(3) K-3 Illustrated by Giles Laroche. The prairie dog in its underground tunnels, termites in their towering nests, beaver dams in lakes, and more. Thirteen accessible rhyming poems playfully describe how animals in various environments build homes to attract mates and protect their young. Double-page spreads feature richly textured, hand-painted cut-paper illustrations of the animals and their abodes. Back matter provides more information on each animal. Reading list.

Reviewer: Carolyn Shute

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Giles Laroche. Organized in five thematic sections, including "Sea Life" and "Mammals," nineteen pedestrian poems introduce animals whose physiology helps them use camouflage to avoid predators or to trick potential prey. The accomplished cut-paper illustrations don't take full advantage of the hiding premise (i.e., the featured animals are easy to see) but are engaging nonetheless. End notes about each species provide more information. Reading list.

Reviewer: Kitty Flynn

(3) 4-6 Illustrated by Giles Laroche. Thoughtful rhyming poems describe such vessels as a Viking drakar, the famous ships Mauretania and Savannah (the first steamship to cross the Atlantic and back), and canoes, whalers, and sailing boats. The detailed illustrations feature intricate paper constructions enhanced with drawing and painting.

Reviewer: Melinda Greenblatt

(4) PS Illustrated by Giles Laroche. Thirteen historic lighthouses make cameo appearances in Laroche's illustrations, while the rhyming text lists answers to the titular question: from "one watchful sailor" to "six giant whales" to "nine strange creatures, / Living on Mars." The mixed-media art offers more depth than the slight text. An author's note provides a brief history of lighthouses and identifies the featured structures.

Reviewer: Kitty Flynn

(3) 4-6 Illustrated by Giles Laroche. Using a simple narrative thread, Sturges introduces a wide variety of sacred places, including a tiny church on an island in Greece, a temple in India, and a mosque in Niger. Laroche's stunning cut-paper illustrations are well suited to an architectural book. In addition, the author describes each structure in several sentences of small type next to the illustration. This handsome book is great for browsing.

Reviewer: Maeve Visser Knoth

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Giles Laroche. Real bridges from around the world serve as examples of the different methods engineers have used to span rivers, canyons, and valleys. The tri-part text (a line of descriptive prose; the name, location, creation date, and style of the bridge; and a caption with engineering details) is choppy, but the detailed three-dimensional cut-paper illustrations will have readers gazing for hours.

Reviewer: Jackie C. Horne