(2) K-3 In this childlike, stream-of-consciousness narrative, James's (Nice Try, Charlie!, rev. 9/20) opening illustration depicts a child exiting a door, on the way to meet his father at his new place. There the two explore a nearby abandoned field teeming with frogs and tadpoles. It's the rainy season; first small, then larger puddles form. With great certainty the child tells readers about these creatures and their surroundings. "My dad says puddles like this are called ephemeral ponds. That means they won't last for very long." Here frogs hatch into tadpoles ("Frog eggs are called spawn," the boy relates), but not all thoughts are as certain. He shares how scared he was when his father moved out, scared that he wouldn't love him anymore, but the father reassures him that "some things never change." James's mixed-media illustrations in gouache, acrylics, and collage show both the factual and emotional parts of the text. The outside setting, rain-drenched and sweeping, depicts the science of which the child is so certain. But a sequence of small, intimate frames addresses his insecurities about his father, slowing down the action and encouraging readers to ponder these thoughts. Information on the life cycle of frogs and ephemeral ponds, an author's note about his own childhood explorations, and additional reading suggestions expand the text. This multilayered book comes full circle as the boy returns to the original door and his mother's warm embrace.

Reviewer: Betty Carter | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 2023

(2) 4-6 Less extreme than the dramatic hurricanes, floods, and other natural disasters occurring around the globe, the weather crisis affecting this book's fictional place reveals a slower dismantling of land and its inhabitants. Jillian Robichaux lives in the Cajun community of Boutin in the wetlands of Louisiana. Gradually, coastal erosion is destroying the town: the bridge that connects Boutin to the mainland is unsafe; the school cannot be repaired; and businesses, homes, and even a cemetery are now underwater. The future is clear: families must leave. For Jillian, the inevitable exodus feels like an abandonment of her entire culture and her definition of who she is. Guillory's well-crafted setting includes a cuisine of jambalaya, gumbo, and turtle sauce piquant; a sprinkling of French phrases; and Cajun names. The biggest loss, and the one developed most artfully, is the sense of community created in Boutin over generations. The townspeople nurture that history through their stories, which Jillian and her friends capture in an ambitious oral history project that preserves those memories. Jillian's grief, and her trepidation about facing a now unmoored future, ring true and give the novel its heart, while the issues of preserving one's environment and heritage, although strong, never overtake the narrative but offer readers much to ponder.

Reviewer: Betty Carter | Horn Book Magazine Issue: January, 2023

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Ruth Harper. A small, square format and engaging illustrations make an accessible package for this poetry collection about wetland plants (cattails, fiddleheads) and, mostly, creatures: frogs, salamanders, beavers, dragonflies, etc. The poem about river otters is presented on a vertical spread, showing the animals frolicking underwater; the final poem is a (riddling) conversation between a shrew and a bat. Inviting and friendly; pitch-perfect for its audience.

Reviewer: Martha V. Parravano

(3) 4-6 After her beloved mother dies, outcast Sparrow lives with her cold aunt and a ghost boy near the Everglades. Grieving Sparrow makes friends with other outsiders, solves the mystery of her ghost friend, and eventually moves forward. Sparrow's growing sense of belonging gives the story heart, while the atmospheric Florida marsh and small-town class prejudices (both historical and present-day) sharpen its setting.

Reviewer: Mariko Turk

(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

(4) K-3 National Parks series. Each series volume provides basic facts on weather, natural landmarks, animals, and ecosystems along with some superficial history of the focal park. On each spread, a few simple, large-type sentences aimed at beginning readers appear beside an impressive, gutter-spanning nature photograph. Information is minimal but age-appropriate. A list of four "fun activities" to do in each locale is appended. Glos., ind. Review covers these National Parks titles: Everglades National Park, Glacier National Park, Grand Canyon National Park, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Yellowstone National Park, and Yosemite National Park.

Reviewer: Kristy Pasquariello

(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) YA Conservation Success Stories series. Each in-depth volume examines conservation issues in a major habitat, focusing on topics such as deforestation, pollution, invasive species, and climate change, as well as scientific and legal efforts to restore and revitalize plant and animal populations. Full-page "Science Connection" inserts touch on related background science. Large photographs clearly show humans' impact on the environment. A cause-and-effect diagram is appended. Reading list. Bib., glos., ind. Review covers these Conservation Success Stories titles: Bringing Back Our Freshwater Lakes, Bringing Back Our Oceans, Bringing Back Our Tropical Forests, Bringing Back Our Deserts, Bringing Back Our Wetlands, and Bringing Back Our Tundra.

Reviewer: Danielle J. Ford

(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

(3) K-3 Super Simple Critter Crafts series. Googly eyes, pom-poms, paper plates, craft sticks, and more combine with a little (hot) glue and a lot of imagination to make the whimsical animal-themed craft projects in this series. Some background facts about each group's "critters" are offered in the first pages. Photos of featured animals, children, and various project stages add interest and detail to the step-by-step instructions. Project scale varies. Glos. Review covers the following Super Simple Critter Crafts titles: Super Simple Backyard Critter Crafts, Super Simple Wetland Critter Crafts, Super Simple Zoo Critter Crafts, Super Simple Farm Critter Crafts, Super Simple Forest Critter Crafts, and Super Simple Pet Critter Crafts.

