A Visit to a Heronry

Heronry

by Barbara Herkert; illus. by Gordy Wright

40 pages; ages 4-8

Tilbury House Publishers, 2026

themes: birds, animal families, conservation 

Spring dawns at the heronry. 

The first bird arrives.

He lights with large, graceful wings, long stilt-like legs.

Page by page Barbara Herkert introduces us to a heron family, from the first sticks of nest-building through raising chicks to fledglings leaving the nest. The combination of lyrical prose and luscious art make this a wonderful nature narrative for reading to children. Aside from the hungry eagle, the story feels peaceful and nurturing. 

What I like about this book: I like the layered text. One side of each spread features lyrical text in larger print. A text box on the other side contains additional supportive information – perfect for an older kid to read, or from which a parent could choose a fun fact of the day to highlight during a read-aloud. The life-cycle of a heron provides a nice arc for the book, and Gordy Wright’s illustrations provide details that will have kids lingering over the page. Plus there is back matter for curious naturalists of any age, and end pages that will have you dreaming of flight- or at least heron-watching. 

Beyond the Books:

Learn more about Great Blue Herons. Here’s a video from Cornell Lab of Ornithology that shows herons fishing, and here’s their heron page at All About Birds.

Watch a baby heron hatch! Video courtesy of Cornell Lab of Ornithology.

How do you compare to a Great Blue Heron? Herons range from 38-54 inches. How tall are you? Their wingspan stretches from 66-79 inches. How wide is your “wingspan” when you stretch both arms out to the side? 

Do you eat like a heron? Great Blue Herons eat mostly fish! But they also eat frogs, crabs, snakes, grasshoppers and other insects. What’s on your dinner plate?

Today we’re joining Perfect Picture Book Friday. It’s a wonderful gathering where bloggers share great picture books at Susanna Leonard Hill's website. Review copies provided by the publishers.

Sharks in Kansas?

Sharks in Kansas: The Ancient Sea in the Middle of America

by Melissa Stewart; illus. by Becca Stadtlander 

40 pages; ages 4-8

‎Random House Studio, 2026

themes: sharks, prehistoric ocean, nonfiction

Sharks in Kansas? Seems impossible, right? After all, Kansas is smack-dab in the middle of the United States – more than 1,000 miles from the closest ocean…

… and when we think of Kansas we imagine waving fields of wheat, not ocean waves! But here’s the thing: our world hasn’t always looked the way it does now. And Melissa Stewart takes us back in time to 85 million years ago to show us what scientists imagine Kansas looked like, and some of the amazing creatures that lived there. Back then, it was part of a vast interior seaway, with dinosaurs roaming the shores and sharks swimming the deep waters. Many kinds of sharks including the Cretoxyrhina which grew to 26 feet long! (That’s like five of me lined up head to toe!)

What I like about this book:  I love the diversity of sea life that Melissa introduces, with quick facts in sidebars. Not only does she tell what they are, their size, and where they sit on the food chain, she provides a pronunciation guide for each creature. That 26-foot-long shark, for example: kruh-tox-ee-RIE-nuh. Through words and illustrations we see the inland seaway shrink until all that’s left are chalky bluffs filled with coccolithophores and fertile soil beneath which the SHARKS lie! Back matter tells more about the geological changes over time.

Beyond the Books:

What did your state look like 90 million years ago? Check out the ancient earth globe.

Try one of the shark crafts listed at https://craftprojectideas.com/now-trending/shark-week/. I like the “feed the shark” activity myself.

Watch the sharks at the Georgia Aquarium via their “shark-cam”.

How long is a shark? Use chalk to draw a line 26 feet long on a sidewalk (or use a clothesline on a lawn). Have you and your friends lie down end-to-end ... how many of you does it take to make one giant prehistoric shark?

Melissa writes tons of books about science and is a member of the STEAM Team Books group. You can find out more about her at her books at her website https://melissa-stewart.com. You can find more about recently released STEM and STEAM books at www.steamteambooks.com

Today we’re joining Perfect Picture Book Friday. It’s a wonderful gathering where bloggers share great picture books at Susanna Leonard Hill's website. Review copy provided by Blue Slip Media, who graciously shares publisher’s copies with reviewers like me.

Welcome Back ~ Let's Talk Like an Animal!

 Hello! Hola! <uncurl and streeeeetch>

Welcome back from that rather extended summer break. I got busy moving, and am in a new home in a new town in a new environment that I'm exploring on my daily walks. Since those walks involve a dog (my grand-pup) we often end up at the park with other dogs, so I've had plenty of opportunities to observe how these canines meet and greet their friends. So today I'm sharing... 

 

 

 

Say Hello Like an Armadillo: And Other Animal Greetings from Around the World 
by Zewlan Moor; illus. by Karen Obuhanych 
40 pages; ages 4-8
Nosy Crow, 2026 

themes: animal communication, movement, read aloud

People like to say, “Hello!” 

Animals do, too. 

From whales to armadillos, which “hello” is right for you?

If you’ve ever wondered how to greet an elephant or a whale or even an armadillo, then this book is for you. Just like you, animals have their own way of saying “hello” to friends and neighbors. From fin shakes and tongue clicks to waving claws, these animal greetings invite kids to follow along – and maybe even experiment with different ways they can greet their own friends.

 

 

What I like about this book: It’s fun to read, with large-type verbs that will have kids trying out new moves. And, in addition to showing a diversity of animal species, it highlights the diversity kids might find in their friend groups. Plus – there is backmatter that expands on the animal greetings introduced in the read-aloudable text.

