A stunning exploration of butterfly cycles, care, and collective action—exceptional in both form and purpose.
The multifaceted concept of kaleidoscope—a term that describes a group of butterflies and an instrument made up of pieces reflecting “beautiful moving patterns”—structures an examination of metamorphosis and environmental stewardship.
Paul alternates between lyrical verse that traces a butterfly’s journey and informational passages that deepen readers’ understanding of everything from eggs to chrysalises, creating a rhythm that mirrors the cycle itself. Sections (“A Kaleidoscope of Hope,” “…of Growth,” “…of Change,” “…of Preparation,” “…of Exploration,” and “…of Action”) organize the narrative into digestible chunks while building toward a call to action. Hari and Deepti’s artwork is stellar; their three-dimensional sculptures—crafted with paper, glue, paper clay, and watercolor paint, then photographed—create mesmerizing circular compositions that explode with monarch wings, chrysalises, and caterpillars in kaleidoscopic formations. The turquoise, white, and green backgrounds provide serene negative space that lets the intricate butterflies pop, while close-up spreads reveal the remarkable texture of their layered craft. The marriage of art and science is seamless—pages dense with ecological information sit comfortably alongside spreads where minimal text floats among wings. The backmatter extends the book’s mission with practical steps for creating butterfly habitats and a behind-the-scenes look at the artists’ sculptural process; this isn’t just a beautiful nature study, but an achievable invitation to participate in both art and conservation.
A stunning exploration of butterfly cycles, care, and collective action—exceptional in both form and purpose. (author’s note, sources) (Informational picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: May 12, 2026
ISBN: 9780063144101
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Greenwillow Books
Review Posted Online: Feb. 2, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2026
A ribald and uproarious warning to those unschooled in fishy goings-on.
Sharpson offers so-fish-ticated readers a heads up about the true terror of the seas.
The title says it all. Our unseen narrator is just fine with other animals: mammals. Reptiles. Even birds. But fish? Don’t trust them! First off, the rules always seem to change with fish. Some live in fresh water; some reside in salt water. Some have gills, while others have lungs. You can never see what they’re up to, since they hang out underwater, and they’re always eating those poor, innocent crabs. Soon, the narrator introduces readers to Jeff, a vacant-eyed yellow fish—but don’t be fooled! Jeff’s “the craftiest fish of all.” All fish are, apparently, hellbent on world domination, the narrator warns. “DON’T TRUST FISH!” Finally, at the tail end, we get a sly glimpse of our unreliable narrator. Readers needn’t be ichthyologists to appreciate Sharpson’s meticulous comic timing. (“Ships always sink at sea. They never sink on land. Isn’t that strange?”) His delightful text, filled to the brim with jokes that read aloud brilliantly, pairs perfectly with Santat’s art, which shifts between extreme realism and goofy hilarity. He also fills the book with his own clever gags (such as an image of Gilligan’s Island’s S.S. Minnow going down and a bottle of sauce labeled “Surly Chik’n Srir’racha’r”).
A ribald and uproarious warning to those unschooled in fishy goings-on. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: April 8, 2025
ISBN: 9780593616673
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Dial Books
Review Posted Online: Jan. 18, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2025
PERSPECTIVES
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
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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