A light and breezy, around-the-world look at an array of unusual species.
Poet Elliott’s latest volume centers 14 unique species in disparate global habitats.
Rhymed verses combine science-based tidbits and funny wordplay, evoking the children’s poetry of Douglas Florian. Regarding the flamboyantly arrayed male peacock spider, Elliott writes, “When he romances, / this spider dances. / In jaw-dropping hues / this jitterbug woos…. / He hopes he will win her. / If not, he’s her dinner.” Another creature, the orchid mantis, mimics a flower to snag its prey: “Petal. / Pistil. / Stamen. / Stem. / You look like a flower, / but you don’t have them.” There’s occasional anthropomorphization, as in this two-word poem about the black rain frog: “Bumpy. / Grumpy.” Elliott imagines the axolotl, an amphibian found only in Mexico City’s Lake Xochimilco and named for an Aztec god, as both dreaming and smiling. The creatures in several poems need the backmatter’s contextualizing species notes to make sense. “Aye-Aye” begins, “No! No! / Never call it by its / name name. / If you / do do, / you will never be the / same same.” The note reveals that some believe that uttering this lemur’s name could bring bad luck. Robin’s collage compositions adeptly convey the species’ physical characteristics, from coloration to feathers, skin, and claws, set against generalized versions of habitats like desert and savanna.
A light and breezy, around-the-world look at an array of unusual species. (Picture book/poetry. 4-8)Pub Date: May 19, 2026
ISBN: 9781536235258
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Candlewick
Review Posted Online: Jan. 19, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2026
A good introduction to observation, data, and trying again.
Cece loves asking “why” and “what if.”
Her parents encourage her, as does her science teacher, Ms. Curie (a wink to adult readers). When Cece and her best friend, Isaac, pair up for a science project, they choose zoology, brainstorming questions they might research. They decide to investigate whether dogs eat vegetables, using Cece’s schnauzer, Einstein, and the next day they head to Cece’s lab (inside her treehouse). Wearing white lab coats, the two observe their subject and then offer him different kinds of vegetables, alone and with toppings. Cece is discouraged when Einstein won’t eat them. She complains to her parents, “Maybe I’m not a real scientist after all….Our project was boring.” Just then, Einstein sniffs Cece’s dessert, leading her to try a new way to get Einstein to eat vegetables. Cece learns that “real scientists have fun finding answers too.” Harrison’s clean, bright illustrations add expression and personality to the story. Science report inserts are reminiscent of The Magic Schoolbus books, with less detail. Biracial Cece is a brown, freckled girl with curly hair; her father is white, and her mother has brown skin and long, black hair; Isaac and Ms. Curie both have pale skin and dark hair. While the book doesn’t pack a particularly strong emotional or educational punch, this endearing protagonist earns a place on the children’s STEM shelf.
A good introduction to observation, data, and trying again. (glossary) (Picture book. 5-8)Pub Date: June 19, 2018
ISBN: 978-0-06-249960-8
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Greenwillow Books
Review Posted Online: March 26, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2018
A lyrical and educational look at the water cycle.
Through many types of weather and the different seasons, water tells readers about its many forms.
“Sometimes I’m the rain cloud / and sometimes I’m the rain.” Water can make rainbows and can appear to be different colors. Water is a waterfall, a wave, an ocean swell, a frozen pond, the snow on your nose, a cloud, frost, a comet, a part of you. Throughout, Paterson’s rhyming verses evoke images of their own: “Soon the summer sun is back / and warms me with its rays. / I rise in rumbling thunderheads / like castles in the haze,” though at times word order seems to have been chosen for rhyme rather than meaning (“In fall I sink into a fog / and blanket chilly fields, / with pumpkins touched by morning frost / the harvest season yields”). Backmatter includes a diagram of the water cycle that introduces and describes each step with solid vocabulary, including “Collection” as a step in the process; “The Science Behind the Poetry,” which unpacks some of the poetic language and phrases; some water activities and explorations; conservation tips; and a list of other books from the publisher about water. Paterson’s full- and double-page–spread illustrations are just as magical as his verse, showing water in its many forms from afar and close up. Few people appear on his pages, but the vast majority of those are people of color.
A lyrical and educational look at the water cycle. (Informational picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: March 1, 2018
ISBN: 978-1-58469-615-5
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Dawn Publications
Review Posted Online: Jan. 12, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2018
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