Beyond the Books:

If you have a dog or cat living with your family, how do they greet the humans in the family? How do they greet new people coming into the house to visit? And how do they greet other dogs (or cats)? 

Learn how to say “hello” in different languages from around the world. Here’s a video to get you started.

Try some of the animal greetings from the book: click like a whale, stretch like an armadillo, wave like a crab.

Today we’re joining Perfect Picture Book Friday. It’s a wonderful gathering where bloggers share great picture books at Susanna Leonard Hill's website. Review copies provided by the publishers.

Pollinator Pit Stops!

I can't think of a better way to end the week than with this book!

A Pathway for Pollinators 

by Michelle Schaub; illus. by Blanca Gómez 

40 pages; ages 4-8

Norton Young Readers, 2026

themes: ecology, pollinators, plants

Flitter.

Flutter.

Buzz.

Hum.

Come … watch a meadow thrum.

As cities grow, meadows go – where will the pollinators feed? In this book, children work together to create a chain of pollinator pitstops that connect the wild meadows beyond town limits to a city park. From rooftops and window boxes to patches of yard, they sow seeds of native plants that provide what the local insects, birds, and bats need.

What I like about this book: I love the lyrical language Michelle uses to bring us into the world of pollinator corridors. And the text reminds folks to be mindful about the ways we tend the plantings, by avoiding the use of chemicals that harm the pollinators. Back matter discusses why we need pollinators, why the pollinators need us, and the importance of choosing the right plants for a pollinator garden. There’s also a section about the importance of pathways as well as why we want to think about trees and shrubs as part of a pollinator pit stop. From the end pages through the pages, Blanca’s bright images invite us to explore the world of pollinators and their plants.

Beyond the Books:

Make a map of your neighborhood. Put in flowering trees that line the streets, and draw in where  people have planted flowers in gardens or window boxes. Is your neighborhood a good place for pollinators?

Create a pollinator pit stop. If you don’t have space in a yard, consider a 15-inch diameter container for a patio or balcony. Check out the lists of native plants for your region at XERCES 

Go pollinator-watching. You can watch bees or butterflies, hummingbirds, or even bats (in the evening). Keep a list of all the pollinators that live in and visit your neighborhood.

Michelle is a member of the STEAM Team Books group. You can find out more about her at her books at her website www.michelleschaub.com. You can find more about recently released STEM and STEAM books at www.steamteambooks.com

Today we’re joining Perfect Picture Book Friday. It’s a wonderful gathering where bloggers share great picture books at Susanna Leonard Hill's website. Review copies provided by the publishers.

An Underwater Fieldtrip to Seagrass Meadows

 

Meadows of the Sea: The Wonders of Seagrass 
by Michelle Schaub; illus. by Khoa Le 
40 pages; ages 5-8
Sleeping Bear Press, 2026

themes: ocean, animals, ecology
 

Where ocean meets shore, 

beneath the waves, 

vast grasses sway.

If you’re heading to the ocean this summer, you might want to know more about the mysterious wonders of seagrass. They form underwater pastures filled with leaves that twist and curl, billow and bend. Although they’re called “seagrasses” they aren’t really grasses. “They’re underwater flowering plants that evolved from land plants about 100 million years ago,” writes Michelle Shaub. She takes us on an underwater field trip to look in the nooks and crannies of the seagrass meadows, pointing out the fish, turtles, and other marine creatures that live there. 

 

What I like about this book: I love the lyrical language that gently draws you into the underwater environment. I also like that Michelle shows how seagrass meadows are integral to the health of the planet. The plants sequester carbon, produce oxygen, and act as filters to help clean the water. As tough as they are, withstanding wind and waves, the seagrasses suffer from increasingly frequent marine heatwaves and chemical pollution. Fortunately, we can all be seagrass heroes, and Michelle ends with a list of things kids (and adults) can do to help keep the seagrass meadows strong. Back matter includes a closer look at the marine life that call seagrass meadows home, and a glossary. And did I mention that I love the artwork? Illustrator Khoa Le fills the pages with colors of the sea, and the rhythm of the plants swaying in the tide. Her art is informed by her personal observation of sea meadows during free-dives.

Beyond the Books:

Get to know a few kinds of seagrass from the Florida Museum. Draw your favorite one.

If you are at the shore, put on some snorkeling goggles or wade into the water and look down at a patch of seagrass. If you stay still, you might be surprised at what you see. The best places to search are shallow, sheltered places like bays and estuaries, where the sunlight reaches all the way to the sandy bottom. Look for dark green patches of plants.

Check out Michelle’s activity guide for a Seagrass matching game, writing a poem, and how to be a Seagrass Hero (and more!) at her website, www.michelleschaub.com/meadows. Click on the “download here” button.

Michelle is a member of the STEAM Team Books group. You can find out more about her at her books at her website www.michelleschaub.com. You can find more about recently released STEM and STEAM books at www.steamteambooks.com

Today we’re joining Perfect Picture Book Friday. It’s a wonderful gathering where bloggers share great picture books at Susanna Leonard Hill's website. Review copies provided by the publishers.

What do you DO with a 40-pound Cabbage?

 

The Cabbage Seed's Colossal Secret
by Karen M. Greenwald; illus. by Alejandra Ruiz 
40 pages; ages 4-8
Tilbury House Publishers, 2026

themes: garden, food, community

If someone gives you a tiny seed, you’ll want to plant it in a secret spot.

