In the WORLD OF WHALES: An Incredible Vicarious Experience

 Sperm whales were hunted to the brink of extinction. Now, more than forty years after regulation, they are still a rare and endangered species. All whales inspire awe and amazement at their size, intelligence, and mystery. Sperm whales are the subject of this remarkable picture book, but its account of this actual, documented experience is really a book about WONDER. Wonder beyond our general knowledge of whales. WONDER. linked to a specific and brief experience that changed a lifetime.

NEAL PORTER BOOKS, 2025

IN THE WORLD OF WHALES is written by Michelle Cusolito and illustrated by Jessica Lanan. I've read and appreciated many other astonishing and revealing picture books about whales (HERE, HERE, among others). Each account, each revelation leaves me with that sense of wonder, as well as increased awareness of enormous gaps in my personal knowledge of whales. I am grateful for nonfiction picture books like these that convey so much in such a compact, compelling, and memorable form. 

In this case the author's note reveals that her choice of voice was intentional. TWO free-dive partners submerge  together, practicing the safe steps and training that allowed them to experience and share so much of life beneath the surface. The narrative makes the partnership clear, as do the illustrations. Despite that, as these immersive (no joke intended)  and stunning events unfold, the narrative voice accomplishes an impressive revelation of a single diver as he witnesses and actually interacts following the rare event of a sperm whale birth. The experiences were fully recorded, but even after watching several of their remarkable videos I found this picture book was able to include me in the experience in a more powerful way.

Even a summary of this book is impressive. Free divers and their crew notice a clan of sperm whales that suddenly submerge. The divers with cameras enter the deep, seeing a circle of sperm whales surrounding a mother whale as she has recently given birth. Dependent on repeated surfacing and dive cycles, the divers manage to convey their interest without intrusion, mimicking the fluid movement patterns of whales. In successive pages readers share those observations and patterns, the whales' tolerance and then acceptance of human presence at this most vulnerable of moments. After the final resurface, the divers leave, forever changed.  A double spread scientific drawing of a sprem whale with annotated labels is informative and intriguing, followed by two more pages about free diving and whales, books and resources. One final turn provides a breathtaking photographic image as well as notes by both the author and the illustrator. 

Both narrative and illustrations provide readers with a sense of participation. The narrative pattern makes the vulnerability of free diving real by dividing this overall event into segments of holding one's breath. The diver lifts his backside and plunges deeply, observes, then returns to the surface to breathe out-breathe in-return to the deep. In each case I sensed the compulsion to stay under longer, the lungs demanding air, the frustration of turning away from a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. The illustrations are so watery, wistful, and wondrous that I held my breath between those resurfacing pages. Perspective and relative size played a part in the drama, but so did the text that manages to convey a multi-sensory engagement, including the clicks and vibrations, the varied pitch and the manner of approach of the whales to these tiny creatures, these human observers. The text is careful not to assign emotions or meanings to the actions of the whales, but does suggest potentials. 

When anyone is asked about moments in life that change them forever, a birth in the family often makes the list, usually leads it. That's true for mothers, fathers, grandparents, and more. The birth of any new life is a jaw-dropping experience, from litters of puppies to calves and even to the emergence of a monarch butterfly from its chrysalis. In this case, though, the undeniable intelligence, community, and communication among and from this clan of whales is all the more impressive since it has never before been directly witnessed by humans. 

Don't miss out on your chance to experience it yourself.  

If you are on Facebook or Instagram, you may want to subscribe to FRED BUYLE's feeds to view more videos of this and other wonders of undersea life. Unless we fill our knowledge gaps, and increase our wonder-capacity, regulation alone will not insure their preservation.

THE CRANE and the KEEPER- A keeper of a Picture Book!

 One advantage of living so many years is that much of what a young person might think of as history are actual events and patterns that shaped my life. Memory for such things is easier (at least for now) for lived experiences than for randomly memorized and unemotional facts and dates. As I have recently considered while researching a nonfiction writing project, our mid-century roller coaster ride of technological advances with seemingly miraculous laborsaving results were having subtle-to-catastrophic side-effects. Anchor species like bald eagles and timberwolves were nearly poisoned or hunted to extinction, air pollution was shortening life expectancies on a global scale, addictive tobacco smoking sparked cancerous increases despite tasty filters. The examples of such realizations are staggering. 

