Elem. – Opossums

Andrews, Elizabeth. Twilight Animals. ABDO Books, 2023. 24 p. $21.95 ea. $131.70 Set of 6. Grades K-2. 

Barn Owls. 978-1-098-24205-3. 
Bears.
978-1-098-24206-0.
Bobcats.
978-1-098-24207-7.
Moose.
978-1-098-24208-4.
Opossums.
978-1-098-24209-1.
Skunks. 978-1-098-24210-7.

This reviewer had the opportunity to read Opossums. Opossums are some of nature’s most unique twilight animals. As the sun sets, opossums ready themselves for an evening of eating. They eat anything from insects to vegetables, trash, roadkill, and even poisonous snakes and ticks. This title highlights additional facts about these unique nocturnal animals, including information about their physical characteristics, habitat, and behavior. Large, colorful photographs showcase opossums in their natural surroundings and highlight features such as their paws, ears, and tail. QR codes sprinkled throughout the book offer access to digital resources such as a PBS video about opossums, information about other marsupials, and activities like a word search and a maze. Backmatter includes a section titled “Making Connections” that challenges readers to make text-to-self, text-to-text, and text-to-world connections about opossums. Additional text features include a Table of Contents, Glossary, and Index. 

THOUGHTS: This eye-catching title will draw in the youngest nonfiction fans, and the QR codes add an additional dimension to the title’s simple text. This book will work well for units featuring nocturnal animals or discussions about marsupials or omnivores. 

598-599 Aves (Birds), Mammalia (Mammals)

Elem. – Shall We Dance? 

Page, Robin. Shall We Dance? Beach Lane Books, 2023. 978- 1-665-91605-9. Unpaged. $18.99. Grades 2-3.

In her latest work Page describes the intriguing rituals that creatures from across the Animal Kingdom perform to attract a mate. On each page or double page, a description of the courtship behavior for an animal is presented, accompanied by the illustrator’s signature images. The bold text at the top of the page is a simple two to three word sentence, like “Crabs wave” and “Newts shimmy.” There also is a paragraph in a smaller font that gives more details about that critter’s particular style of attracting attention. Readers might be surprised to learn that most courtship behaviors involve dance or movement, like the tapping finches, prancing sifakas, and waltzing whales. Page uses Adobe Photoshop to create colorful illustrations on a large scale, which will attract young readers.

THOUGHTS: This is another stunning picture book from the Caldecott honoree, who often collaborated with her late husband Steve Jenkins to produce high quality nonfiction for young readers. This book works as a read aloud and the topic is discussed in a manner appropriate for young children. This is a must-have for all elementary collections. Highly recommended.

591.5 Animals – Habits and Behavior

Elem. – Animal Architects

Cherrrix, Amy. Animal Architects. Illustrated by Chrish Sasaki.  Beach Lane Books, 2021. 978-1-534-45625-9. Unpaged. $17.99. Grades K-3.

This charming picture book gives the reader a glimpse into the intricate and wondrous creations of over 12 different animal species across the globe. Some animals work on teams and some on their own to create their unique structures. Each animal is given a four page spread showing the work they do and then the amazing end result of their labors. Includes a bibliography of additional resources on the topic.

THOUGHTS: Could be used in conjunction with a unit on animal homes and habitats to inspire student artwork.

591.56 Ecology          Nancy Summers, Abington SD

Elem. – Summertime Sleepers: Animals that Estivate

Stewart, Melissa. Summertime Sleepers: Animals that Estivate. Charlesbridge, 2021. 978-1-580-89716-7. Unpaged. $16.99. Grades K-3. 

Scientists are still learning about estivation, the opposite of hibernation. Animals that estivate sleep away the summer in cool, sometimes wet, environments while their bodies take a break from warm temperatures. Melissa Stewart provides simple text about estivation that wraps through pages while each two-page spread shows a different estivating animal from around the world. Illustrator Sarah S. Brannan’s watercolor pictures show the estivating animal in their home environment topped with a notebook sketch of the animal; the notebook page also contains the animal’s name, home location, scientific name, and size. Each spread includes a paragraph of information from Stewart. Featured animals include yellow-bellied marmats, Christmas Island red crabs, convergent ladybugs, and more. Excellent, supportive back matter includes more information about featured animals, a section on estivation vs. hibernation, recommended resources, author’s and illustrator’s notes, and selected sources. Front and back endpapers are also beautiful and add excellent visual appeal.

THOUGHTS: Interesting and appealing, suggest this book to animal lovers, kids interested in science, and any reader who enjoys learning about new topics. 

571.7 Animal Biology           Lindsey Long, Lower Dauphin SD