An immersive dip into an enticing world as close as the nearest natural body of fresh water.
In poetic language, a chorus of creepy-crawlies invite closer looks at life beneath the surface of ponds and streams.
“Some of us live in rivers: / under riffle-wrinkles or eddy-whirls,” murmur the larval mayflies, dragonflies, mosquitoes, and other insects that spend most or all of their lives underwater, “or in warm mid-water sun shafts. / You might see us then.” Some are beautiful, Hocker writes, others “seriously creepy!” In any case, Kohli definitely goes for the latter—at least at first—with a series of leggy, segmented, exactly detailed predators observed in extreme close-up views hatching and growing, ferociously eating and being eaten, in watery natural settings. At last comes a final metamorphosis that sends many creatures flitting gracefully through the air on glassy wings past a marveling, brown-skinned young observer. “When you see us,” they conclude, “think of what we were / and what we became. / Think of what you were / and what you can become.” Young readers should study the author’s closing key to the multispecies insect cast and follow her practical and explicit instructions for observing these common creatures in ways that will leave them and their natural habitats only minimally disturbed; they’ll likewise find opportunities aplenty to marvel and reflect.
An immersive dip into an enticing world as close as the nearest natural body of fresh water. (resource lists) (Informational picture book. 6-9)Pub Date: March 17, 2026
ISBN: 9781536230727
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Candlewick
Review Posted Online: Oct. 10, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 15, 2025
BOOK REVIEW
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
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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