Reviewer: Paula M. Cairo

(4) K-3 National Park Explorers series. Two-page chapters highlight the most basic facts about national parks in this simplistic, succinctly written series for beginning readers. Many high-quality photographs enhance the superficial content ("Sunset at the Grand Canyon is a special time. Watch the sun sink below the beautiful rocks!"). While adequate as introductions, young nature lovers will want more information. An activity is appended. Reading list, websites. Glos., ind. Review covers the following National Park Explorers titles: Death Valley, Everglades, Grand Canyon, Great Smoky Mountains, Yellowstone, and Yosemite.

Reviewer: Kristy Pasquariello

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Julie Downing. Lotus, a mute Chinese girl shunned by the other kids, finds companionship and purpose when she saves a magnificent, wounded crane. Feather dances when Lotus plays her reed whistle, which delights the other children, who become Lotus's friends. Downing's watercolor and pencil illustrations provide ample visual interest to balance the lengthy text; details recall Chinese landscape painting, enhancing the book's cultural specificity.

Reviewer: Megan Dowd Lambert | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2017

(4) K-3 Swamp Things series. This series provides basic information about the wetland habitat and its creatures. Nine brief chapters discuss basic wetland geography along with facts about the title bird's appearance, food, home, and family. The many photos, background images, lily-pad-shaped sidebars, captions, and science questions are useful but crowd the pages. Photo glossary and "Science Lab" activity appended. Reading list. Ind. Review covers these Swamp Things titles: Roseate Spoonbill and Wood Duck.

Reviewer: Elissa Gershowitz

(4) K-3 Swamp Things series. This series provides basic information about the wetland habitat and its creatures. Nine brief chapters discuss basic geography along with facts about the title mammal's appearance, food (squeamish readers beware "a fish head" in Otter), home, and family. The many photos, background images, lily-pad-shaped sidebars, captions, and science questions are useful but crowd the pages. Photo glossary and "Science Lab" activity appended. Reading list. Ind. Review covers these Swamp Things titles: Muskrat and North American River Otter.

Reviewer: Elissa Gershowitz

(4) K-3 Swamp Things series. This series provides basic information about the wetland habitat and its creatures. Nine brief chapters discuss basic geography along with facts about the title creature's appearance, food (squeamish readers, beware "a cottonmouth biting a bullfrog"), home, and family. The many photos, background images, lily-pad-shaped sidebars, captions, and science questions are useful but crowd the pages. Photo glossary and "Science Lab" activity appended. Reading list. Ind. Review covers these Swamp Things titles: American Alligator and Cottonmouth.

Reviewer: Elissa Gershowitz

(4) K-3 Swamp Things series. This series provides basic information about the wetland habitat and its creatures. Nine brief chapters discuss basic wetland geography along with facts about the title bird's appearance, food, home, and family. The many photos, background images, lily-pad-shaped sidebars, captions, and science questions are useful but crowd the pages. Photo glossary and "Science Lab" activity appended. Reading list. Ind. Review covers these Swamp Things titles: Roseate Spoonbill and Wood Duck.

Reviewer: Elissa Gershowitz

(4) K-3 Swamp Things series. This series provides basic information about the wetland habitat and its creatures. Nine brief chapters discuss basic geography along with facts about the title creature's appearance, food (squeamish readers, beware "a cottonmouth biting a bullfrog"), home, and family. The many photos, background images, lily-pad-shaped sidebars, captions, and science questions are useful but crowd the pages. Photo glossary and "Science Lab" activity appended. Reading list. Ind. Review covers these Swamp Things titles: American Alligator and Cottonmouth.

Reviewer: Elissa Gershowitz

(4) K-3 Swamp Things series. This series provides basic information about the wetland habitat and its creatures. Nine brief chapters discuss basic geography along with facts about the title mammal's appearance, food (squeamish readers beware "a fish head" in Otter), home, and family. The many photos, background images, lily-pad-shaped sidebars, captions, and science questions are useful but crowd the pages. Photo glossary and "Science Lab" activity appended. Reading list. Ind. Review covers these Swamp Things titles: Muskrat and North American River Otter.

Reviewer: Elissa Gershowitz

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Gerald Guerlais. "These are the fish / That gulp down the tadpoles..." This cumulative story begins with the marsh, mud, and reeds and proceeds to catalogue marsh-dwelling creatures including mayflies, minnows, and, lastly, hungry eaglets at the top of the food chain. Illustrated with utilitarian art, the text's repetition may prove tedious for some, but the book should be useful in habitat and food chain studies. Glos.

Reviewer: Bridget McCaffrey

(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