Home by Isabelle Simler

Home

Isabelle Simler; translated by Vineet Lal

Eerdmans Books for Young Readers. 2024

French author, Isabelle Simler,  using poetry introduces young readers on a journey to discover the amazing homes of animals that live around the world.

"I've been to some truly amazing homes.

To explore these unique places, I've had 

to bend, and shrink, and squeeze, and 

let myself be transformed in weird and 

wonderful ways. 

I've curled up in a hazel leaf, 

and disappeared under a stone, and bathed 

in a few drops of dew...

I've woken up as an ant. And a bird. 

Even  a sea snail.

And, I've imagined life in these homes,

all so very different from my own."

Simler explores twenty-seven different homes, sharing the ingenious ways each creature constructs their wondrous dwelling.

Take the European fan worm (Savella spallanzanii)

"I slide into my home like a telescope

and fan out my long feathery lashes."

This "worm-with-a-plume" lives in the ocean on the rocky seabed.

Or the hummingbird, (Trochilidae) who lives in a small, featherweight house hidden under a leaf. 

Accompanying each entry are Simler's beautiful, lush colorful illustrations that showcase the wonders of each individual animal.  Breathtaking.

Included are brief summaries of the twenty-seven animals included in the book, glossary, and recommended resources for more information. 

A truly awe-inspiring book to share with all ages, especially older listeners where you can highlight art, words, nature, and encourage their creativity.

Hawk Mother Returns: A Story of Interspecies Adoption by Kara Hagedorn and Marlo Garnsworthy

Hawk Mother Returns: A Story of Interspecies Adoption 

Kara Hagedorn and Marlo Garnsworothy

Web of Life Children's Books. 2024

Zoologist, Kara Hagedorn (Hawk Mother: The Story of a Red-Tailed Hawk Who Hatched Chickens) shares another story of cross-species adoption, in this stunning nonfiction title.

"One spring morning, my phone rings. Someone has cut down a tree with a nest containing two red-tailed hawk eggs. "Will Sunshine adopt them?" as the wildlife rehabilitator?" 

And so begins the story of how Sunshine, a red-tailed hawk who has been unable to fly since being shot many years ago, once again becomes a surrogate mother. Told in first person, Hagedorn shares every step in the raising of the chicks. From Sunshine feeding the newly hatched chicks, Bella and Romeo, to teaching them how to hunt. 

Beautiful, color photos that show the process of Sunshine raising these two chicks, which turn out to be Red-Shouldered Hawks, is very exciting. Over several weeks the chicks grow until one day, Kara decides it is time for them to leave the safety of the aviary. 

"I decide today is the day for them to leave. I take Sunshine out of her aviary so she can watch. Then, heart beating, I open the aviary door."

Included is an author's note explaining who Kara is and how she came to adopt Sunshine, more information about hawks, and a glossary. 

An important  book to share when explaining the importance of how to be mindful of nature, and the growth cycle of raptors. 

The Book of Turtles by Sy Montgomery & Matt Patterson

The Book of Turtles
Sy Montgomery & Matt Patterson
Clarion Books. An Imprint of HarperCollins Publishers.
2023

“Sometime around 240 million years ago — about the time of the first dinosaurs, and 9 million years before the first crocodile — the shell invented the turtle.”

Award-winner science writer, Montgomery, mastery at engaging readers is on display here. Her mixing scientific facts with portraits of some of the world’s most famous turtles. Readers also learn “Extreme Turtle” facts: Which turtle is the largest, smallest, fastest, flattest, longest necks, most colorful, stinkiest and longest life span. 

Did you know turtles have many talents? Myrtle, a 90-year-old wood turtle learned how to navigate a maze just as quickly as laboratory rats. A surprising fact is that Eastern box turtles can scale a chain-link fence. 

Paired with the narrative are Matt Patterson’s photo-like illustrations. Rendered in acrylic paint, the name of each turtle is included in italics.

Like all wildlife, turtles are in sharp decline. Montgomery suggests ways we can help turtles survive. Best tip: if you see a turtle in the road, carefully pick it up and move it out of harms way.

To learn more about this charming book, watch Sy and Matt in this video

Womats Are Pretty Weird: a [not so] serious guide by Abi Cushman

Wombats Are Pretty Weird: a [not so] serious guide

Abi Cushman

Greenwillow Books. An Imprint of HarperCollins Publishers.

2023.

