CAN MUD BE THAT?!

From elephant sunscreen to a delicious drink for a butterfly, mud is one of nature’s most versatile materials.

Each spread in this nonfiction picture book explores a different way animals use the gooey stuff: A mama mud dauber wasp molds it into a nursery for her babies, while warthogs roll around in it to keep insects from biting them. Serviceable, expository language that uses repetition encourages anticipatory page-turning and helps readers discover mud’s many surprising uses in the natural world. Colombo’s colorful illustrations featuring loose brushwork pop against a crisp white backdrop. Exaggerated, energetic depictions of endearingly cartoonish, wide-eyed animals offer a contrast to the mottled, earthy textures of the ever-present mud. The book wraps up by highlighting human uses for mud, including skincare, pottery, and construction—a missed opportunity for an acknowledgment of the Indigenous origins of many of these traditions. The backmatter offers a few interesting mud-related facts, though they stray from the animal-focused text, along with suggestions for muddy play and crafts. Human characters feature varied hair color and skin tones. A lighthearted introduction to the many ways animals interact with mud, this is a book that packs a playful punch.

A muddy good time.