(4) K-3 Awesome Super Simple Habitat Projects series. Each volume begins with a cursory overview of the habitat and its respective food chain. The following six related modeling and craft projects explore habitat features such as the rainforest water cycle (by making a "self-watering" terrarium). Not all the projects are especially informative (e.g., "chimp tools" made from pretzel rods), but overall the books could provide good fun for nature lovers. Glos. Review covers these Awesome Super Simple Habitat Projects titles: Super Simple Backyard Projects, Super Simple Farm Projects, Super Simple Grassland Projects, Super Simple Ocean Projects, Super Simple Rain Forest Projects, and Super Simple Wetland Projects.

Reviewer: Paula M. Cairo

(2) PS Translated by Yuki Kaneko. In their second book, the two rosy-cheeked, dot-eyed girls head off on their bikes. As they ride into a meadow, they shrink until the clover arches over them like trees and bumblebees are the size of their heads. As the benign, welcoming creatures they meet invite the girls inside their homes, so Doi's gentle, grainy illustrations invite readers into this sweet miniature world.

Reviewer: Sarah Ellis | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2017

(4) K-3 Awesome Animals in Their Habitats series. These early readers provide simplistic introductions to various habitats. In a few short sentences or less per page, the texts cover each habitat's flora and fauna, environmental threats, and simple ways children can help preserve them (e.g., "Try to use less paper"). Crisp photographs of featured wildlife complement the text, but stock photos of children awkwardly superimposed on some pages are distracting. Glos. Review covers these Awesome Animals in Their Habitats titles: Protecting Ocean Animals, Protecting Rain Forest Animals, Protecting Wetland Animals, Protecting Backyard Animals, and Protecting Grassland Animals.

Reviewer: Russell Perry

(3) K-3 Seedlings series. With descriptive sentences in a clear large font, this well-designed series conveys level-appropriate information simply and attractively and introduces nonfiction structure to the earliest readers. The crisp color photos draw the eye to the essentials of each biome. Words are connected with pictures in a labeled summary at the end. Reading list, websites. Glos., ind. Review covers the following Seedlings titles: Deserts, Grasslands, Mountains, Wetlands, Oceans, and Rainforests.

Reviewer: Paula M. Cairo

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Jill Dubin. In an "Over in the Meadow" pattern, rhymed stanzas introduce African savanna animals, from one zebra to ten jackals. Enhanced by cut-paper-collage illustrations, the text features less-familiar vocabulary (graze, shrill, cunning); endnotes add to and clarify some misleading information (e.g., elephants don't have triplets). Tips for teachers, art correlations, and musical score appended. Reading list, websites.

Reviewer: Paula M. Cairo

(4) K-3 Biomes series. After a general boilerplate definition of biome, each book offers a cursory description of a specific biome, touching on a few of its plants and animals. The simple texts are illustrated with large, clear stock photos, but the final section of additional plants and animals "You Might See" in the biome includes thumbnail photos too small to really inspect. Glos., ind. Review covers the following Biomes titles: Desert Biome, Forest Biome, Freshwater Biome, Grassland Biome, Marine Biome, and Tundra Biome.

Reviewer: Nancy Sheridan

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Susan L. Roth. The authors detail the plight of the prairie dog, whose numbers have been greatly reduced by farming and development. Two independently strong texts--one a modified song lyric, the other in-depth nonfiction--provide details on the biology and ecology of grassland environments. Roth's painstakingly precise mixed-media illustrations are bursting with rich, varied colors. Extensive notes include resources and photographs. Glos.

Reviewer: Danielle J. Ford | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2016

(4) 4-6 Ecosystems of the World series. An anecdote followed by an accessible definition begins each book; subsequent chapters cover each ecosystem's special features, plants, animals, relation to people, and future. Despite a dull template, the books explain their topics clearly and extend understanding via sidebars of further material and questions. Captioned photos and diagrams illustrate the texts. There are four other fall 2015 books in this series. Reading list. Glos., ind. Review covers these Ecosystems of the World titles: Wetland Ecosystems, Woodland Forest Ecosystems, Coral Reef Ecosystems, and Grassland Ecosystems.

Reviewer: Frieda F. Bostian

(4) K-3 Kingfisher Readers series. This is a very basic look at the African savanna, illustrated with stock photos (some animals pictured aren't identified). The easy-to-read text presents random facts, and children will come away with a general if limited sense of the habitat. Each two-page spread focuses on a distinct topic; highlighted words in the text are defined in an appended glossary.

Reviewer: Grace Worcester Greene

(3) 4-6 Last Minute Science Projects with Biomes series. Illustrated by Tom LaBaff. The activities in these books are mainly short projects that demonstrate principles of physical science and mathematics within the context of biomes. Students procrastinating over the completion of their science-fair projects will find what they need to conduct the experiments, including illustrations of the experimental steps and background on scientific method and ecology that can round out their reports. Reading list, websites. Glos., ind. Review covers these Last Minute Science Project with Biomes titles: Desert Experiments, Grasslands Experiments, Rain Forest Experiments, Taiga Experiments, Temperate Forest Experiments, and Tundra Experiments.