Changes were made through the accumulated political and public pressure to save our resources, and, in doing so, to save ourselves and next generations. 

As I view current digital, AI, and smart-technology innovations that also promise wondrous changes in our (nearly immediate) futures, my lived memory of that pattern from the past gives me pause, but also hope. I mention all that because I was living just an easy ride from Baraboo, Wisconsin where the International Crane Foundation pioneered ways to preserve the nearly-extinct sandhill crane population and restored them to natural migration and reproduction patterns. That is only one example from that tumultuous ecological recovery period.

SMITHSONIAN KIDS/Candlewick, 2025

Going back only a few weeks, I posted a review of Susanne Kaufmann's BLUE!  That recent book showcased a magical-realism relationship between a young character and a blue heron. Their mutual appreciation and celebration of each other made me smile before I even opened the cover and I continue to smile whenever I think of the book. 

Cranes are visually obvious cousins of herons, with many similar elements in their appearance and in patterns of behavior. THE CRANE AND THE KEEPER, written by Meeg Pincus and illustrated by Gillian Eilidh O'Mara offers a similarly magical relationship between bird and human, but one depicting informatively accurate, real-world events. 

We meet WALNUT, a twenty-four year old white-naped crane on the opening spreads, where we learn immediately that she presents a major challenge. She has lived in (and been shuffled among) many zoos, all in hopes of breeding her with others of her kind before their genes disappear from the planet. WALNUT, despite being a delightfully clever, curious and healthy bird, wanted nothing to do with any of the few cranes of her species. 

She was kidnapped from her nest as an infant and deeply imprinted on humans. That's a sign she was treated well, but that poor choice activated an identity reaction not uncommon in birds. Imprinting makes them believe that they are the same species as the first beings who care for them. In this case, Walnut thought she was human.

The Smithsonian's National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute (NZCBI), located in Virginia, agreed to take on the challenge with a newly-hired keeper, Chris Crowe. As a boy, his parents took him to Yellowstone National Park where he viewed a most magnificent animal-- a bison. After hearing of their near extinction, Chris reached a firm conclusion that guides him throughout his career: 

"If humans harm wildlife species, then humans must save them."

Chris, only a few years older than WALNUT when he first met her, needed to be able to convince Walnut that he was her mate. She was far too old to un-imprint or avoid that process with techniques eventually developed that disguise human keepers as adult cranes so that imprinting won't occur. Instead, Chris would need Walnut to want to mate with him, to lay an egg that would preserve her species. 

The ensuing pages are every bit as delightful as BLUE! in that Chris and Walnut engage in courtship dances, offerings of treats, and a years-long mutual trust-building. That process taught Chris what Walnut wanted in the way of foods and nesting while Walnut gained trust that Chris was always going to return, even if absent for periods of time due to work trips. In time Walnut welcomed Chris's attention and could be injected without distress, growing and laying her egg. Because imprinted cranes have no parenting experiences, Walnut's egg was taken to be raised by an adult crane pair. Walnut was given a substitute. That, too, required some innovative problem-solving before she settled into her role. 

Despite my impulse to share even more details about the years of success that followed, I will hope that this summary urges you to get the book and read it through for yourself. You'll also find valuable and engaging back master and resources for further investigation of the topic. The narrative for this remarkable account spans years and global issues of consequence, but is appealing and kid-friendly. The illustrations will fascinate and entertain. The reference to breeding is young-age friendly, allowing as much or as little further discussion as adult companions prefer. 

The timing on this book couldn't be more perfect. National Parks are a treasure and inspiration source that MUST be fully staffed and funded. Who knows what family trip might inspire another child (yours?) to rescue a species from extinction? The Smithsonian institutions, including the NZCBI, serve our nation and each one of us, even when we are unaware of the work they do. We need to be more aware, of course, and more outspoken in their defense. To learn more about the origins and mission of our National Museum system, explore the history of its establishment and mission here- launched with NO tax dollars.