This informational picture books on wombats is quite charming. Cushman combines scientific facts with anthropomorphized illustrations. 

Readers will learn that Wombats are marsupials and only live in Australia. (Marsupial is a type of mammal that generally carries its young in a pouch.) There are three species: Southern Hairy-Nosed Wombat, Northern Hairy-Nosed Wombat, and the Bare-Nosed Wombat.

Some cool facts about wombats are : 

They have backward-facing pouches that helps keep the dirt out when the mom is digging. 

Their butts are armored with a layer of cartilage to protect themselves from predators when they run into their burrows.

Wombats are the only animal that has cube-shaped poop! 

The full-color artwork, drawn in pencil and colored digitally, bring a perfect balance to narrative. Even if you are not that interested in wombats, it is a great book to share. Readers will appreciate the dry humor of the snake who adds some comic relief to this playful, full-of-facts nonfiction title. 

Included are some more specific facts of the three species of wombats, suggestions for further reading, and a glossary (“What’s a gloss-ar-ree?” asked our friend, snake) 

Click here to visit the author's website for some fun downloadable activities related to this book, and other titles by Cushman.

At Home With the Prairie Dog: Story of a Keystone Species by Dorothy Hinshaw Patent

At Home with the Prairie Dog: The Story of a Keystone Species 

Dorothy Hinshaw Patent; Photographs by William Muñoz

Web of Life Children’s Books. 2023

Prairie dogs live in the western area of North America. They are highly social and live in large colonies or “towns” that can span hundreds of acres. Before westward expansion of non-native Americans, there were hundreds of millions of black-tailed prairie dogs living in North America. 

Prairie dogs are called a keystone species. According to National Geographic: “A keystone species is an organism that helps define an entire ecosystem. Without its keystone species, the ecosystem would be dramatically different or cease to exist altogether.”

Prolific science writer, Dorothy Hinshaw Patent, shares the many ways prairie dogs benefit roughly 150 different kinds of animals that live in and around prairie dog burrows. Some species, such as the Black Widow Spider, Tiger Salamander, Plains Spadefoot Toad, live alongside the prairie dogs in their burrows. Others, Prairie Deer Mouse, Black-Footed Ferret, Cottontail Rabbit, Prairie Rattle Snake, and Burrowing Owl occupy an abandon prairie dog home. Readers will learn the many other ways the prairie dog enhances the lives of other species. 

Enhancing this captivating informational science book are Muñoz beautiful color photos that perfectly reflect what is being explained in the text. 

Included is a brief explanation on the importance of conserving the prairie dog. Since 1860, “90 percent of the prairie dog population has been eliminated when farms, railroads, towns, cities, and ranches took over the land.”

The Upside-Down Book of Sloths by Elizabeth Shreeve

The Upside-Down Book of Sloths

By Elizabeth Shreeve; Illustrated by Isabella Grott

Norton Young Readers. 2023

Science writer, Shreeve, explores the origins and diversity of life on Planet Earth in her latest book on Sloths. 

Sloths are fascinating creatures. They are small, lightweight and only inhabit the trees of Central and South America. Being small and lightweight, (the largest sloth is about 32 inches long and weights a maximum of 24 pounds), "enables them to climb, feed, and hang among the upper branches of tropical forests." 

Shreeve does an excellent job comparing our modern tree sloths to their ancient ancestors by highlighting their unique characteristics:

• Small
• Huge
• Tree Huggers
• Explorers
• Shy Loners
• tough herds
• Leaf-Munchers
• Ocean Foragers
• Adorable
• Weird
• Slackers?

The easy to understand explanations are paired with more detailed specifics of the different species. Small fact blocks give the range, maximum size, and environmental status. For example, under the heading "Explorers", we learn that "ground sloths once travelled all over the Americas!" It was during a period of warmer weather that a sloth traveled as far north as Alaska! In a text block we learn about Eremotherium, the tallest of all prehistoric ground sloths. Its maximum size was 20 feet tall; 7,000 pounds. More facts explain the Eremotherium lived 4.9million years ago to 11,000 years ago. 

Complementing the text are Grott's illustrations.

Included is a timeline of sloth history and books and websites to learn more a out these shy loners.

Check out another book by Shreeve, Out of the Blue: How Animals Evolved from Prehistoric Seas

Click here to watch Elizabeth Shreeve give a brief talk about this book. 

