 1979 in remote northeastern India, sixteen-year-old Jadav Payeng is troubled by the way the river "goes wild" during monsoon season: it overflows, ravages islands, and decimates wildlife. Young Jadav proposes to plant trees on sandbars and islands as a way to anchor the soil against the river's raging currents. He starts by planting bamboo seedlings, and when those thrive, he experiments with additional species of trees and plants. Thirty years later, "a forest was born," drawing birds and wildlife including tigers, rhinos, and elephants, and "guarding the island" from future destruction. The illustrations make excellent use of color: vibrant shades of green accompany the many burgeoning forest scenes, but there are also visual surprises in a red dawn sky or orange flames that erupt from a blue-black night scene. Varied page layouts aid in the progression of the action, from Payeng's painstaking efforts to sow the seeds to an individual plant's growth. An inspiring true story of an environmental activist whose important work began in his teens and spanned a lifetime. An author's note provides further information about the "Forest Man of India."

Reviewer: Julie Hakim Azzam | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2023

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Lynnor Bontigao. Arlo is unimpressed by his class's "mostly green, hardly growing, never moving plant," especially because various other rooms in his school have a cockatiel, a chinchilla, and a bearded dragon. The plant is so boring that sometimes the class forgets it's there--that is, until they name it Jerry. (Everybody, after all, "likes feeling special.") Now that "the blob" has a name, the class is fired up: they give the plant more love, and it blossoms, even creating spiderettes (or "little baby Jerrys"). Soon the class plans--and the entire school celebrates--Jerry Appreciation Day. Scanlon and Vernick bring humor and an ear for the dialogue of elementary-school classrooms to this lively text. The teacher's name, for instance, morphs throughout the book from "Mr. Boring" to "Mr. Bummer" to "Mr. Patient," each followed by "(not his real name)." Eventually, he's "Mr. Perfect (should be his real name)." Bontigao brings a diverse group of students to these pages and captures bustling elementary classrooms with details and precision. Jerry Appreciation Day, an outdoor day of fun, is especially festive. Plant-care tips are appended.

Reviewer: Julie Danielson | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 2023

(3) K-3 Imagine This! series. Illustrated by Nic Jones. A tree in a boreal forest offers food and shelter for animals, nutrients for the soil, and more during its lifetime. When fire, pests, storms, or disease kill a tree, Bissonette explains, the tree continues to be a valuable resource in the forest. "The tree, now in its second life, hums with activity--animals nesting and looking for food." As the tree decomposes further, it enriches the soil and supports new growth. Jones's lush forest scenes are detailed but not cluttered; the informative main text is enhanced by related information in smaller type on many pages. Bissonette talks about her personal connection to trees in an author's note. Things to consider when "Exploring Snags and Fallen Logs" and suggested reading are appended.

Reviewer: Kitty Flynn

(3) 4-6 Orca Footprints series. "Nature runs on sunlight and water. Humans...use fossil fuels and toxic chemicals." Nature's adaptations have a lot to teach us about sustainable design and environmental stewardship. The authors discuss technological advances that have benefited humans (e.g., synthetic fibers, refrigerators, cell phones) and how these innovations are threatening the health of the planet. The approachable text, supported by lots of captioned photos, spotlights some of nature's more remarkable innovations and some engineering feats inspired by nature. A final chapter focuses on "Reducing Our Footprint." A reading list, websites, and links to relevant TED Talks are appended, as are a glossary and index.

Reviewer: Kitty Flynn

(2) K-3 Scientists are learning that trees communicate with one another, and with other species, by sending chemical and electrical signals. These "instant messages," often transmitted through fungi partners entwined with tree roots, share information about soil conditions, warn of attacks from insects, and send calls for help when a tree is in distress. Judge thoroughly explains the many ways in which trees and the organisms that live in, under, and near them form complex and interdependent ecosystems. She emphasizes cooperation, rather than competition, to highlight the ways they help other species and trees in their immediate areas. The volume's well-organized layout runs scientific information down a column far to the right side of each double-page spread, while short poems imagining what trees are saying can be found mostly to the left, overlaying the illustrations. In the poems, the trees speak solemnly, their communications translated into the voices of wise matriarchs caring for all living things. Central to the layouts are the figures themselves: grand stands of North American and European trees, beautifully portrayed with twisty branches, fluttering leaves, and intricate root complexes. The perspectives shift with each turn of the page, from human eye level to a bird's overhead view, and then down on and under the forest floor. Extensive notes in the back matter provide additional details about the species in each illustration, as well as lists of resources and a glossary.

Reviewer: Danielle J. Ford | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 2021

(1) YA In time for the tenth anniversary of the Fukushima nuclear disaster (March 2011), Langeland chronicles the largest nuclear disaster of the twenty-first century. This comprehensive look at the causes and consequences of the reactor meltdowns at the Fukushima nuclear power plant captures the tension and fear that gripped the world. Eyewitness accounts from survivors woven throughout the expertly narrated text reveal the horror and devastation of the earthquake and subsequent tsunami as well as the resulting nuclear reactor meltdowns. Clear explanations of both the science behind the seismic events that precipitated the disaster and the ­technology that was meant to contain it provide a full picture of the events and heroic feats that prevented an even greater catastrophe. Langeland leaves room for these scientific expository asides without ever hampering the narrative momentum. A chapter discussing the long-term consequences of the disaster as well as the ongoing efforts to revitalize the surrounding towns and cities is appreciated. Color photographs, maps, and diagrams throughout, as well as substantial back matter including a detailed timeline, glossary of scientific terms, a well-organized bibliography, and extensive quotation sourcing, round out this impressive and compelling work of nonfiction.

Reviewer: Eric Carpenter | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2021

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Paul Boston. Each of eight inventions is profiled over two double-page spreads; Boston's colorful, stylized illustrations take center stage, homing in on details in the brief text. Nordstrom's focus is on the inventions rather than the inventors, and coverage includes only select facts about the individuals and their work. Back matter includes a list of related jobs; small photos of, and occupations for, each of the ten mimic makers mentioned; more about biomimicry; and suggestions for becoming a mimic maker. A glossary, selected bibliography, reading list, and websites are appended.

Reviewer: Kitty Flynn

(2) K-3 Translated by Julie Cormier. Vast profiles five different ways plants "move" their seeds, shoots, and fruit to new locations as part of their reproductive cycles. Seeds from dandelions and trees "fly away" or "fall"; the tendrils of strawberries "creep" across the ground; and animals transport burdocks that "cling" to their fur and berries that "get eaten" by birds and mice. The relocations are revealed across a mix of panel series and full-page illustrations, starting with the seeds attached to their parent plants, then moving step-by-step toward their final destinations. The clever graphic design employs the same purple hue throughout for the parts of the plants that don't move, providing silhouette-like outlines of leaves and stems. In contrast, the parts that move are shown in contrasting hues that make them easy to see as they fly through the air or travel through the digestive systems of the animals that disseminate them. Each of the five sections ends on a page filled with examples of other plants that employ the same movement.

Reviewer: Danielle J. Ford