Horn Book Herald: March 2025

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Katy Wu. This engaging nonfiction picture book details the SR 99 Tunnel project in Seattle, focusing on the journey of Bertha, a massive tunnel-boring machine, as she digs through the city. With a compelling text and mid-century-modern-style illustrations, the book illuminates the complex engineering behind the project and Bertha’s impressive feats. Back matter packed with fascinating facts and additional resources rounds off this title that’s sure to please young construction enthusiasts.

Reviewer: Summer Edward

(3) K-3 In this nonfiction picture-book sequel to Hawk Mother, red-tailed hawk Sunshine is unable to mate because she was shot, leaving her unable to fly. Coauthor Hagedorn, a zoologist, cares for the bird and brings her two fertile eggs. In clear language, she and Garnsworthy lay out how Sunshine mothers the hawk chicks from a competing hawk species. The book’s dynamic color photography enhances the story. A note about the birds is appended along with more information about hawks and a glossary.

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(3) K-3 Tiny Habitats series. This informative picture book describes how a bison’s “steamy poo pile” becomes an important part of a prairie ecosystem. Over the course of a year, insects eat and lay eggs inside it; toads, turtles, and birds come to eat the bugs; flowers and grasses grow in the enriched soil. In the spring, a poo pile from a baby bison begins the cycle anew. Mixed-media illustrations depict the variety of life on the prairie; speech bubbles add personality (“Mmm, these roots are tangy!” muses a munching prairie dog). More background, a bibliography, and further reading are appended.

Reviewer: Rachel L. Kerns

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Levi Hastings. In clear language, Lukoff explains that “not too long ago” it was illegal to be gay in the United States, and queer people used the innocuous-sounding titular question to find one another. While some laws have changed for the better, the text lays out how LGBTQIA+ people still face discrimination. Fittingly, Hasting uses muted colors for those who sought to oppress gay people and bold, bright colors for scenes that show queer people happy and at ease. A solid and entertaining introduction to an important part of history.

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(3) K-3 Illustrated by E. B. Lewis. This nonfiction picture book (likely with invented dialogue) begins with the first White House Passover Seder, in 2011, and then flashes back to the new tradition’s origins on Barack Obama’s campaign trail the previous year, when Jewish staff members missed their family Seders. The (somewhat lengthy) text presents Passover and the biblical Exodus story accessibly and makes connections to Obama and earlier civil rights figures. Varied perspectives in the watercolor illustrations add visual interest. Back matter gives more information about the first White House Seder.

Reviewer: Shoshana Flax

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Huy Voun Lee. With Sambat Meas. The threat of landmines in Cambodia is explained with sensitivity in this nonfiction picture book that tells the story of a native deminer and the "HeroRAT" who helped her do her job. At first, Malen was skeptical that a rat could find deadly landmines, but she later grew to rely on the sensitive nose of Magawa, a giant African pouched rat who had been trained in Tanzania, to sniff out explosives. Lee’s digital illustrations help to demystify the difficult job. Extensive back matter is appended.

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(3) K-3 Illustrated by Jam Dong. In clear language, this book explains the long, natural process that creates crude oil; how it’s refined; and how it’s used to provide fuel or to make plastics. Dong’s colorful mixed-media illustrations, which were processed digitally, help to add clarity. The text, which uses oil as a first-person narrator, doesn’t shy away from the problems with using fossil fuels and also discusses renewable sources of energy. A glossary and several informational notes are appended.

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(3) K-3 Illustrated by Emily Paik. In early-nineteenth-century England, young Mary Anning sold shells and fossils she chipped away from the seaside cliffs. Anning’s earnings supported her struggling family; her customers paid top dollar for her unique finds, but many of them were wealthy, educated men who earned prestige for the incredible scientific impact of Anning’s specimens. This digitally illustrated profile alternates between images of folksy, hardworking Anning and her buttoned-up, well-dressed patrons, asking readers to mull over the relationship between the two. Ample back matter provides additional context to the history of paleontology and Anning’s incredible contributions to the field. A thought-provoking introduction to the life of a fascinating, largely unsung heroine.

Reviewer: Jessica Tackett MacDonald

(3) 4-6 In a cheery, conversational tone, Weinberg guides readers through the titular question. After a brief scientific introduction, each chapter is devoted to a different color; a cartoon version of the author and his dog explain how ancient people through contemporary and artists around the world made that color and incorporated it into their art. Packed with side notes, comical illustrations, and photos of famous artworks, this is an entertaining and thorough introduction to the topic. A final section includes recipes for making colors (e.g., pink from avocados), a suggested reading list, a glossary, and an index.

Reviewer: Rachel L. Kerns