Support from each one of us matters. We need to learn and encourage full understanding of our history, in science and in all things, to assure a safe, honest, and improving future for next generations. "Conservation" applies to more than raw resources or even species. It applies to our humanity and heritage. Speak up. 

ARMANDO'S ISLAND: Trust Your Values

 

CREATIVE EDITIONS, 2023

Author Marsha Diane Arnold has produced another sure-to-be-classic picture book, ARMANDO'S ISLAND,  whose narrative and illustrations will entrance readers of any age. The cover itself is an invitation to immerse ourselves in the incomparable home of flora, fauna, and a young character who is wise beyond his years.

Readers first meet Armando as he breaks the fourth wall by aiming his gaze at YOU, the reader, who has found him in his home. Arnold's direct yet lyrical text incorporates accurate rainforest terms and descriptions, nestled within a heart-tugging fictional tale about the power of purpose in Armando's life. By connecting so strongly with readers through text and images, they, too, will experience that purpose. Rich with sensory detail, even though written as a third person narrative, the unfolding text channels Armando's daily life so intimately that it opens readers to sensing "the leaves crunching beneath him", "mud squishing between toes", and the intimate connection he feels to this leafy refuge.

From the pre-narrative note about Armando's responsibility for a specific small tract within the rainforest, to the title page art which gently frames his home in a heart-shaped form, the mood is set to fall in love with the rainforest and root for everything Armando loves. Even before the main text begins.

Within the first few page turns we note that Armando has grown from a boy to a young man who treasures those early years of his life and the ways in which the rainforest continues to offer him peace and security. He (through the high-stakes text) perceives whirring chainsaws, rumbling trucks, flames, and other ominous signs closing in from all directions. This raises the stakes for him and for readers. Within single lines of text, various creatures "no longer..." (text describes typical behaviors), providing information about rainforest inhabitants while sustaining emotional investment and growing concern for their welfare.

In a classic "storymagician" approach, three sets of "others" make their ways to Armando to offer every conceivable option in exchange for his increasingly isolated "island" of rainforest. In each case Armando considers, respectfully, but declines. In each case, surrounding parcels that are lost to development lead creatures from those areas to take refuge within Armando's territory. The conclusion does not surprise, in terms of Armando's choices or the resulting effect on the wildlife. Instead it affirms and reassures readers. If anything manages to suspend belief it is that his rights and wishes prevailed, since that is so seldom the case when money and power are involved. This, though, merits our trust and confidence, since a single read-through will leave us with shock and chagrin that ANYONE would destroy such a treasure. I can't imagine anyone reading this book only once. EVERYONE must move through cynicism to believe, and HOPE, as Armando does, that the siren song of rainforest awareness might one day reawaken in those who have lost sight of what has real value. 

Back matter provides brief paragraphs about some of the animals whose presence and behaviors appear within the narrative. 

I can't resist spending some moments on the incredibly skilled and beguiling illustrations of Anne Yvonne Gilbert.  The intricate details, layered lives, emotional energy, and delightful demeanors that weave themselves into each scene invite readers to experience indirectly as many elements of a rainforest habitat as those who live within it. Any single spread could be displayed as a work  of art, yet the shifting perspectives, maturing Armando, distressed and desperate animals, and determined intruders contribute immensely to the page-turning power of this story. Although I often insist on not having favorites among many decades of picture book loves, I will always include Lynne Cherry's THE GREAT KAPOK TREE: A Tale of the Rainforest among my "Best of ALL Time" listings. (Clarion Books, 2000). If you haven't read it, please do, and consider "voicing" the animals who speak in the boy's dream in ways that mirror their natural sounds. Feel the urgency of those desperate KAPOK TREE residents as they beg for protection of their singular, remarkable home. It, too, is a sort of island of survival within a rainforest. 

