(2) K-3 Earthworm Carl is always moving underground, digesting leaves and "turning hard dirt into fluffy soil." When a field mouse asks him why he does that, Carl suffers an immediate identity crisis and asks other animals if they know his purpose. Freedman's light ending allows readers to deduce an earthworm's role in maintaining ecological balance. Carl's existential woes are illustrated via delicate earth-toned watercolors on expansive, full-bleed double-page spreads.

Reviewer: Julie Danielson | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2019

(3) 4-6 Illustrated by Robert Meganck. Nineteen poems (in various forms) accompanied by bright digital illustrations provide information both whimsical and scientific about inhabitants of the brown food web--the layer of leaves and soil where organic matter breaks down and plants grow. Each poem is accompanied by a smaller-print scientific explanation. Suggested experiments, critter size comparisons, and notes on poetic forms round out this information-packed poetry volume. Reading list, websites. Glos.

Reviewer: Renée Wheeler

(4) K-3 A+ Books: Simply Science series. These books skim through earth science topics with clear full-spread photographs and simple sentences accessible to young science learners. The content is minimal, but clear organization and subject headings make the flow of information easy to follow. Each volume includes a basic supplemental activity with somewhat unclear explanations. Reading list. Glos., ind. Review covers these A+ Books: Simply Science titles: The Simple Science of Dirt and The Simple Science of Rocks.

Reviewer: Kristine Caldwell

(4) K-3 Start to Finish series. A clean design and clear texts make these books accessible if slight nonfiction choices. Four- to five-sentence "chapters" follow the basics of a gardening project (Garden; Compost) or a specific plant's life cycle (Strawberry; Sunflower). Large, appealing stock photographs feature a diverse group of people working or enjoying the fruits and vegetables they have nurtured. Reading list, websites. Glos., ind. Review covers these Start to Finish titles: From Garbage to Compost, From Seed to Strawberry, From Seed to Sunflower, and From Soil to Garden.

Reviewer: Katie Bircher

(4) K-3 Start to Finish series. A clean design and clear texts make these books accessible if slight nonfiction choices. Four- to five-sentence "chapters" follow the basics of a gardening project (Garden; Compost) or a specific plant's life cycle (Strawberry; Sunflower). Large, appealing stock photographs feature a diverse group of people working or enjoying the fruits and vegetables they have nurtured. Reading list, websites. Glos., ind. Review covers these Start to Finish titles: From Garbage to Compost, From Seed to Strawberry, From Seed to Sunflower, and From Soil to Garden.

Reviewer: Katie Bircher

(3) K-3 Geology Rocks! series. These wide-trim volumes provide beginning readers with explanations for the formation or processes of common and intriguing earth materials, definitions of geological vocabulary, and examples of how humans use them. The simple sentences are accompanied by large photos that adequately match the descriptions. A picture list of additional types of the material is appended to each book. Glos., ind. Review covers these Geology Rocks! titles: Fossils, Gems, Minerals, Ores, Rocks, and Soils.

Reviewer: Danielle J. Ford

(3) K-3 Down & Dirty: The Secrets of Soil series. In a series that explores soil science, these accessible volumes explain how organic and inorganic substances enrich soil, how animal behavior contributes to its composition, and the differences between dirt and soil (e.g., plants can't grow in dirt). Well-labeled close-up photos and diagrams enhance the accessible texts. A "Science Lab" section at the end of each book contains a related soil experiment. Reading list. Glos., ind. Review covers these Down & Dirty: The Secrets of Soil titles: Dirt or Soil, How Do Animals Help Make Soil, and What's Soil Made Of?.

Reviewer: Paula M. Cairo

(3) K-3 Down & Dirty: The Secrets of Soil series. In a series that explores soil science, this accessible volume describes different soil types, including rusty, sticky, and volcanic. Well-labeled close-up photos and diagrams enhance the brief text, which explains the make-up of (e.g., rocks, organic matter, iron) and uses for (adobe houses, peat bogs) various soils. The "Science Lab" section contains a soil experiment. Reading list. Glos., ind.

Reviewer: Paula M. Cairo

(3) K-3 Down & Dirty: The Secrets of Soil series. In a series that explores soil science, these accessible volumes explain how organic and inorganic substances enrich soil, how animal behavior contributes to its composition, and the differences between dirt and soil (e.g., plants can't grow in dirt). Well-labeled close-up photos and diagrams enhance the accessible texts. A "Science Lab" section at the end of each book contains a related soil experiment. Reading list. Glos., ind. Review covers these Down & Dirty: The Secrets of Soil titles: Dirt or Soil, How Do Animals Help Make Soil, and What's Soil Made Of?.

Reviewer: Paula M. Cairo

(3) K-3 Down & Dirty: The Secrets of Soil series. In a series that explores soil science, these accessible volumes explain how organic and inorganic substances enrich soil, how animal behavior contributes to its composition, and the differences between dirt and soil (e.g., plants can't grow in dirt). Well-labeled close-up photos and diagrams enhance the accessible texts. A "Science Lab" section at the end of each book contains a related soil experiment. Reading list. Glos., ind. Review covers these Down & Dirty: The Secrets of Soil titles: Dirt or Soil, How Do Animals Help Make Soil, and What's Soil Made Of?.