Polar: Wildlife at the Ends of the Earth by L. E. Carmichael

Polar: Wildlife At The Ends of the Earth

Written by L. E. Carmichael; Illustrated by Byron Eggenschwiler

Kids Can Press. 2023

In this large format, informational picture book, nonfiction writer, Carmichael, investigates how animals survive throughout the year in the harsh environments of The Arctic Circle (The North Pole) and Antarctica (The South Pole). Carmichael states, "These two areas contain some of the harshest habitats on this planet." 

Yet, despite being at opposite ends of Earth, these two regions have a lot in common weather-wise. "They are bitterly cold, freeze-dried wildernesses, where the wind can blow harder than hurricanes. They are also the only places on Earth were daylight - and darkness - lasts up to six months."

Using double-page spreads with digitally created illustrations by Eggenschwiler, the author compares the two regions, month-by-month, by looking at a different aspect of how animals survive in these regions. "A Warm Blanket," starts off in March were we learn of the challenge of staying warm for polar animals in both the Arctic and Antarctica. For the Arctic where daylight returns, the arctic fox, to stay warm, has thick fur covering their toe pads. While March in Antartica, the sun sets and for six months there is no sun, only darkness. We see how a seabird, off course and exhausted, must struggle to stay warm while it waits out a storm before "winging back home to the open sea."

Included is comments on climate change and its impact on the polar regions, why polar regions are important to the rest of the world, how to take action to stop climate change. In addition is a list of online resources, a glossary, resources for further reading, and an index.

The book does a good job of comparing and contrasting these fascinating regions.  There is just enough information to peek a child's curiosity. 

Emperor Of The Ice: How a Changing Climate Affects a Penguin Colony by Nicola Davies

Emperor of the Ice: How a Changing Climate Affects a Penguin Colony

By Nicola Davies; 

Illustrated by Catherine Rayner
Candlewick Press. 2023

Because of our dependence on fossil fuels - coal, oil, and gas, our climate is changing. Oceans are warming, glacier ice is melting, and winds are stronger. Storms are fierce. Davies, a  zoologist and award winning author of many science books for children, turns her attention to the Emperor Penguin.

As the northern hemisphere start enjoying the beginnings of spring, in the Southern Hemisphere, April means fall. 

"Most animals are heading north to avoid the coming winter and the ring of frozen ocean that grows with every passing day."

Not the Emperor Penguin. They need the cold sea ice to have their babies. 

Since Emperor Penguins breed in remote areas, on ice that form in the ocean, and at the coldest time of the year, the only way to observe them is by satellites. 

Catherine Rayner's mixed media illustrations cover every page. They show the penguins life cycle. Readers will feel the cold as they watch the male penguin huddled, hungry, protecting the egg while the female is off hunting for fish. She needs to be well-fed in order to feed her baby.

The tone is a mixture of joyous and sobering as the impact climate change is having on our weather and how this negatively impacts this population. 

Davies includes short paragraphs that explains how climate change is impacting the Emperor Penguin, defines What Is Climate Change, and suggestions on what people can do to help.

A valuable informational picture book. Perfect for STEM displays or a read aloud for Earth Day. 

Border Crossings by Sneed B. Collard III

Border Crossings 

Sneed B. Collard III
Illustrated by Howard Gray   
Charlesbridge. 2023                                                         

We are aware of the emotional and economic impact the Wall that divides the United States with Mexico has on our society. In Border Crossings, science writer, Sneed B. Collard III asks readers to think about the environmental impact the Wall has on our natural world in this important informational picture book. 

Following two endangered ocelots, readers explore the beauty and biodiversity of this area, while also made aware of the many obstacles these species, and many others, face when they attempt to cross the border. 

In the story, the ocelots are traversing this remote territory in search of a mate. Encountering the barrier, “He tries to squeeze thru the wall, but the gaps are too narrow. He is searching for a way around the wall or under it when…harsh headlights approach, accompanied by a loud roaring sound.” Sprinting back into the brush for cover, this young ocelot will not find a mate this year. 

Sneed explains that for animals, the area surrounding the Wall are not separate lands. Running almost two thousand miles, through forest, grasslands, and brushlands, this habitat is home to “plants and animals found nowhere else on Earth.”

Supporting Collard’s powerful narrative are colorful illustrations, done in digital media, by Howard Gray.

Included is an Author’s Note, Glossary, and suggestions for further reading. 

