(2) PS Illustrated by Elly MacKay. "No wind, / No rain, / No stormy sky." Three children kick a bright red ball across the sloping island landscape. As they search for their ball amidst the bushes, though, they look up to see darkening clouds and the sound of "whispering leaves / in newborn / winds." A sudden storm strikes--"ZAP! CLAP! BOOM!"--sending the children running as lightning strikes in the distance. The downpour begins while they gleefully leap through the showers on the way to find shelter. Nearly as soon as it began, the storm moves away and the island shines anew, "washed by water pressure." MacKay's intricate layered-paper illustrations (with lightning and rain added digitally) capture the way the storm touches every part of the island: vegetation bowing from the wind and heavy rain, ocean waters churning, and the children's hair whipping through the electrified air. Salas's onomatopoeic verse conveys both the ferocity of a thunderstorm and the wonder it can inspire; it begs to be read aloud, if only for that satisfying "Zap! Clap! Boom!" refrain. Back matter provides the science behind the components of a thunderstorm and shares the author's childhood delight in afternoon storms.

Reviewer: Grace McKinney | Horn Book Magazine Issue: January, 2023

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Micha Archer. This whimsical celebration of springtime features a playful equation poem on every page. Equations are paired with a few sentences that are always informative and often lyrical: "Lilac blooms are spring's perfume." Tracing the season's changes from early to mid to late spring, Archer's collage illustrations are rich with texture and detail. This picture-book blend of math, science, and poetry welcomes--and explains--the hallmarks of spring with effortless ebullience.

Reviewer: Tanya D. Auger | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2019

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Mercè López. Divided into four sections by season, these "riddle-ku" poems use innovative language to represent something traditionally associated with each one. (For back-to-school in fall, for example: what is "a yellow train / carrying thoughts from your brain / to the waiting page?" A pencil.) In addition to helping readers solve the puzzles, the supporting acrylic and digital illustrations capture movement and texture through strong lines and seasonal hues.

Reviewer: Julie Hakim Azzam | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2019

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Stephanie Fizer Coleman. Young animals in a variety of family formats provide brief descriptions of their lives: orangutans frequently move homes, a chinstrap penguin chick has two dads, a rhesus macaque infant is adopted by a dog. This anthropomorphized first-person narrative helps readers recognize situations that may mirror their own experiences. The vibrant digital illustrations' final spread shows a mix of human families. Reading list. Glos.

Reviewer: Janet Dawson

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Jaime Kim. Whimsy and science blend smoothly in this combination bedtime story and astronomy book. As a girl gazes at the sky from bed, the moon lyrically describes its activities: "Spin like a twilight ballerina" is turning on its axis, and so on. Luminous acrylic and digital illustrations enhance the text, with the fanciful phrasing on the left and moon facts on the right-hand sides of the spreads. Reading list. Glos.

Reviewer: Renée Wheeler

(3) 4-6 Savvy: Writer's Notebook series. This insider's guide advises poets on ways to improve their craft, be it by trying a new form (perhaps a cinquain or Fibonacci?), avoiding rhyme-related pitfalls, or revising--maybe even for publication. Artsy background images, inspirational quotes, poets' bios, well-placed examples, and writing exercises combine with an accessible narrative to encourage creativity and writerly growth. Reading list. Glos., ind.

Reviewer: Rebecca Fox

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Violeta Dabija. Accompanied by dreamy illustrations combining traditional and digital techniques, readers explore the various forms rocks take on in the world. The smooth rhyming pairs are creative and wide-reaching, ranging from "Dinosaur bone / Stepping-stone" to "Food grinder / Path winder"; simple explanations at the end clarify some of the more abstract examples. Reading list. Glos.

Reviewer: Madoka Fukai

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Violeta Dabija. Calling attention to water helps children appreciate this necessary and ubiquitous resource. In lilting rhymed text, Salas shows readers that water can be "many things": a "thirst quencher" and "kid drencher"; a "cloud fluffer" and "fire snuffer." Each couplet is attractively illustrated, predominantly in various shades of blues and greens. Appended "More About Water" explanations help extend the text.

Reviewer: Paula M. Cairo

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Violeta Dabija. "A leaf can be a... Soft cradle / Water ladle / Sun taker / Food maker." This simple rhyming text shows how leaves perform different functions, by accident or design, often with cleverly surprising contrasts: "Skin welter / Bat shelter." The green-infused illustrations match the text’s playful tone; more information about leaves is included at the back. Reading list. Glos.

Reviewer: Bridget McCaffrey

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Josée Bisaillon. In twenty-one clever, amusing, and spirited poems, books find their voices: an index beckons a reader to look up page numbers, a cover shouts out "Please stop! Take a look!", a library book compares being checked out to going on vacation. Buoyant mixed-media illustrations celebrate books as concrete objects while reinforcing their role as springboard for imagination.