ARMANDO'S ISLAND stands strong and proud in the long wake of this classic picture book. It offers just as much allure and emotional depth while informing and inviting participation by the reader in important decisions about the preservation of the rainforest. In this case, the animals speak only through their compelling expressions and natural impulse to seek survival within a shrinking habitat. Armando is wide awake to the reality of what is being offered to him and what the consequences of his choices would mean. This new offering, like Cherry's more fanciful account, is informational fiction at its best.

Aramano's Island is available for preorder HERE.  I am grateful to Marsha Diane Arnold for agreeing to respond to several questions and will share our conversation in a future post on August 8, the release date. I hope you'll check in to see what she has to say about writing this remarkable text. 

More Terrific CYBILS AWARDS Nominees: Focus On Nature!

Neal Porter Books
Imprint of Holiday House, 2022

I'll admit to jumping the "ready for spring" gun here, but A SEED GROWS hits exactly the right note for me, even while looking out the window at residues of snow on the ground. Written and illustrated by the very talented Antoinette Portis, this is certain to become a classic among picture book collections regarding seeds/plants, at home and in classrooms. Remember, too, that this is a perfect time to plant some seeds in a sunny window and plan on how and where they may eventually make their way outdoors with a head start on other plants and seeds!

Here's what I had to say about it on Goodreads:

"This is a delightful, colorful approach to the basic information about how seeds grow and develop. it is also lyrical and invites audiences to participate and retell the essential information as well as providing appealing passages and lines. 

An asset for direct instruction and also mentor writing for young learners and appealing to any age."

Beaming Books, 2022

Next is a timely title as we hear heartbreaking news of destructive floods and extreme weather in various parts of this country and around the world. THE TREE OF HOPE: The Banyan Tree that Inspired a Community to Stand Tall is written by Anna Orenstein-Cordona and illustrated by Juan Manuel Moreno. This nonfiction account of an ancient banyan  tree on the island of Puerto Rico is based on documented events involving a specific tree and the community who love it. 

The author only provides a slight nod to personification by using the pronouns"he/him/his" in some language referencing this tree. After growing on a public slope for more than one hundred years, the worst hurricane in the island's history, Maria, nearly resulted in its destruction. The decisions and perseverance of community actions that saved it is impressive in its own right, but also provides an analogy for the countless ways in which every aspect of island lives and communities and infrastructure have continued to be rebuilt. Resilience at its best.

This is a gorgeous and uplifting story, specific to an actual, particular tree and community, but also revealing a general approach to nature and the value of preserving and protecting our environment.

Candlewick, 2022

My final featured title in this post is THE POEM FOREST: Poet W. S. Merwin and the Palm Tree Forest He Grew from Scratch, written by Carrie Fountain and illustrated by Chris Turnham. This is a revelation and celebration of a former poet laureate whose respect for nature and humanity resulted in the largest and most diverse palm forest anywhere, and then gave the entire project away for permanent conservancy.

This was a pleasure to read on so many levels. I repeated reading it several times and shared it with others. Merwin is an undeniably gifted poet with adult credentials in that field that are undebatable. Yet I'd dare to suggest that what he accomplished in this decades-long project aimed at the reclamation/restoration/conservation of lands and plant species (especially endangered varieties of palms) is an accomplishment beyond measure. 

The author managed to write prose text with lyrical elements. The comparison of wild spaces being "straightened" out of existence, or damaged into wastelands, makes a potent impact and is figurative language that will resonate with young readers, especially those whose view of the world is a wiggly, winding one.

That's it for this post, but I leave you with some superb choices to explore and, I hope, a persistent itch to make something grow green!

I Think That I Shall Never See... TREES Like These! (Nodding to Joyce Kilmer, Here)

If you've been reading my posts in past years, you'll have noted my fondness for books involving nature, especially trees. A few previous reviews can be found HERE, HERE, and HERE. With a record-breaking hot, dry season upon us, trees have been in the news, both as shelter and atmosphere-saving as well as becoming endangered by ever-worsening climate change. It's always a good time to share picture books about trees, but this is an especially ideal time to develop deep appreciation for the lengthy and complex processes involved as trees grow from seed to maturity.