Wolves! Strange and Wonderful by Laurence Pringle

Wolves! Strange and Wonderful
By Laurence Pringle;
Illustrated by Meryl Henderson
Astra Young Readers.
An Imprint of Astra Books for Young Readers. 2022

Enjoy the newest title in the Strange and Wonderful series by well-known nonfiction writer, Laurence Pringle. 

Young readers will learn interesting facts about Wolves.

Scientist have been studying wolves since the mid-1990's. Their discoveries have changed peoples' ideas about these amazing animals. 

The book uses illustrations, done in watercolor and pencil, instead of actual photos. 

A glossary of words used in the text is included, as is a bibliography and sources, both print and digital.

A good resource for students doing research on wolves.

Two series that will delight young readers

Sea Turtles

Awesome Animal Lives series

by Marysa Storm

Published by Black Rabbit Books. July 2022

I am going to quote the publisher’s description because I could not put into words the focus of this series any better: 

“An eagle snatches up a mouse in one quick swoop. A hungry wolf pack takes down a deer. Meanwhile, a dolphin dives after some slippery fish. Animals’ lives are full of excitement and danger. Through infographics, powerful photography, and a nonfiction beginning reader format, early/fluent readers can explore the habitats, life cycles, and behaviors of some very awesome animals.”

In 21 pages, the book gives a very brief overview of the book’s topic. The three chapters cover the life of the books’ topic. In Sea Turtles, Chapter One covers The Day in the Life and follows a sea turtle as it looks for food. Chapter Two explains that Sea Turtle travel thousands of miles to find food and swim to their nesting grounds. Chapter Three, Family Life, briefly explains laying eggs and the dangers hatchlings face returning to the sea. 

The short narrative gives enough information to peak a readers interest while text blocks throughout each entry defines words mentioned in the narrative. The dynamic, large color photographs dominate the two-page spreads and really capture ones’ attention.

Included is a brief bibliography of books or websites to learn more, and a glossary.

Another early reader series published by Amicus Ink is Spot Big Birds.

Storks
Spot Big Birds series
Lisa Amstutz. Amicus Ink. 2022

Written by Lisa Amstutz, readers will be introduced to some popular big birds: Cranes, Herons, Ostriches, Storks, Swans, and Flamingos.  Each book starts with key vocabulary words to help early readers connect images and text. For example, readers are asked to search for a bill, toes, wings, nest. The correlating pictures are related to the specific bird the book is about. 

The color photos fill the pages and show lots of details readers will enjoy seeing. The large black font will be ideal for young readers.

These reinforced binding, informational nonfiction series will excite readers who are curious about animals. 

The Secret Life of the Sea Otter by Laurence Pringle

The Secret Life of the Sea Otter
Book five in the Secret Life series                    

Written by Laurence Pringle;
Illustrated by Kate Garchinsky.
Boyds Mill Press. An imprint of Astra Books for Young Readers. 2022

This new title, book five, in their Secret Life series follows the life of a female sea otter. Using their Latin name, Enhydra lutris, readers will follow Lutris as she goes about her life. From sleeping, finding food to giving birth and caring for her young, Pringle is a master at weaving a visual narrative with scientific facts. 

After a nap and a grooming, our sea otter is hungry. “She dives down, down, down into the secret watery world of the kelp forest, where these plants hold fast to the sea floor. Kelp is a habitat of many creatures. Fish, squid, octopuses, crabs, snails, clams, mussels, sea stars, and sea urchins live there. Since Lutris is a predator, she has favorite animals to eat (prey).”

Copied from actual photographs, Garchinsky's digital illustrations created in Procreate fill every inch of the page. Lush and full of color, readers will be fascinated by these amazing creatures.

Additional information about Sea Otters, a glossary, and bibliography rounds out this enjoyable informational picture book.

Moth: An Evolution Story

Moth: An Evolution Story 
by Isabel Thomas and Daniel Egnéus
Bloomsbury, 2019
Grades 2-8

This gorgeous science picture book explains adaptations and evolution in clear, understandable terms. The subject of the narrative is the peppered moth, a species that uses camouflage (speckled wings) to blend into its surroundings. As solid colored, darker moths were born they were the first to be eaten by bats and birds.

During the Industrial Revolution factories and trains polluted the air and coated the surroundings with soot, and the darker solid-colored moths blended into its surroundings leaving the speckled moths vulnerable. The peppered moth adapted again in later years when the pollution, soot and smog was cleaned up, and they could use their speckled wings to camoflage themselves in trees and leaves.

