An imaginative triumph as mesmerizing as the creatures it portrays.
This inspiring meditation on ancient ocean dwellers combines scientific rigor with poetic wonder.
Weatherford’s 14 lyrical verses illuminate jellyfish from multiple angles—biological, mythological, historical—transforming facts into language that pulses with rhythm. The text moves fluidly between dramatic declarations and quiet observations, mirroring the jellies’ own graceful movements. Readers learn that these brainless, spineless marvels predate dinosaurs by eons, that certain species glow with bioluminescence, and that some carry lethal venom while others drift harmlessly. Ibatoulline’s extraordinary mixed-media illustrations shift styles throughout, showcasing the book’s remarkable range. Luminous blue spreads capture jellies suspended in water, their translucent forms popping against the deep ocean darkness, the cool colors and vertical lines creating serene, hypnotic movement. Pages that look as though they’re from a scientific notebook filled with detailed anatomical sketches ground the work in natural history. Graphic panels depicting a jellyfish stinging a young diver use sharp diagonals and bold typography to convey danger and urgency. A scene of silhouetted figures observing aquarium tanks relies on negative space and scale, underscoring the beauty and awe of this “slow-motion water ballet.” The seamless integration of varied artistic approaches—from naturalistic painting to technical illustration—makes each spread feel distinct yet cohesive; this thought-provoking marriage of art and science celebrates both knowledge and mystery.
An imaginative triumph as mesmerizing as the creatures it portrays. (bibliography, websites) (Informational picture book/poetry. 6-8)Pub Date: May 26, 2026
ISBN: 9781536235074
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Candlewick
Review Posted Online: Dec. 12, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 15, 2026
Another playful imagination-stretcher.
Markle invites children to picture themselves living in the homes of 11 wild animals.
As in previous entries in the series, McWilliam’s illustrations of a diverse cast of young people fancifully imitating wild creatures are paired with close-up photos of each animal in a like natural setting. The left side of one spread includes a photo of a black bear nestling in a cozy winter den, while the right side features an image of a human one cuddled up with a bear. On another spread, opposite a photo of honeybees tending to newly hatched offspring, a human “larva” lounges at ease in a honeycomb cell, game controller in hand, as insect attendants dish up goodies. A child with an eye patch reclines on an orb weaver spider’s web, while another wearing a head scarf constructs a castle in a subterranean chamber with help from mound-building termites. Markle adds simple remarks about each type of den, nest, or burrow and basic facts about its typical residents, then closes with a reassuring reminder to readers that they don’t have to live as animals do, because they will “always live where people live.” A select gallery of traditional homes, from igloo and yurt to mudhif, follows a final view of the young cast waving from a variety of differently styled windows.
Another playful imagination-stretcher. (Informational picture book. 6-8)Pub Date: May 7, 2024
ISBN: 9781339049052
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Scholastic
Review Posted Online: Feb. 3, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2024
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A gleeful game for budding naturalists.
Artfully cropped animal portraits challenge viewers to guess which end they’re seeing.
In what will be a crowd-pleasing and inevitably raucous guessing game, a series of close-up stock photos invite children to call out one of the titular alternatives. A page turn reveals answers and basic facts about each creature backed up by more of the latter in a closing map and table. Some of the posers, like the tail of an okapi or the nose on a proboscis monkey, are easy enough to guess—but the moist nose on a star-nosed mole really does look like an anus, and the false “eyes” on the hind ends of a Cuyaba dwarf frog and a Promethea moth caterpillar will fool many. Better yet, Lavelle saves a kicker for the finale with a glimpse of a small parasitical pearlfish peeking out of a sea cucumber’s rear so that the answer is actually face and butt. “Animal identification can be tricky!” she concludes, noting that many of the features here function as defenses against attack: “In the animal world, sometimes your butt will save your face and your face just might save your butt!” (This book was reviewed digitally.)
A gleeful game for budding naturalists. (author’s note) (Informational picture book. 6-8)Pub Date: July 11, 2023
ISBN: 9781728271170
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Sourcebooks eXplore
Review Posted Online: May 9, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2023
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
© Copyright 2026 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Follow
Popular in this Genre
We can’t wait for you to join Kirkus!
It’s free and takes less than 10 seconds!
Already have an account? Log in.
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Welcome Back!
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