Candlewick, 2021

To start at the very beginning, as a familiar song lyric says, is a very good place to start. That advice finds a clever iteration in ZEE GROWS A TREE, written by Elizabeth Rusch and illustrated by Will Hillenbrand. The long spans of time required to grow from sprout to mature tree are made more relatable by linking fictional Zee Cooper's birth (into a tree-farming family) with the very day when a Douglas Fir seedling sprouts in its pot. Children can recognize their own growth landmarks and developmental changes in Zee's patterns over time, as well as empathizing with her deep love and commitment to her tree. As with people, including Zee, times can be good AND bad in the lengthy life cycle of a tree.

This is a gentle and relatable fiction story used to reveal the growth patterns of douglas fir trees, loving relationships, and one family's lives as tree farmers. 

This lovely story is enhanced by brief, focused, and non-intrusive  sidebar content on each page, paralleling the needs, growth, and purposes of a tree with the growth patterns of Zee, for whom the tree was planted. 
The subdued and direct story and expository text are perfectly paired with realistic scenes, natural colors, and varying perspectives to give young readers a clear understanding of the science as well as the sentiments portrayed.

On that note, this seemingly fictional picture book incorporates many qualities of nonfiction, beyond the sidebar content. There is a simple index in back matter that points out pages with specific information about aspects of trees, Douglas firs in particular. The brief author note indicates ways in which a holiday evergreen can be enjoyed without having to cut down a healthy living tree, but also pointing out that this business practice can be a sustainable economic option, if managed correctly.

Several suggested readings are offered, and an acknowledgement on the last page indicates experts whose readings and advice contributed to the accuracy of the content. Even the copyright routines are formatted in the shape of a fir tree. All are details worth sharing.

ABRAMS BYR, 2022

A second and equally graceful offering is ALL FROM A WALNUT, written by Ammi-Joan Paquette and illustrated by Felicita Sala. In this case, a walnut tree's life journey is explored through a gift from grandfather, a walnut that appears on Emilia's nightstand. In this case, her age and natural curiosity lead to an ongoing conversation with her aging grandfather, who was once "a little nut like you", but living far across a distant ocean. 

In the course of their discussions Emilia learns that one of the towering trees in her yard grew from her grandfather's traveling-from-home walnut, and the second tree, also tall but not yet fully grown, grew from a walnut given to her mother at about the same age as Emilia is now. 

With gentle but evocative  illustrations, this multi-generational story is both loving and intense, incorporating the struggles of immigration, patience, grief, and hope. The closing scenes are both satisfying and stimulating, offering a spark to imagine how many more generations of life can be found in the lifetime of a tree, walnut by walnut.

Both picture books are rich  in detail, wrapping meaningful information in heartfelt stories. Both are adeptly illustrated to reveal both immediate emotions and relationships over time, allowing young readers to connect with  those years passing in a personal way. Both invite young readers to examine the details within the art, including subtle insights to changing seasons and surroundings along with botanical aspects and observations of trees. Both, in my opinion, will spark curiosity and appreciation of the magical reality of trees, both the science and the storytelling within their long lives. 

And BOTH are wonderful picture books that just might serve to launch similar traditions within families you know and love.

Here's LOOKING At You, Margaret Lowman!

 When a picture book hits the sweet spot of my admiration radar, I'm on board before even opening the cover. In this case the author (Heather Lang), genre (biography), subject fields (rainforests and environmental issues), meeting someone new (Margaret Lowman), and inspiring young readers to activism are combined in a book that has me cheering.

Calkins Creek
Imprint of Boyds Mills & Kane 2021

I hope this picture book will do the same for you, and that you'll join me in singing its praises and sharing it widely. THE LEAF DETECTIVE: How Margaret Lowman Uncovered Secrets in the Rainforest is written by Heather Lang and illustrated by Jana Christy. It's hard for me to imagine anyone who is not a fan of the rainforest, and anyone who doesn't have a strong impulse toward both curiosity and concern when that subject is mentioned.

 

Before the main text begins, a quotation by Margaret "Canopy Meg: Lowman is showcased on its own page:

"We are PART of our ecosystem, not outside it."