When a child plants a tiny seed, she wonders what secrets it will reveal. She waters it and nurtures it and the tiny plant grows and grows and grows until it is huge! What does a kid do with a 40-pound cabbage?

What I like about this book: If you’ve ever grown a cabbage, then you know just how large they can grow! I like how Karen Greenwald shows her character, Katie wondering, and watching, and then realize that she might have to do arm-strengthening exercises in order to harvest the cabbage! And then how she dreams of what she can possibly do with such a huge vegetable… and eventually how this one girl’s dream of feeding people turned into a charity that encourages people to grow food for hunger relief programs. 

 

Backmatter tells more about Katie’s Krops and has some practical guidelines for how kids can nurture goodness in their own gardens.

Beyond the Books:

How many things can you do with a cabbage? Sure, you can turn it into coleslaw and sauerkraut, but there must be other things? Buy a cabbage and experiment with recipes!

Plant a seed – something you like to eat. And then watch it grow. Document its growth by drawing pictures or taking photos and measuring it. If you only have a small space, look for veggies that can grow in containers.

Find out more about Katie’s Krops, and see if there are similar programs in your area. Our town has community raised bed gardens behind the food pantry, and when people don’t need everything they grow, they donate it to the pantry.

In a couple weeks, on June 24, Karen’s joining a bunch of us to chat about writing agriculturally-related books over at the GROG blog. She is also a member of the STEAM Team Books group. You can find out more about her at her books at her website www.karengreenwald.com You can find more about recently released STEM and STEAM books at www.steamteambooks.com

Today we’re joining Perfect Picture Book Friday. It’s a wonderful gathering where bloggers share great picture books at Susanna Leonard Hill's website. Review copy provided by the publisher.

Dive into the World of Aquatic Insects

 

 

When You See Us: The Mysterious World of Aquatic Insects 
by Katherine Hocker; illus. by Svabhu Kohli 
32 pages; ages 3-7
Candlewick, 2026

themes: nature, insects, water
 

 We are born on the sides of boulders or under leaf skeletons, in the waving stems of water moss or on a pond’s rippling skin.

Spread by spread, Katherine Hocker takes us on a field trip into the mysterious and fascinating world of aquatic insects. We learn where they hide, what they eat, and how they move.

 

What I like about this book: The language is luscious and lyrical and so inviting that you almost forget this is a factual look at aquatic insects. For example, because they have exoskeletons, the larvae need to molt (shed their skin) as they grow. Katherine writes that they eat and grow “…until we split open like flower buds…” which is such a cool way to think about underwater bugs. The illustrations are wonderful, capturing the feel of these insect lives both as aquatic larvae and as adults that fly through the air. And I love the back matter, where readers can learn more about the insects, and how to get a closer look at them in real life.

Katherine was one of the featured authors at the Sixth Annual GROG Arthropod Roundtable on Earth Day 2026, and you can find out more about her book – and her love for bugs – here. 

Beyond the Books:

Go water-bug watching. Stand or sit in a comfortable (and safe) spot next to a stream, lake, or pond. Then focus your eyes on a stick or stone beneath the water’s surface and gaze around. Soon you’ll see things crawling, swimming, or wriggling in the water.

Draw a picture of one (or more) insects you find living in the water.

Watch how aquatic insects move. Take a shallow white tub and a cup to a pond. Collect some pond water in the tub. Then scoop up any insects you find on or under the water’s surface. Watch how they move their legs, whether they twirl or dive… and write down some words to describe what you notice. Then put everyone back where they belong.

Today we’re joining Perfect Picture Book Friday. It’s a wonderful gathering where bloggers share great picture books at Susanna Leonard Hill's website. Review copy provided by the publisher.
https://susannahill.com/blog/

Books for Sleepy Time

Today I’m sharing two perfect picture books to read at bedtime. The first is brand new, and the second – well, we’re tossing confetti and passing out cupcakes to celebrate its One Year Birthday!

Themes:  nature, bedtime, poetry

 

Northwoods Lullaby 
by Mary Casanova; illus. by Jordan Sundberg
32 pages; ages 0-8
Univ of Minnesota Press, 2026

It’s time to sing a lullaby,
a pine bough swaying lullaby, 
a lady’s slipper lullaby …
a lullaby for you.

From loons to foxes, bear cubs to peepers, this book takes readers on a gentle evening walk through the Northwoods. The poetry is rhythmic, soft, and soothing, and too soon the walk ends and we’re being tucked into bed.

 

 

 What I like about this book: I picked up this book because of the nature connection: Northwoods animals! That would have been enough, but there’s the lyrical language. The words beg to be sung to a lullaby tune – and indeed, when you go to the publisher’s website there is a link to listen to it. Then there is the art! Jordan Sundberg’s collage illustrations capture the softness of a lullaby, and the stillness of a frog pond as spring unfurls. She used a combination of physical and digital tools – scanning her watercolor washes, ink splatters, and even fabrics (for the texture) into her computer and then layering them into the illustration. 

 

 

This Is Not My Bed! 
by Jennifer Dupuis; illus. by Carol Schwartz     
32 pages; ages 4-8
Tilbury House Publishers, 2025

 

Time for bed. Here is my polka-dot pillow, but what is under my blanket? Sharp sticks, mushy mud, loads of logs…

No thank you! That is not MY bed! Page by page this young camper looks at different styles of beds, from a spider web to an eagle’s nest, from a coyote den to a woodchuck’s burrow. Jennifer Dupuis provides lists of bedding materials, some crunchy, some hard as a rock until our camper finally finds a happy ending.

