Certain to have youngsters scanning their own neighborhoods for flashes of green.
Wild parrots navigate the sprawling landscape of Los Angeles in this vibrant picture book celebrating one of urban nature’s most colorful secrets.
Roaming from the Hollywood Hills to backyard pools, power lines, and sun-drenched beaches, Torres and Magnell’s tale illuminates the little-known phenomenon of feral parrots thriving across Los Angeles—and beyond. Rather than following a single flock, they capture fleeting, jewel-bright glimpses of these birds woven into the fabric of everyday city life, a framing that feels true to nature. The writing matches the subject effectively: Short, percussive lines—“They squawk. They screech. They swoop”— build to longer, more wondering sentences that invite readers to pause and think. The prose has a cumulative, almost incantatory rhythm that mirrors the birds’ restless energy before describing how these creatures came to belong somewhere they seemingly shouldn’t. The illustrations are a standout: Pages pulse with magentas, teals, bright greens, and warm golds that evoke the hazy magic of Southern California light, the parrots glowing electric green against dusky pink skies and lush canopy scenes. The backmatter is a highlight, offering a map of wild parrot populations across the United States alongside context on how these colonies came to be—material that will be useful for curious young readers and classroom discussions alike.
Certain to have youngsters scanning their own neighborhoods for flashes of green. (Informational picture book. 6-9)Pub Date: June 9, 2026
ISBN: 9781665938778
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Atheneum
Review Posted Online: April 6, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 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
An in-depth and visually pleasing look at one of the most fundamental forces in the universe.
An introduction to gravity.
The book opens with the most iconic demonstration of gravity, an apple falling. Throughout, Herz tackles both huge concepts—how gravity compresses atoms to form stars and how black holes pull all kinds of matter toward them—and more concrete ones: how gravity allows you to jump up and then come back down to the ground. Gravity narrates in spare yet lyrical verse, explaining how it creates planets and compresses atoms and comparing itself to a hug. “My embrace is tight enough that you don’t float like a balloon, but loose enough that you can run and leap and play.” Gravity personifies itself at times: “I am stubborn—the bigger things are, the harder I pull.” Beautiful illustrations depict swirling planets and black holes alongside racially diverse children playing, running, and jumping, all thanks to gravity. Thorough backmatter discusses how Sir Isaac Newton discovered gravity and explains Albert Einstein’s theory of relativity. While at times Herz’s explanations may be a bit too technical for some readers, burgeoning scientists will be drawn in.
An in-depth and visually pleasing look at one of the most fundamental forces in the universe. (Informational picture book. 7-9)Pub Date: April 15, 2024
ISBN: 9781668936849
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Tilbury House
Review Posted Online: May 4, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2024
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