Reviewer: Paula M. Cairo

(3) K-3 Down & Dirty: The Secrets of Soil series. In a series that explores soil science, this accessible volume explains the importance of nutrient-rich soil for the growth of healthy plants as well as how plants actually use soil; composting and farming are briefly touched on. Well-labeled close-up photos and diagrams enhance the text. The "Science Lab" section contains a soil experiment. Reading list. Glos., ind.

Reviewer: Paula M. Cairo

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Christopher Silas Neal. Messner and Neal (Over and Under the Snow) bring their above-and-below perspective to a garden's transformation from spring through autumn. Repetition of the title phrases and alternating visual perspectives portray a child and her gardener grandmother working above ground as worms and insects parallel their efforts below. Muted greens and browns provide tonal symmetry to illustrations teeming with life and underscore connections among organisms. Reading list.

Reviewer: Danielle J. Ford | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2015

(3) K-3 First Facts: Underground Safari series. Nine two-page sections introduce underground, edible plant parts; explain the difference between shoots and roots, bulbs and tubers; and tell how bacteria and microbes enrich the soil. Left-hand pages have short paragraphs of text; right-hand pages have clear, close-up photos of plant parts. "Dig In!" boxes add quirky facts (e.g., peanuts are legumes not true nuts). Common Core questions are appended. Reading list. Glos., ind.

Reviewer: Gail Hedges

(4) K-3 Little Pebble: What's in There? series. These slight overviews introduce the plant (in Dirt) and animal inhabitants of these environments in simple sentences and vivid photographs. The scattershot texts share random observations, including "We eat some roots" and "Tree frogs jump." The choppy texts are occasionally misleading, but these books would work as simple reading exercises. Reading list. Glos., ind. Review covers these Little Pebble: What's in There? titles: What's in a Tree; What's in the Dirt?.

Reviewer: Claire E. Gross

(3) K-3 Science Slam: FUNdamental Experiments series. Each book contains seven question-based experiments that illustrate principles of various sciences, such as friction or soil composition; clear explanations of the results are appended. Unlike many science-experiment books, most of these simple experiments use easily obtained materials and can be performed by a child alone. Photos combine with a doughboy-like cartoon character to illustrate the material clearly. Reading list. Glos., ind. Review covers these Science SLam: FUNdamental Experiments titles: Color, Dirt, Motion, and Water.

Reviewer: Frieda F. Bostian

(3) 4-6 Searchlight Books: Do You Dig Earth Science? series. These solid earth science introductions provide definitions of various earth materials and their properties, as well as explanations of the formation processes and the ways in which humans use them. Accurate information is interspersed with questions, most embedded in captions that accompany color photographs, to encourage careful observation and reasoning. Diagrams, maps, and other visuals are very clear. Reading list, websites. Glos., ind. Review covers these Searchlight Books: Do You Dig Earth Science? titles: Examining Erosion, Uncovering Earth's Crust, Figuring Out Fossils, Marveling at Minerals, Researching Rocks, Studying Soil.

Reviewer: Devon Johnson

(2) PS In a spare, rhyming text, Fleming invites youngsters to observe underground creatures, large and small, as well as their tunnels, burrows, food sources, and activities. Fleming's pulp-painting collage illustrations are rich with texture and color: soft green leaves, fuzzy white roots, and grainy brown soil. The pages hum with life and activity. Mammals, plants, insects, and rodents are all featured.

Reviewer: Ashley Waring | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2012

(3) 4-6 Team Green Science Projects series. Gardner takes familiar experiments geared toward motivated science learners and gives them an eco-twist. Some are straightforward demonstrations of basic science while others explore aspects of alternative and sustainable science and technologies. Sections of background information further expand the green science coverage. Photographs and diagrams help illustrate the necessary equipment and setups. Reading list, websites. Glos., ind. Review covers these Team Green Science Projects titles: Air, Earth's Cycles, Energy, Recycle, Soil, and Water.

Reviewer: Danielle J. Ford

(3) K-3 Photographs by Shelley Rotner. A happy and diverse group of children turn kitchen scraps into compost. Practical but also full of wonder, the book illustrates the whole composting cycle. Clear photographs show every step, including kids working hard and getting dirty. The last pages provide information for families who want to start composting.

Reviewer: Miriam Steinberg-Egeth

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Ashley Wolff. Bouncy, rhyming verse suggests compost items in alphabetical order: "Mulch removed from garden beds / Nutshells / Oatmeal / Paper shreds." Though purists will balk at the illustration of metal staples on teabags being tossed into the stew, especially when the back matter decrees "not a shred of metal" should be added, the gouache and collage art is otherwise cheerful and inviting.

Reviewer: Bridget McCaffrey