What I like about this book: After reading – and loving – Jennifer’s earlier book, This is Not My Lunchbox, I knew I had to read this one. I was not disappointed. The fact is, no matter what sort of animal we are, we need a safe and cozy spot to sleep. I like how Jennifer compares different nesting/sleeping spots and shows that what’s comfy for one animal may not be the right place for another. And I love the attitude that shines through with the repeated statement: “I will NOT sleep here! This is not my bed!” I also like the way she uses the page turn to give kids an opportunity to guess who might sleep in such a spot before revealing it on the next spread. A fun good-night read with a dash of science.

Beyond the Books:

Listen to the Northwoods Lullaby, sung as a lullaby and listen to Jordan talk about creating illustrations at the University of Minnesota Press website.

Go to a spot of nature for an evening listening walk. What animals do you hear? In my neighborhood this month we were hearing birds singing their good night songs, and night-active frogs (and owls) singing out their “hello, we’re here!” greetings.

What kind of bed do you sleep in? Write down a list of the materials that make up your bed. 

Create a collage to show your nesting/sleeping spot, or that of an animal living in your area. 

Today we’re joining Perfect Picture Book Friday. It’s a wonderful gathering where bloggers share great picture books at Susanna Leonard Hill's website. Review copies provided by the publishers.

See Your World Anew

 Last week I shared The Nature of Play, a handbook for exploring the world around us in all seasons. This week I want to dive a bit deeper into the theme of exploring nature. 

Stickler Loves the World (A Stickler Story)

by Lane Smith 

40 pages; ages 4-8

Random House Studio, 2023

theme: mindfulness, wonder, appreciation

Many strange creatures lived in the part of the forest where shadow met tree. 

But the strangest of all was Stickler.

Stickler loves sticks more than anything in the world. Except maybe fluffy clouds, buzzy bees, and prickly plants! Our world, says Stickler, has some pretty weird stuff – this coming from a character with eight – or six, or five – eyes that never seem to stay in the same place.

“Oh, to see it all anew. Wouldn’t that be amazing?” Stickler muses. When an alien shows up, Stickler has that very opportunity. The two set out to see the world, Stickler narrating all the wonders as they walk. Puffballs (dandelion seed heads), rocks, the wind…  the changing colors of the sunset.

What I like  LOVE about this book: As Stickler “shows” things to the space alien, readers can see things Stickler either misses or simply ignores. That space helmet? Not a helmet at all. When Stickler alludes to all the wonders we pass by every day “without even noticing,” we can see the creature in the woods. 

I love the language. The wind is like a whisper. Maple samaras whirl, twirl, spin as they fall. I especially love it when Stickler discovers who is really under that space helmet, and how they have both had their eyes “opened” that day. I love the art!

Beyond the Books:

Share the world outside your house with someone who can’t see it. Maybe blindfold a friend and describe what you see, smell, feel. Or call a cousin and tell them about the nature right outside your door.

Paint or draw a picture of the nature growing around you. How does creating art influence the way you see your world?

Collect some bits of nature that are on the ground – acorns, fallen leaves, sticks, stones – and pay attention to how they feel, their colors, whether they have a smell.

Describe the wind, how the sunshine feels, what the earth smells like before (or after) rain. 

Today we’re joining Perfect Picture Book Friday. It’s a wonderful gathering where bloggers share great picture books at Susanna Leonard Hill's website. I borrowed this book from my local library, Candor Free Library.

STEM in Graphic Novels

Picture books depend on the combination of text and illustration to tell the story. You know what else does that? Graphic novels. Today I’m exploring two recently published books that combine science and art.

theme: STEM, comics, art

Fiddlehead Forest (Little Habitats, 2) 

by Jana Curll 

92 pages ; ages 6-9

Greystone Kids, 2026

When a tree falls in the forest…

does anyone hear it? The answer depends on your definition of “anyone” – but in this case, the answer is definitively YES. Fern and friends not only hear their tree fall, but they are determined to help raise it back to its previous – and grand – height. Even if it takes (checks calendar) a few years. After trying a few things, Millipede, Moth, Slug, Lichen, Mushroom, and Fern decide on their plan of action: hang out with tree and do nothing. Well, nothing except what they normally do every day.

What I like about this book: I love that the story begins the minute you open the cover. That’s where we meet the characters, when Fern does a roll call to make sure his best buddies are safe after the storm. 

I like the puns that run throughout the book, from the table of contents (chapter four: Aiming for slug-cess) to mushrooms im-spore-tant information. Each chapter focuses on how one of the characters helps tree to find their new growth as a nurse log. Detailed sidebars in each chapter clarify the science that’s going on – often beneath the surface and out of sight. For example: mushroom’s underground mycelium network and slug’s recycling superpowers. 

Fiddlehead Forest is book two in a series that began with Barnacle Bay. That book opens with Crab, who is SO tired of every day being the same old thing. On his way out, he runs into Larva, who is floating in on the tide. Crab, who really does have a kind heart, agrees to show Larva around the neighborhood, and introduce him to the other residents: kelp, oysters, mussels and clams… the writing is just as playful (and pun-full) as Fiddlehead Forest.