With that quotation and nickname as my introduction to this pioneering rainforest scientist, the author follows with a full spread that anchors a pattern of three things I especially enjoyed and admired: revealing Meg's emotional inner life, including a significant quotation that summarizes specific elements of her biography, and brief science information displayed on a lower corner "leaf" inset on most pages. In the case of this first spread, Meg has spent two decades focused on leaves: thinking, reading studying, researching, hypothesizing about rainforest canopy leaves and ecosystems, but frustrated that no one had ever reached that biome directly.

It's a tricky challenge for a biographer to engage young readers with the adult lifestory of noteworthy folks, with many authors following a cradle-to-grave sequence, launching the "hook" of the childhood years on the first page. In this case, Lang's  opening spread plants adult Meg at the base of a towering rainforest canopy tree with a sense of her pent up frustration about finding a way "UP". What child can't identify with that feeling?

The page turn then draws readers into Meg as a child, a painfully shy, studious girl who "wrapped herself in nature like a soft blanket". That quote is Lang's lovely text, which lands on this spread among colorful and sketchy images of Meg observing, collecting, preserving, and viewing her own backyard leaves from an eye-level tree house, all of which foreshadow the life she would eventually lead. 

The propulsive text and  active images as Meg enters adulthood sustain a sense of her determination and persistence that she developed in her youthful sense of purpose, her physicality and adventuresome approach to direct investigation and science. Despite the voices and forces of convention: "You can't do this. You're a woman. Women don't climb trees", Meg did. Just as in her childhood, she respected her inner voice. She steadily developed the science behind her insight that trees rely on defenses, like toxins and nettles and thorns and poisons, to preserve their lives, and that those very adaptations might be of value to humans, too. She was also increasingly aware of the local and corporate destructive forces that threatened rainforest ecosystems that had been centuries in the making and were disappearing by the minute.

Meg's childhood fascination with leaves, and the ways in which leaves fed and served other life forms, continued as the central driving force for her observations and investigations. Her early attempts at tree climbing and direct observation eventually led to collaborations that improved study for herself and others, that allowed eco-tourists to visit rainforest canopies on elevated walkways.She helped develop ways to establish "emergent layer rafts" as a base to gain, literally, a bird's eye view of life at the top of a rainforest. 

The concluding pages include a photo of Meg, grinning directly at the reader while hanging from a rope sling on the side of a canopy tree. This is followed by a glorious double spread labeled RAINFOREST MAGIC, which requires reorienting the book to a vertical display. That reveals the labeled ayers of the sub-biomes (forest floor, understory, canopy, and emergent) with brief text, size markers, scaled and labeled lifeforms, and color/shade tones indicating the relative penetration of the sun. The final page turn is a wealth of nonfiction resources, including bibliography, video, Meg Lowman's website (check it out!), and source notes for each and every quotation included. 

I'm well aware that picture books are the result of an amalgamation of extraordinary talent, including the author, illustrator, editor, art director, and many more. In this case the physical book is a victory of design and content, from the vertical trim size with stacked text that suggested the rising components of the rainforest, to the lush and dense illustrations that somehow reflect the nearly blurred impact of packed foliage while managing to reveal specific details, curious characters, and dramatic shifts in perspective and size. 

In my first paragraph I mentioned that author Heather Lang was among one of the attractive factors in my pursuit of this book. I had the privilege of sharing an interview with her in a post that is nearly ten years old now, but her responses remain timeless and made me a fan. Her thorough research and writing style make her books irresistible to young readers (and older ones, like me!). 

Meg's pioneering attitude about the significance and value of the rainforest follows a direct course from her childhood personality and interests, The result of her self-acceptance and self-direction have been a lifetime pursuit that has sparked global studies, preservation movements, and improved lives for rainforest residents. This is a book for anyone at any age, but especially for kids who may not see themselves as "fitting in" but will be inspired by Meg's example.