Watercolor, digital, crayon and collage illustrations compliment the poetic narrative. The freckled wings of the moths are depicted in the night sky and on a contrasting white background. Somber colors are used to illustrate the pollution as factories spew smoke and soot into the blue sky. The story ends on a positive note with the word "hope" on the final page. Back matter includes information about natural selection and adaptations.

Moth would make an excellent science read aloud for a class learning about animal adaptations. It's a highly recommended purchase that is likely to garner some attention during awards season.

If Elephants Disappeared

If Elephants Disappeared   
by Lily Williams
Roaring Brook Press, 2019
Grades 1-5

This cause & effect picture book explores what would happen if elephants were extinct. Set in the Congo Basin Forest, readers will learn about the "complex ecosystem" and how important elephant dung is to the health and biodiversity of the forest. An eye-opening, two-page infographic illustrates how the elephant population is declining due to poaching.  Cartoon-style illustrations will help readers relate to the story while the use of somber colors sets a serious tone.

Williams' successfully takes a complex topic of biodiversity and breaks it down in a clear manner that young children will understand. The book ends with a call to action encouraging readers to speak up to save the elephants and our environment. Back matter includes a glossary, author's note, bibliography and suggested resources. Pair If Elephants Disappeared with No Monkeys, No Chocolate by Melissa Stewart.

Visit the publisher's site to preview pages from the book.

The Lost Forest by Phyllis Root;

The Lost Forest

by Phyllis Root; Illustrations by Betsy Brown

University of Minnesota Press. 2019

All ages

Resembling a well-loved journal, brown with age, Root and Brown tell the story of a 144 acre old growth forest that stayed hidden from 1882 to 1958. Seventy-six years. 

“In 1785 the Continental Congress passed a law to survey all the land in the new nation. Native people had lived and hunted, harvested and fished on the land for thousands of years. The land took care of them, and they took care of the land. But the government of the United States wanted their land, wanted that land to own and sell.” 

Josiah R. King, with his three-man crew, were hired in 1882 to survey three townships in Minnesota. Working in Township 150. Range 27. Section 34 on a cold November day, King marked Coddington Lake about a half a mile farther north than it really was. Were they in a hurry to get home?  

“There is no Pine Timber in the township.” As forests were destroyed all around, along with animals, bugs, insects, orchids and birds that nested in the trees, for seventy-six years no one ventured into Township 150. Range 27. Section 34. 

Those red and white pine trees just grew taller and taller. Happily, now that 114 acres of forest is part of a National Forest. Hopefully, protected forever.

Root expertly weaves into the narrative a lesson in history and environmental science. Brown’s lush illustrations, in hues of brown and greens, are beautiful. 

Back matter includes information on what an old growth forest is, where to see one in Minnesota, and a list of some species one might find in Lost Forty. An explanation on how land is measured, a glossary of surveyor words, and what a surveyor wears rounds out this interesting informational title.

The Lost Forest is a reminder to all that the natural world is more important left alone than paved into a parking lot. 

Plenty to love in this book.

To write this review, I borrowed the book from my local public library.

The Frog Book

The Frog Book
by Steve Jenkins and Robin Page
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2019
Grades PreK-3

After publishing dozens of science picture books featuring various animals, Steve Jenkins and Robin Page give readers a glimpse into the fascinating world of frogs. The survey book packs a lot of information into 33 pages.

The first page is an interesting introduction to frogs. Did you know frogs live on every continent except Antarctica? The book then focuses on rare species such as the ornate horned frog, tomato frog, and waxy monkey frog.

A two-page spread illustrates the physical features of frogs using scientific terminology. Bold, cut and torn paper collage illustrations depict the various species of frogs. My personal favorite is the front view of the Amazon horned frog on page 21. Near the end of the picture book, the authors describe dangers facing frogs today including pollution, climate change, and loss of habitat.

The Frog Book is sure to be a hit with readers who like learning about amphibians, and it may even give readers a new admiration for the importance of frogs in our environment. Math and science-minded readers will have a great time poring over the table featured on the final two pages of the book. Each frog from the book is listed with information about size, diet and location.

The Woolly Monkey Mysteries: The Quest to Save a Rain Forest Species
by Sandra Markle
Millbrook Press, 2019
Grades 3-6

Sandra Markle takes readers deep in the rainforests of Peru where the woolly monkeys make their homes. The elusive woolly monkeys act as gardeners in the rain forest where they eat fruit and spread seeds in their waste along the floor of the forest.