We Are Dwarf Sperm Whales!: A Graphic Guide to Cetaceans 

by Anne Lambelet 

80 pages; ages 7-11

Graphic Universe/Lerner, 2026

It’s the first day of school for Kogi, but he’s not headed for the school of fish. Kogi is a sperm whale, in the class of Cetaceans which aren’t fish at all! They don’t have scales, and they don’t lay eggs. But whales can grow to enormous lengths. Except dwarf sperm whales. And whales sing long songs heard for miles beneath the ocean. Except for dwarf sperm whales. And some whales can swim as fast as 20 miles per hour! Except for …

yeah, you guessed it, dwarf sperm whales. Is there anything that Kogi can possibly be good at? 

What I like about this book: I love that Kogi eventually learns what his dwarf sperm whale superpowers are, because I was starting to worry about the little guy. Well, OK, not so little (average length is 9 feet). The pages are filled with cetacean info, and there’s a Very Helpful Glossary at the back of the book.

Some observations about STEM graphic novels and graphic nonfiction:

The books I’m sharing today are fiction because they have characters, and because in the real world fiddlehead ferns don’t talk (neither do dwarf sperm whales). But there are nonfiction graphic books – and here’s the thing: in our library they are cataloged JNF as though they are all graphic novels. So next time you’re looking for an informational book about science or history, or perhaps about a person or a place, remember that  nonfiction options exist on the graphic novel shelves.

Why give your kid a graphic novel?

• Graphic books help readers develop visual literacy. That’s the ability to understand and interpret nonverbal imagery – a skill that’s becoming increasingly vital in our information age.
• Graphic books help make complex ideas easier to understand with addition of visual elements and dialog.
• Also, illustrations add context clues that aid comprehension, so a graphic book can be more approachable than traditional texts for people with diverse learning styles.
• Graphic nonfiction is a fun – and fast – way to explore a new topic.

Beyond the Books:

Do you have a favorite animal or plant? Or maybe a rock or mushroom? Draw them as a character.

Create a comic strip where your character introduces us to where they live.

Make some silly puns about plants or animals that live in your yard or neighborhood. For example, there’s a couple ferns living in my garden. They’re close fronds with the poppies.

Turn your pun into a comic!

Today we’re joining Perfect Picture Book Friday. It’s a wonderful gathering where bloggers share great picture books at Susanna Leonard Hill's website.  On Monday we'll be hanging out at Marvelous Middle Grade Monday with other  bloggers. It's over at Greg Pattridge's blog, Always in the Middle, so hop over to see what other people are reading. Review copies provided by the publishers.

PB & Jellyfish?

The Secrets of the Jellies: Amazing Jellyfish and Their Surprising Talents   

by Karen Jameson; illus by Marie Hermansson

40 pages; ages 5-8

Chronicle Books, 2026

themes: ocean animals, animal adaptations, STEM

Jellies pulse, jellies ride, gracing waters as they glide

Using poetic lines, Karen Jameson takes readers on a field trip to a jellyfish aquarium. On each spread, she focuses on a single aspect of jellyfish-iness. For example, they have no bones! They come in a variety of shapes and colors and sizes. And even though they can feel, they have no brain. Gorgeous illustrations will draw you right into the book, and you’ll wonder how you can spend time with these intriguing animals.

What I like about this book: It’s fun, engaging, and all science. Plus, there’s extensive back matter. A section on Jellyfish facts expands on the information presented on each spread. Another section gives insight into jelly research and their role in ocean ecosystems. The last four pages are a “Meet the Jellies” extravaganza! Sort of like a condensed field guide to cool jellyfish you might meet at an aquarium. 

This is such a fun book to read, that I had to ask Karen a couple of questions:

Me: How did you come to this structure for your book? 

Karen: Here’s the short and sweet answer. As with all my nonfiction books, there was a lot of thought and consideration given as to which key information belonged in the main text. Above all, I wanted readers to “travel" through these pages to an aquarium and experience the awe of an immersive jellyfish exhibit. Readers would wander from room to room (or tank to tank) in a way that felt organic. I also wanted it to be an engaging read-aloud. After composing the stanzas, I simply put them on post-it notes and shifted them around like puzzle pieces to see which order felt right.  Of course, I also ran it past my trusty critique group!

Me: I love the back matter. Can you talk about your research?

Karen: Yes, it is a lot of back matter! It was initially more compact, but grew after we decided to move the side bars to the back and add a “Meet the Jellies” section. I’d been lucky enough to visit the aquarium on multiple occasions (it’s about a 5 hour drive from my home).  However, since I began researching this during the pandemic when Monterey Bay Aquarium was closed, that wasn’t an option. But, I was able to enjoy their incredible online Jelly Cam footage and explore their website for further information.  I then expanded to additional online sources  -  other prominent aquariums, ocean and science sites. Though libraries were closed, I was able to order nonfiction jellyfish books (both adult and kid lit titles) from various sites for secure pick up. More online research of scholarly journals and the like rounded it up.

Though the book was inspired by Monterey Bay Aquarium, the aquarium itself does NOT have all those specific jellyfish, just some. Early on I made the decision to focus on true jellies around the world, of which there are 200+ known varieties. You can visit other cool kinds of jellyfish, such as comb jellies, at Monterrey and other aquariums.

Beyond the Books:

Watch jellyfish with live jellyfish cams! These nettle jellies are at the Aquarium of the Pacific, and these moon jellies are at the Monterey Bay Aquarium.