Reviewer: Danielle J. Ford

(4) K-3 Do You Really Want to Visit...? series. Illustrated by Daniele Fabbri. These quick trips through the named biomes are lightweight overviews. Hazards are prominent: the child visitors are stung, bitten, trapped in quicksand, surprised by cow pies, etc., although the cartoon illustrations soften these unpleasant experiences. The appended websites provide more information than the stories. Each book includes a world map. Reading list. Glos. Review covers these Do You Really Want to Visit...? titles: Do You Really Want to Visit a Coral Reef?, Do You Really Want to Visit a Temperate Forest?, Do You Really Want to Visit a Rainforest?, Do You Really Want to Visit a Prairie?, Do You Really Want to Visit a Desert?, and Do You Really Want to Visit a Wetland?

Reviewer: Paula M. Cairo

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Anna Wadham. An assortment of engaging poems, written in many different styles, center on animals that visit an African grassland watering hole from early morning to night. Each poem is accompanied by a paragraph with interesting information about the animal (e.g., wildebeests migrate over eight hundred miles each year). Wadham focuses on different views of the environs in her lively illustrations. Reading list, websites. Glos.

Reviewer: Melinda Greenblatt

(4) 1-3 Greetings from Somewhere series. Illustrated by Marcos Calo. Twins Ethan and Ella head with their travel-writer mom and home-schooling dad to Paris, where they track down art thieves; Beijing, where they find a missing ancient map; and the Maasai Mara, where they see Africa's "Big Five" game animals. The travel guide–like highlights add a touch of novelty to the otherwise mystery-lite chapter books. Black-and-white illustrations are included. Glos. Review covers these Greetings from Somewhere titles: The Mystery in the Forbidden City, The Mystery of the Lion's Tail, and The Mystery of the Stolen Painting.

Reviewer: Tanya D. Auger

(4) 4-6 Searchlight Books: What Is a Food Web? series. Stock color photographs, maps, and diagrams combine with simple, choppy texts to introduce the concept of food webs. Beginning with a brief explanation of the featured environment, subsequent chapters in each book differentiate the producers, consumers, and decomposers while emphasizing their interdependency. A final chapter discusses human impact and the need for environmental protection and conservation. Reading list, websites. Glos., ind. Review covers these Searchlight Books: What Is a Food Web? titles: Desert Food Webs in Action, Forest Food Webs in Action, Ocean Food Webs in Action, Grassland Food Webs in Action, Lake and Pond Food Webs in Action, and Tundra Food Webs in Action.

Reviewer: Tamara DePasquale

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Ted Lewin. This account of Zamba, the iconic MGM Studios lion, describes how the orphaned cub was rescued, sent from Africa to animal trainer and author Helfer's ranch in California, and then filmed and made famous in various movies and commercials. Lewin's handsome watercolors give Zamba and other animals an appropriately majestic look, but the overwrought story suffers from romanticizing.

Reviewer: Bridget McCaffrey

(3) K-3 Life Cycles series. After a brief introduction to the title ecosystem, examples of three actual food chains within that ecosystem are presented (e.g., from Grassland: zebra, hyena, lion, vulture). Well-designed double-page spreads (including useful tab-charts on left-hand pages) provide brief information about each creature and its place on the chain. Vivid photos and vibrantly colored pages are eye-catching. Useful food-web charts summarizing content are appended. Websites. Glos., ind. Review covers these Life Cycles titles: Grasslands and Polar Lands.

Reviewer: Sethany Rancier Alongi

(3) 4-6 Saving Wildlife series. This series focuses on endangered species in a variety of habitats. Each book presents a different ecosystem, examines its native animals and how they're threatened, and explains conservation efforts. The short paragraphs of text are accompanied by fact boxes, sidebars, and vivid photos with brief captions. A quiz and activism suggestions are included. Reading list, websites. Glos., ind. Review covers these Saving Wildlife titles: Desert Animals, Grassland Animals, Mountain Animals, Ocean Animals, Polar Animals, Rain Forest Animals, Wetland Animals, and Woodland and Forest Animals.

Reviewer: Lana Barnes

(4) K-3 Illustrated by John Sill. In each spread, one simple sentence of text faces a full-page, detailed painting of a type of grassland, from savannah to steppe, including appropriate animals or plants. The illustrations, numbered and labeled, correspond to fact-filled paragraphs in the afterword with more information about distribution, habitat, and food. The labeling could be better, but overall it's a useful offering. Websites. Bib., glos.

Reviewer: Frieda F. Bostian

(4) K-3 Day in the Life: Grassland Animals series. Spilsbury provides a glimpse into the daily life of ostriches. Information is presented in an accessible way, with large-type text, a useful map, and colorful photos. The facts are selective, but the leveled-reader volume could be used as a broad introduction to the behaviors and natural environment of this creature that most children won't see outside of a zoo. Reading list, websites. Glos., ind.

Reviewer: Aimee Chevrette Bear

(4) K-3 Day in the Life: Grassland Animals series. Spilsbury provides a glimpse into the daily life of hyenas. Information is presented in an accessible way, with large-type text, a useful map, and colorful photos. The facts are selective, but the leveled-reader volume could be used as a broad introduction to the behaviors and natural environment of this creature that most children won't see outside of a zoo. Reading list, websites. Glos., ind.

Reviewer: Aimee Chevrette Bear