Animal Humor in an Awesome Blend of Fact and Fiction

 Quick Covid 19 anchor in time:

The status of "spread" or "flattening" of the virus varies in different regions of the country, but our nation's overall numbers keep climbing. Some kids will resume physical or virtual school, some families are working virtually or leaving home as essential public workers, and some are out of work and struggling with the financial stresses of that situation (with governmental supports currently expired and little sign of restoration). Whatever your local circumstances are, please stay safe and well, and show others the respect of keeping public spaces as safe as possible.

I have been seeing sidewalk chalk for sale in every possible location as I make my way during essential trips into retail spaces for medicines, foods, and hardware. The pandemic and protests for Black Lives Matter and racial justice seem to have heightened the creative impulse in kids and adults. That reminded me of a breathtaking picture book I am overdue to feature. 

Henry Holt and Company, 2019

HANDIMALS: Animals in ART and NATURE includes nonfiction text by Silvia Lopez and mind-boggling  body art by Guido Daniele. The artist's mission is to call attention to the plight of endangered animals by showcasing their distinctive beauty, behaviors and adaptations on an unusual platform. In this book the text provides informative and engaging details about particular animals, tucked on each broad-layout double-page spread between bookends of a vibrantly colored photograph of an actual animal on the left, mirrored by a full-bleed photographic image of the animal Daniele has created  on hand(s), sometimes including arms, shoulders, and multiple individuals.

Interior image- CHAMELEON

The art is so incredible that it takes intense  attention to distinguish the body parts on which the image is painted. I remain in awe of the positioning, texture, and dimensionality of each creature, and, most especially, the eyes. There is helpful thumbnail back matter to augment the scientific content about each species, but I was even more intrigued by Daniele's afterword discussions of how (and why) he works to achieve these images. 

I'll admit I was suffering on behalf of the models as I examined each finished piece, feeling my own hands cramp in sympathy with how long they must have held each position. Daniele's process allows for extensive preparation to avoid that, analyzing and achieving intended positions, taking photographs, sketching/drafting the details, and planning color and detail applications before applying colors to the actual models. Those eyes I so admire in each case are his starting point, he says, and he chooses particular hands/arms/poses to suit the textures and content for various plans. 

How many hands, arms, shoulders do you see?
What connects to what? Whose are whose?

There are added important and intriguing details in that back matter, including that he uses make-up rather than paint, and only natural materials. His dedication for this book is to Jane Goodall, who is pictured with him and her own chimp-painted hand. This amazing book will intrigue and inspire readers of any age, and is an ideal example of  #STEM content being elevated by ART to become #STEAM. This book has been available for some time, but I feel like it is a perfect book for right now. 

GREYSTONE KIDS, September, 2020

A new picture book will be available in September, 2020, and it flips the above approach by using  a delightful FICTION premise to introduce NONFICTION content, sparking research, observation, and comparisons, not to mention some potential art efforts. ANIMALS BRAG ABOUT THEIR BOTTOMS is the inspired work of MAKI SAITO, translated by Brian Bergstrom. The very simple text assumes each animal is, indeed, quite proud of their bottom, with some minimal text reference to similarities, differences, and traits.

interior of some posteriors.

Bottoms of all kinds!

As this final spread indicates, diversity is a virtue, and comparisons are rarely going to make sense. On the other hand, (for pun fans), these two books would benefit by comparison in EVERY way. Whether focused on the front, the whole, or the rear, each animal has characteristics that suit its needs for protection, survival, and habitats. One type of art is complex and precise, while the other is interpretive with softer details. One uses elaborate factual text and images, the other uses simplified fictional text and images, but both inform, invite, and entertain. With a bit of investigation it turns out that both are translations, both have global appeal and both are published in other countries and languages. The appeal is clearly global.

Here's hoping you'll get your hands on HANDIMALS for now, and ANIMALS BRAG ABOUT THEIR BOTTOMS in September.  

Public zoos and museums have been reopening, some with prescheduled attendance and restricted displays. Still, they are open for visiting and direct observation. Wouldn't it be a great idea to make a trip (or more) and use those handy handheld cameras to capture these and other intriguing critters in a variety of positions and with varying expressions? Wouldn't it be fun to create your own art, or even books, adding information discovered through observation and research?