Create a jellyfish dance. Stretch and squeeze to move like a jellyfish. If you really want to play the part, create a jellyfish costume using an old umbrella or wide-brimmed hat and strips of cloth or scarves. 

Make a jellyfish out of your handprint, a paper plate, or even coffee filters. Please skip the glitter – it’s not healthy for ocean animals.

Karen is a member of the STEAM Team Books group. You can find out more about her at her at her website at https://karenljameson.com/. You can find more about recently released STEM and STEAM at https://www.steamteambooks.com/

Today we’re joining Perfect Picture Book Friday. It’s a wonderful gathering where bloggers share great picture books at Susanna Leonard Hill's website. Review copies provided by Blue Slip Media.

WANTED: Trees - Dead or Alive!

Look at this - two books about trees, both published by Millbrook Press this month. One about a living tree, one about a dead tree, but with one thing in common: each supports a diverse community of living things.  

themes: trees, ecology, habitat

Whose Tree Is This? Poems About the Mighty Oak and Its Companions 

by Marilyn Singer; illus. by Julian Plum 

32 pages; ages 5-9

Millbrook Press, 2026

Whose tree is this? Reaching high, spreading wide…

It is an oak tree, gracious and spacious with acorns for eating, nooks for nests, and room for guests. Each spread introduces an animal, from insect to bird to bear to people that depends on the tree in some way. For some it is food, for others it is shelter, and for others it is both.

What I like about this book: Each poem is written from the perspective of the animal on the tree, accompanied by additional text that explains more about that animal. It’s fun to think about an oak from the point of view of a caterpillar munching its leaves! 

Detailed illustrations entice kids (and adults) to spend time studying the diversity of life on the tree, and the added information will encourage curious kids to go outside and see what they can find on and around a tree. I like that at the end, the tree notes that “we flourish when we form a community, when we live in unity together.” Back matter includes information om the oak tree life cycle, how to recognize an oak, and why we need them

What Good Is a Dead Tree: A Science Mystery 

words and photos by Doug Wechsler 

40 pages; ages 9-14

Millbrook Press, 2026

A mighty oak has fallen in the forest. But fifty years later, the only evidence that it was there is a dark mark on the forest floor. 

Your challenge, as a scientist, is to discover what happened to the tree and where it went. Author and photographer, Doug Wechsler provides lots of clues through photos of an oak undergoing decomposition decade by decade. The book begins with ... butt rot!

Chapter by chapter, year by year, readers discover what happens to the fallen oak. There are springtails and beetles, jellydiscs and fairy cups, carpenter ants and farting termites… all contributing to the eventual disappearance of the tree. Sidebars provide details about insects, bacteria, and slime molds. Photos show the culprits – er, decomposers in action. And back matter offers two hands-on investigations as well as links to videos. Doug Wechsler is an amazing naturalist, and reading this book is the next best thing to going on a walk in the woods with him. I know because I’ve had the pleasure of going on a nature walk with him.

Beyond the Books:

Get to know an oak tree. Spend some time watching it over the summer, and even through the fall and winter. What insects, birds, and other animals do you notice in your tree? If you need help identifying an oak tree, use a tree guide or check out this quick guide from wikihow.

If you are lucky enough to have a fallen tree nearby, take a good look at it. What do you see? Draw pictures of interesting fungi, plants, insects and other animals using the log. Sometimes, fungi will fruit when you least expect it. I found the coolest fungi on my dead tree during a warm break one January!

Check out the leaf litter beneath your oak tree. What do you find living there? Depending on the season, you might find springtails, beetle larvae, sleeping caterpillars, butterfly pupae, and maybe some cool fungi. Draw pictures of what you discover.

Today we’re joining Perfect Picture Book Friday. It’s a wonderful gathering where bloggers share great picture books at Susanna Leonard Hill's website. 

On Monday we'll be hanging out at Marvelous Middle Grade Monday with other bloggers. It's over at Greg Pattridge's blog, Always in the Middle, so hop over to see what other people are reading. Review copies provided by the publisher.

Two Dinosaur Books

When I was a kid, one of my favorite books was my dad’s college geology text. I loved the drawings of dinosaur fossils and the renderings of how scientists (back in the last century) thought they might look. And now look – today I have two new(ish) books about dinosaurs and the scientists who study them.

theme: Dinosaurs, nature, fossils

Mary Morland in the Time of Dinosaur Discovery

Jane Kurtz, illus. by Giselle Potter

48 pages; ages 4-8

Beach Lane Books, 2026 

Mary Morland was born in a time of ribbons and lace, when small girls were seen as dainty, delicate decorations to make a room pretty.

But she was not one for sitting in a parlor – not when the whole wide world was waiting outside. She spent her days looking closely at plants and rocks … and drawing her observations in a journal. She collected fossils and shells, sent specimens and letters to Georges Cuvier (a famous French scientist). She drew pictures of bones from a Megalosaurus – the first dinosaur to have a name. Did she stop studying and drawing once she got married and had kids? No, she did not.

What I like about this book: I love that Jane Kurtz brings another woman of early dinosaur discoveries to the page. Mary Morland was a contemporary of Mary Anning, and yet few people have heard her name. Not surprising; in the 1800’s, women didn’t get credit for their discoveries. I like the emphasis on how Mary observed the plants and animals she saw, and how she drew her observations in her journal. And I like the back matter that tells more about Mary, and provides resources for curious young dinosaur hunters.

