A deeply moving exploration of community and human-animal connection.
The heroic tale of how an Ojibwe community protected a horse species on the brink of extinction.
One chilly night, two children at Lac La Croix First Nation—located in northwestern Ontario—struggle to sleep. The “buzz of aunties and uncles and cousins” fills the house; everyone is awake with anticipation. To soothe her grandchildren, Nookomis tells a story. Years ago, Ojibwe people and horses shared the land and forged a unique relationship. But the Canadian government considered wild ponies “a nuisance and a health hazard,” and by 1977, their numbers were reduced to a mere four. “We had to save them,” says Nookomis. “But how?” The community decided to capture the four horses and transport them across the frozen lake to Minnesota. Eventually, the herd’s numbers grew. The narrative comes full circle as we find out why the family is so excited; they’re starting a herd of their own and have been awaiting the arrival of six new horses. Whitecrow (Ojibwe/Dakota) and O’Connor have crafted a quiet yet enthusiastic tale that glides along beautifully. Their prose is simple yet enchanting, each well-chosen word imbued with emotion, building anticipation and drawing readers in. Using vibrant colors and pockets of light, Donovan (Métis) makes the night feel cozy. Illuminating details emphasize the community’s strength in its fight against the harmful government policies, as well as the younger generation’s care for the Ojibwe horse.
A deeply moving exploration of community and human-animal connection. (afterword) (Picture book. 5-8)Pub Date: Sept. 16, 2025
ISBN: 9781536229455
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Candlewick
Review Posted Online: Aug. 13, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 2025
A gleeful game for budding naturalists.
Artfully cropped animal portraits challenge viewers to guess which end they’re seeing.
In what will be a crowd-pleasing and inevitably raucous guessing game, a series of close-up stock photos invite children to call out one of the titular alternatives. A page turn reveals answers and basic facts about each creature backed up by more of the latter in a closing map and table. Some of the posers, like the tail of an okapi or the nose on a proboscis monkey, are easy enough to guess—but the moist nose on a star-nosed mole really does look like an anus, and the false “eyes” on the hind ends of a Cuyaba dwarf frog and a Promethea moth caterpillar will fool many. Better yet, Lavelle saves a kicker for the finale with a glimpse of a small parasitical pearlfish peeking out of a sea cucumber’s rear so that the answer is actually face and butt. “Animal identification can be tricky!” she concludes, noting that many of the features here function as defenses against attack: “In the animal world, sometimes your butt will save your face and your face just might save your butt!” (This book was reviewed digitally.)
A gleeful game for budding naturalists. (author’s note) (Informational picture book. 6-8)Pub Date: July 11, 2023
ISBN: 9781728271170
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Sourcebooks eXplore
Review Posted Online: May 9, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2023
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A good introduction to observation, data, and trying again.
Cece loves asking “why” and “what if.”
Her parents encourage her, as does her science teacher, Ms. Curie (a wink to adult readers). When Cece and her best friend, Isaac, pair up for a science project, they choose zoology, brainstorming questions they might research. They decide to investigate whether dogs eat vegetables, using Cece’s schnauzer, Einstein, and the next day they head to Cece’s lab (inside her treehouse). Wearing white lab coats, the two observe their subject and then offer him different kinds of vegetables, alone and with toppings. Cece is discouraged when Einstein won’t eat them. She complains to her parents, “Maybe I’m not a real scientist after all….Our project was boring.” Just then, Einstein sniffs Cece’s dessert, leading her to try a new way to get Einstein to eat vegetables. Cece learns that “real scientists have fun finding answers too.” Harrison’s clean, bright illustrations add expression and personality to the story. Science report inserts are reminiscent of The Magic Schoolbus books, with less detail. Biracial Cece is a brown, freckled girl with curly hair; her father is white, and her mother has brown skin and long, black hair; Isaac and Ms. Curie both have pale skin and dark hair. While the book doesn’t pack a particularly strong emotional or educational punch, this endearing protagonist earns a place on the children’s STEM shelf.
A good introduction to observation, data, and trying again. (glossary) (Picture book. 5-8)Pub Date: June 19, 2018
ISBN: 978-0-06-249960-8
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Greenwillow Books
Review Posted Online: March 26, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2018
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