The series continues to engage and inform, though readers may wonder if Berkes knows any other tunes: This is one...
Berkes’ habitat series continues with this “Over in the Meadow” song about desert animals.
Using her proven formula, Berkes introduces readers to 10 desert animals (nine mothers and one father), what the babies are called, and one activity that the species engages in. “Over on a desert / Where the barrel cactus grew / Lived a mother gila monster / And her little hatchlings two. / ‘Flick,’ said the mother. / ‘We flick,’ said the two. / So they flicked with their tongues / Where the barrel cactus grew.” Clean page designs place the text on a vertical half-page along with a map with the desert highlighted and labeled (nine are featured: two in Asia, four in North America, two in Africa, and one each in Australia and South America) and the prominent numeral. The rest of the double-page spread displays the family group. The textured papers in Dubin’s collages give life to the animals and their surroundings. Other species include camels, meerkats, dingoes, armadillos, javelinas, desert tortoises, jerboas, roadrunners, and fennec foxes. Backmatter includes a “Fact or Fiction” section, details about both the featured animals and a hidden animal found in each scene, and suggestions for movements/activities to go with the song.
The series continues to engage and inform, though readers may wonder if Berkes knows any other tunes: This is one long-lasting ear worm. (author’s, illustrator’s, book designer’s notes; sheet music; bibliography) (Informational picture book. 3-8)Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2018
ISBN: 978-1-58469-630-8
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Dawn Publications
Review Posted Online: June 24, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2018
A solid addition to Rotner’s seasonal series. Bring on summer.
Rotner follows up her celebrations of spring and autumn with this look at all things winter.
Beginning with the signs that winter is coming—bare trees, shorter days, colder temperatures—Rotner eases readers into the season. People light fires and sing songs on the solstice, trees and plants stop growing, and shadows grow long. Ice starts to form on bodies of water and windows. When the snow flies, the fun begins—bundle up and then build forts, make snowballs and snowmen (with eyebrows!), sled, ski (nordic is pictured), skate, snowshoe, snowboard, drink hot chocolate. Animals adapt to the cold as well. “Birds grow more feathers” (there’s nothing about fluffing and air insulation) and mammals, more hair. They have to search for food, and Rotner discusses how many make or find shelter, slow down, hibernate, or go underground or underwater to stay warm. One page talks about celebrating holidays with lights and decorations. The photos show a lit menorah, an outdoor deciduous tree covered in huge Christmas bulbs, a girl next to a Chinese dragon head, a boy with lit luminarias, and some fireworks. The final spread shows signs of the season’s shift to spring. Rotner’s photos, as always, are a big draw. The children are a marvelous mix of cultures and races, and all show their clear delight with winter.
A solid addition to Rotner’s seasonal series. Bring on summer. (Informational picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: Oct. 16, 2018
ISBN: 978-0-8234-3976-8
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Holiday House
Review Posted Online: Aug. 13, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2018
A good choice for a late fall storytime.
Animal behaviors change as they prepare to face the winter.
Migrate, hibernate, or tolerate. With smooth rhymes and jaunty illustrations, Salas and Gévry introduce three strategies animals use for coping with winter cold. The author’s long experience in imparting information to young readers is evident in her selection of familiar animals and in her presentation. Spread by spread she introduces her examples, preparing in fall and surviving in winter. She describes two types of migration: Hummingbirds and monarchs fly, and blue whales travel to the warmth of the south; earthworms burrow deeper into the earth. Without using technical words, she introduces four forms of hibernation—chipmunks nap and snack; bears mainly sleep; Northern wood frogs become an “icy pop,” frozen until spring; and normally solitary garter snakes snuggle together in huge masses. Those who can tolerate the winter still change behavior. Mice store food and travel in tunnels under the snow; moose grow a warmer kind of fur; the red fox dives into the snow to catch small mammals (like those mice); and humans put on warm clothes and play. The animals in the soft pastel illustrations are recognizable, more cuddly than realistic, and quite appealing; their habitats are stylized. The humans represent varied ethnicities. Each page includes two levels of text, and there’s further information in the extensive backmatter. Pair with Joyce Sidman and Rick Allen’s Winter Bees (2014).
A good choice for a late fall storytime. (glossary) (Informational picture book. 3-7)Pub Date: Sept. 3, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-5415-2900-7
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Millbrook/Lerner
Review Posted Online: June 15, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2019
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