Dinosaur Secrets Revealed! How High-Tech Tools Spark Discoveries (Sandra Markle's Science Discoveries) 

by Sandra Markle 

48 pages; ages 9-12

‎Millbrook Press, 2025 

Are you ready to discover dinosaur secrets? If so, Sandra Markle invites you to dive in and follow the discoveries she reveals. Because, as she notes, new technology and high-tech tools not only allow scientists to study ancient bones in a new way, but allows scientist to ask new questions. Like…

How powerful was T. Rex’s bite? Load sensors, like those found in bathroom scales, combined with digital models and computer animation were put to use to solve the problem. Seven chapters address seven questions and introduce the technology used by modern paleontologists and their engineering partners. People are still digging bones out of rock millions of years old, but the technology to evaluate the bones continues to evolve! Back matter includes more dino information and resources for kids who want to dive deeper.

Beyond the Books:

Does your state have an official State Dinosaur? What about a State Fossil? Find out and create a stamp celebrating your state dino or fossil. My state has a fossil (yay!) but not a dino – and I want to know why not!

Draw what you see: an interesting leaf, a snail, a rock or a shell… something you can observe close up. You’ll need a sketch pad or some plain paper, and a good pencil. Colored pencils or crayons are great for adding colorful details.

Learn more about women paleontologists (scientists who study fossils) at this Museum of the Earth page.

Create your own dinosaur name  - and then make a picture of you as a dinosaur. Here’s a dino-name cheat sheet from PBS. 

Thanks for dropping by today. Today we’re joining Perfect Picture Book Friday. It’s a wonderful gathering where bloggers share great picture books at Susanna Leonard Hill's website. 

On Monday we'll be hanging out at Marvelous Middle Grade Monday with other  bloggers. It's over at Greg Pattridge's blog, Always in the Middle, so hop over to see what other people are reading. Review copies provided by the publishers.

Saving Seeds For the Future

Just in Case: Saving Seeds in the Svalbard Global Seed Vault

Megan Clendenan, illus by Brittany Cicchese 

32 pages; ages 5-8

Charlesbridge, 2025  

theme: nonfiction, conservation, seeds, food

Only eight hundred miles from the North Pole, away from wars and weapons, safe from earthquakes, fire, and even an asteroid, buried deep in the Earth on an island in Norway, the Svalbard Global Seed Vault holds priceless treasure.

That treasure is seeds … more than 580 million of them, frozen and held for the future “just in case.” Seeds are the foundation of our food supply, says Megan Clendenan, but they are also our history. People have been planting seeds for thousands of years! Seeds are also our future, providing genetic material for future crops in case of a disaster. In this book, Megan takes us into the designing and construction of this seed vault. 

What I like about this book: I like how Megan describes a walk down the aisles of the vault as “a walk through the world.” There are seeds from almost every country. I like the short sidebars that take a deeper dive into some aspect of the vault (visits from polar bears and Arctic foxes) or practical use of the seeds (restoring crops to fields after a war). And I like the back matter, in which Megan explains in more detail why having “backup copies” of seeds and a diversity of varieties is so critical to the future of agriculture. Or, as I call it, “food.”

Beyond the Books:

Save your own seeds. “The best way to save seeds for the future is to grow them yourself,” writes Megan. And saving some kinds of seeds is pretty easy – especially seeds from lettuce, beans, peas, and flowers. 

Does your library have a “seed library?” Many libraries do, and it’s fun to “check out” seeds, plant them, and “return” a packet of saved seeds.

Make seed envelopes for seeds you save. Check out my activity guide for The Pie that Molly Grew for how to fold an origami seed envelope. Remember to label them with the kind of plant and the date you collected the seeds. 

Swap seeds with your friends. If you buy a pack of seeds, you might only need a few. So divide those extra seeds into home-made seed envelopes and host a seed swap event this spring.

Megan is a member of the STEAM Team Books group. You can find out more about her at her at her website www.meganclendenan.com. You can find more about recently released STEM and STEAM at www.steamteambooks.com

Today we’re joining Perfect Picture Book Friday. It’s a wonderful gathering where bloggers share great picture books at Susanna Leonard Hill's website. Review copies provided by the publishers.

A Tale of Two Butterflies

 

Monarch and Mourning Cloak: A Butterfly Journal 

by Melissa Stewart; illus. by Sarah S. Brannen 

48 pages; ages 4-8

‎Beach Lane Books, 2026

themes: nature, butterflies, art

 Look, a monarch!

 Bright orange wings

 keep it safe.

The first spread opens with a comparison and contrast of two butterflies you might find in your backyard: the monarch and the mourning cloak. The monarch is bright orange – a warning to predators that it is poisonous and they should stay away. The mourning cloak is brown – it blends in with the bark of trees so predators have a hard time finding it.

Monarch and mourning cloak are as different as two butterflies can be: one flies south in the winter and the other one snuggles under bark to hibernate. And yet they are surprisingly similar: they hatch from eggs, eat leaves, and undergo metamorphosis.

But this book is more than just an ordinary butterfly book. It’s a nature sketch book, a poetry journal, and an invitation to observe nature more closely. An invitation to engage with the world outside your door. An invitation to grab a sketchbook and head outside.

What I like love about this book: So Many Things! Beginning with the end pages: On the front end pages we meet the Monarch: there’s a quick overview of its life cycle, sketches of it in different stages of its life, and a range map showing where you’re likely to find monarch butterflies. The back end pages introduce the Mourning Cloak butterfly. 

