SPOONBILL SWAMP
by Brenda Z. Guiberson & illustrated by Megan Lloyd
Like Lewin's When the Rivers Go Home (below), an evocation of the creatures of a tropical swamp. Here, the team that created Cactus Hotel (1991) focuses on two mothers, a spoonbill and an alligator, each caring for her young during a day that includes a mildly dramatic encounter when the alligator doesn't quite catch the spoonbill. Lloyd depicts the animals in lucid detail and their surroundings, more impressionistically, in unrealistically vibrant but appealing colors. A note extends the information, but is vague about the animals' range. Though this doesn't have the artistry of Lewin's book, it's visually pleasing and includes more information about these particular species. (Nonfiction/Picture book. 5-8)