The book focuses on the work of scientists studying the impact of woolly monkeys on the rainforest as well as the effects of deforestation on the monkeys.

Scientist Andrew Whitmorth started a project using camera traps, cameras with infrared sensors, to observe the woolly monkeys. Whitmorth and his team use harnesses and gear to climb high into the rainforest canopy to install the camera traps. The layout of the book is a strength. A combination of photographs, diagrams and maps provide readers with information about the woolly monkeys, the rainforest and the work of scientists. Text is accessible and is chunked into sections for to elementary readers. The back matter encourages readers to become "science detectives" by going into nature to observe squirrels in trees.

Other science mystery books by Markle include:
Snowy Owl Invasion
The Search for Olinguito
The Case of the Vanishing Little Brown Bats

Superlative Birds- Blog Tour

Superlative Birds
by Leslie Bulion
illustrated by Robert Meganck
Peachtree, 2019
Grades K-6

We are pleased to take part in the Superlative Birds blog tour today!

What better way to introduce children to the special features of birds than through poetry? Superlative Birds incorporates facts about birds and their unique traits into poetic form. Each poem just begs to be read aloud.

Eighteen different birds with special traits are featured in the informational picture book including the peregrine falcon (fastest), barn owl (most accurate hearing), red-billed quells (most numerous), and northern jacana (longest toes). A science note written in expository form accompanies each poem and provides readers with more details about the bird and its features. Meganck's digital, cartoon-style illustrations add a sense of whimsy and humor to the subject. Don't skip the back matter; that's where Bulion includes information about the poetry styles used in the poems for each bird.

If you're looking for a new book to add to your Poetry Month read aloud repertoire, you should pick up a copy of Superlative Birds today!

Borrowing Bunnies

Borrowing Bunnies: A Surprising True Tale of Fostering Rabbits 
by Cynthia Lord
photographs by John Bald
illustrations by Hazel Mitchell
Farrar Straus Giroux, 2019
Grades PreK-3

Cynthia Lord has made a name for herself as the award-winning author of middle grade fiction including Rules and Touch Blue. She also penned the popular picture book series, Hot Rod Hamster and the Shelter Pet Squad chapter book series.

I was intrigued last year the I read that Lord was working on a nonfiction picture book with her husband, photographer John Bald. If you follow Lord on social media or have attended one of her author events, you know that she has a soft spot for animals. Borrowing Bunnies is the first person account of what it's like to foster rabbits placed with Lord's family from an animal shelter. The narrative focuses on Benjamin and Peggotty, a pair of Netherland Dwarf bunnies fostered by Lord's family. It wasn't long before Peggotty gave birth to four baby bunnies. Can you say cuteness overload?

Bald's adorable, close-up photographs show the bunnies sleeping, eating and exploring the house. After the baby bunnies were born, Lord invited local illustrators to visit her home to sketch and paint the bunnies. The illustrations painted by Hazel Mitchell during her visit are placed thoughtfully throughout the book.  After reading Lord's account of caring for a family of bunnies, many children will want to foster bunnies of their own. However, the final two-page spread  gives readers some advice and questions to answer and consider before bringing a new pet into the home.

Borrowing Bunnies is sure to fly off the shelves in libraries, and it's the perfect gift book for young pet levers. It would also make a wonderful read aloud, but be aware that one of the baby bunnies doesn't survive. Teachers could use Borrowing Bunnies as a mentor text for helping young students craft their own personal narrative stories.

Like a Lizard

Like a Lizard
by April Pulley Sayre
illustrated by Stephanie Laberis
Boyds Mill Press, 2019
Grades PreK-2

Dedicated to "all the lizards and all the librarians," April Pulley Sayre's latest nonfiction poetry picture book introduces very young readers to a variety of unique lizards. Each page poses a question to the reader using active verbs.

Can you...

Swoop like a lizard?
Scoop like a lizard?
Dip your dewlap like a lizard?

Bold, digital illustrations depict lizards eating, swimming, dashing, and lunging. Illustrations are labeled to indicate the type of lizards. The colorful illustrations, poetic writing style and intriguing lizards make this an exciting nonfiction read aloud to share during preschool storyline. Children who want to learn more about each lizard should turn to the back matter for a list of lizards featured in the book along with the location, length and a description.