Even before you get into the book, there’s front matter – a letter to readers explaining that this book is a collage of poetry and artwork that not only captures the lives of the butterflies, but shows the creative process Melissa Stewart and Sarah Brannen went through over the few years of creating the book.

Spreads reveal the secrets of the two butterflies in poetry and sketches, along with notes about when and where the butterfly observations took place, annotated illustrations, and even some color palates. These are pages that you’ll want to spend time on, because there is so much to discover. I am absolutely astounded by the awesome renderings of the spiky caterpillars.

There’s luscious language. “Changing, rearranging” – what better description of metamorphosis can you think of?

And there’s back matter (which of course I always love!) beginning with a section about “the joy of journaling” and how to create a sketchbook. And of course there’s more about butterflies, caterpillar time, and some great resources for kids who want to know more. This is a book that I would definitely have in my classroom (and I taught high school bio!). I don’t usually give stars, but I give this one 5 Butterflies.

I’ll be chatting with Melissa and other authors about their buggy books over at the Annual Arthropod Roundtable at the GROG  on Earth Day, April 22.

Beyond the Books:

Make a butterfly journal. This is a quick fold and “pamphlet sew” binding – and I usually use a piece of paper bag as a cover for mine. Directions are here.

Draw pictures of the butterflies and caterpillars you see fluttering (or crawling) around your yard this summer. The first ones I see are the mourning cloaks; they emerge from hibernation and are fluttering about before other butterflies. You don’t have to be exact, but if you can color in the wings, it helps you remember what you saw.

Write a poem about a butterfly you observe. Write a poem about a caterpillar you watch. 

Plant some native flowers for the butterflies in your area. An excellent resource is the XERCES Society.

Melissa is a member of the STEAM Team Books group. You can find out more about her at her at her website melissa-stewart.com. You can find more about recently released STEM and STEAM at www.steamteambooks.com

Today we’re joining Perfect Picture Book Friday. It’s a wonderful gathering where bloggers share great picture books at Susanna Leonard Hill's website. Review copy provided by Blue Slip Media.

Home, Sweet Home

Today I've got a couple books about animal homes to share. Our theme: animals, nature, environment. 

Who Nests Here? 

by Karen Jameson; illus. by Ramona Kaulitzki 

48 pages; ages 4-8

‎Beach Lane Books, 2026 

 Who nests here?

Whose baby bed? 

Whose family home? 

Whose winter shed?

Spread by spread readers are introduced to visual clues and invited to guess the animal that each home belongs to. Constructed from mud and sand, rock and snow, and nests high in trees, they shelter a diversity of insects and crabs, frogs and squirrels, fish and foxes. 

What I like about this book: I like the “nature detective” feel of this book. One spread shows three homes – as in the spread below: a nest of twigs, a swelling on a twig, a nest of leaves. It invites the reader to study and make a guess before turning the page. I like that the rhyming text, and the space on the page that provides room for imagining. And I like the back matter where kids can find out more about animals that nest in mud or water, rocks or snow.

This is such a cute book that I had to ask Karen One Question:

me: Where do you nest? 

Karen: I write lyrical picture books from my cozy treetop “nest” in Southern California. My nest is filled with treasured book friends - George and Martha, Chrysanthemum,  Blue on Blue, Pug and Pig, Over and Under the Snow, Home in the Woods and many more. Baskets, bookcases, bins and shelves overflow with stories waiting to be savored. A big, soft, double wide reading chair is where I oftentimes dream and draft my stories. Other times, it is a story nest for me and a grandchild or two. We settle into books and snuggles as time slips away. 

My window seat is the best spot for gazing at the happenings outside. Sometimes the garden calls to me. I wander downstairs and out to the backyard to drink in the scented air of lemon trees, roses, geraniums, bottle brush, pink crepe myrtle blossoms and buds galore. The bees are visiting too, as are glorious, shimmering hummingbirds. In warm weather, small lizards bask on the planters doing push ups and chasing one another. I gather a few blooms, fill a small vase, and bring this little bit of heaven up to my nest to dream some more.

Thank you, Karen. That sounds positively delightful! After digging around in my book basket, I found another book about animal homes. This one is written in poetry.

Home 

by Isabelle Simler; translated by Vineet Lal 

68 pages; ages 6-9

‎Eerdmans Books for Young Readers, 2024

Here’s my little house, 

hanging from the tip of a willow branch, 

just like a fruit.

From bird nests to an octopus den, woven webs to shell-covered homes, readers are taken around the world to see how animals build their homes. Each poem offers clues to animal lives, and back matter provides more information about each creature. The intricate illustrations invite one to linger on the page.

Beyond the Books:

Look for places where animals in your neighborhood make their homes. Where do you notice ants? What about wasps? Do you notice squirrel nests in trees or gopher holes in your yard?

Build a fairy house out of natural materials you find outside: branches from an old Christmas tree, dried leaves, twigs, stones…  

Imagine your life curled up in a leaf or under a stone. Write a poem or draw a picture about what that would be like.

Create a cozy den or nest for yourself either inside or outside. I’m partial to pillow and blanket forts!

Karen is a member of the STEAM Team Books group. You can find out more about her at her at her karenljameson.com. You can find more about recently released STEM and www.steamteambooks.com

Today we’re joining Perfect Picture Book Friday. It’s a wonderful gathering where bloggers share great picture books at Susanna Leonard Hill's website. Review copies provided by the publishers.