(2) K-3 Illustrated by Jenni Desmond. Today in the wild expanses of Yellowstone National Park, wolves roam freely. This was not the case for most of the twentieth century, as wolves there were hunted out of existence by 1926. In 1995, through the efforts of scientists (opposed by some ranchers and hunters), fourteen wolves were reintroduced, and they survived to produce today's flourishing population. Barr splits her informative tale into two parts: first, the conservation story of how the wolves were brought from Canada, including details about wolf life cycles throughout the seasons. As the wolf population increased, the packs gradually spread out through the park and established hunting grounds in their territories. Desmond's graceful watercolors of the animals in summer and winter landscapes give a sense of the breadth and diversity of nature in the protected spaces of the American West. In the second half, Barr illustrates the effects of the wolves return on the entire ecosystem (a graphic in the endpapers compactly diagrams this concept of trophic cascade). Barr includes not just the main food chains but the full range of ecological impacts: insects, grasses, trees, even the water levels and paths of rivers change in response. The final pages include profiles of the fourteen original wolves and examples of other human interventions to reintroduce species affected by human activity.

Reviewer: Danielle J. Ford | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2022

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Jenni Desmond. Jenkins (Bird Builds a Nest, rev. 1/18; Beware of the Crocodile, rev. 3/19) again offers readers solid science in an entertaining package. The cover illustration of an Atlantic Puffin, beak overflowing with sand eels and standing somewhat pigeon-toed, creates a slightly comical but altogether appealing sight, encouraging youngsters to open the book to see what this bird is all about. Readers will find an engaging, accessible narrative describing a puffin's life cycle, initially revealing, through text and sweeping full-bleed illustrations, that flocks of puffins populate a favored breeding site in the spring. Spot art complements short sentences relating subsequent action: former mates find each other, birds reclaim their burrows and repair their nests, and eventually males and females take turns sitting on a solitary egg and foraging for food. When the egg hatches, parents continue to swap tasks. One night, about six weeks after birth, the chick (or puffling) exits the burrow and flies away to make a life of its own. Puffins are at their most colorful in the spring, and Desmond's lively mixed-media art accentuates this quality by often displaying the black-and-white birds with their deep orange, blue, and yellow beaks against a bright blue sky (or ocean), creating a cheerful setting for their annual ritual. Further information appears on several pages in sentences set apart from the main text and in a concluding author's note. An index and suggested websites are appended.

Reviewer: Betty Carter | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2022

(3) PS Illustrated by Jenni Desmond. This lovely story of two loners who finally connect will reassure children who are anxious about making friends. Bunny and Dog live next to each other but keep to themselves until a shared sighting of a shooting star brings them together. The soothing color palette and quiet text make this an appealing offering.

Reviewer: Cyrisse Jaffee

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Jenni Desmond. "Once upon a slime, there was a Slodge. The first Slodge in the universe." She goes about her life and then gets a shock: "There was another Slodge!" After a competitive period, they realize that "the world...belonged to everyone." The Slodges, who resemble solid-color blobs, enact this atmospheric creation-story-like parable about altruism set in a near-barren mountainside setting.

Reviewer: Nell Beram

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Jenni Desmond. When the leading lady's cat, Simon, is frightened by a noise, he climbs a tree on the play's set. After the stage manager, stagehands, and electrician fail to lure him down, the star steps in and the show goes on--until something frightens her and Simon takes the spotlight. The story and the sketch-like illustrations both capture the theater's backstage world with humor.

Reviewer: Amy Kellman