Reviewer: Carolyn Shute

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Steven Salerno. In these poems students climb jungle gyms like monkeys, splash in puddles like hogs, and sometimes want to hide their faces like turtles. Some of the comparisons are fairly obvious but others show creativity, and they're rendered in generally solid rhyme and meter. Bright cartoonlike illustrations use broad strokes to portray the animal-like children.

Reviewer: Shoshana Flax

(4) K-3 A+ Books: Poetry series. These volumes will draw readers in with their engaging subject matter and accessible language in order to introduce poetry concepts and types of poems. The pieces are uneven in quality; standouts include a diamonte about deforestation and a concrete poem that "snakes" across a double-page spread. Full-page photographic spreads and large poem titles are eye-catching. Reading list. Glos., ind. Review covers these A+ Books: Poetry titles: Chatter, Sing, Roar, Buzz and A Fuzzy-Fast Blur.

Reviewer: Rebecca Hachmyer

(4) K-3 A+ Books: Poetry series. These volumes will draw readers in with their engaging subject matter and accessible language in order to introduce poetry concepts and types of poems. The pieces are uneven in quality; standouts include a diamonte about deforestation and a concrete poem that "snakes" across a double-page spread. Full-page photographic spreads and large poem titles are eye-catching. Reading list. Glos., ind. Review covers these A+ Books: Poetry titles: Chatter, Sing, Roar, Buzz and A Fuzzy-Fast Blur.

Reviewer: Rebecca Hachmyer

(4) K-3 A+ Books: Poetry series. These books provide young readers with clear models for understanding such common poetic forms as acrostics, cinquains, haiku, limericks, concrete poems, and free verse; definitions are appended at the back of each volume. Though the quality of verse is uneven, the examples are easy to follow. An uncluttered layout and many photographs increase appeal. Reading list. Glos., ind. Review covers these A+ Books: Poetry titles: And Then There Were Eight, Flashy, Clashy, and Oh-So Splashy, and Shrinking Days, Frosty Nights.

Reviewer: Carolyn Shute

(4) K-3 A+ Books: Poetry series. These books provide young readers with clear models for understanding such common poetic forms as acrostics, cinquains, haiku, limericks, concrete poems, and free verse; definitions are appended at the back of each volume. Though the quality of verse is uneven, the examples are easy to follow. An uncluttered layout and many photographs increase appeal. Reading list. Glos., ind. Review covers these A+ Books: Poetry titles: And Then There Were Eight, Flashy, Clashy, and Oh-So Splashy, and Shrinking Days, Frosty Nights.

Reviewer: Carolyn Shute

(4) K-3 A+ Books: Poetry series. These books provide young readers with clear models for understanding such common poetic forms as acrostics, cinquains, haiku, limericks, concrete poems, and free verse; definitions are appended at the back of each volume. Though the quality of verse is uneven, the examples are easy to follow. An uncluttered layout and many photographs increase appeal. Reading list. Glos., ind. Review covers these A+ Books: Poetry titles: And Then There Were Eight, Flashy, Clashy, and Oh-So Splashy, and Shrinking Days, Frosty Nights.

Reviewer: Carolyn Shute

(4) 4-6 Countries and Cultures series. Maps and color photos join somewhat dry text in explaining the physical features, climate, exports, government, history, industries, food, arts, and symbols of Germany. Boxed quick facts and even a cookie recipe enliven the design. The information never rises beyond the pedestrian, but the clear layout and thorough coverage will aid report writers. A time line is included. Bib., glos., ind.

Reviewer: Anita L. Burkam

(4) 4-6 Countries and Cultures series. For each volume in this series, chapters on a particular country's physical features, climate, history, government, economy, and people combine with various maps, color photos, boxed "fast facts," and even cookie recipes to offer a complete, if somewhat dry, country survey. The fill-in-the-blanks coverage is rather mechanical, but report writers will find the books helpful. A time line is included. Bib., glos., ind. [Review covers these Countries and Cultures titles: Japan and China.]

Reviewer: Gail Hedges

(4) K-3 Natural Disasters series. Four high-interest topics are covered in easy-to-read texts aimed at the reluctant reader. After a brief introduction to the subject, each book in this series provides scientific background, descriptions of actual events, and information on forecasting and safety practices. The wind chill chart included in Blizzards predates the revised 2001 standard. Bib., glos., ind. [Review covers these Natural Disasters titles: Blizzards, Floods, Tsunamis, Forest Fires.]

Reviewer: CHristine Sarrazin