Reviews
School Library Journal - The Secret of the Scarab Beetle
When mild-mannered sixth grader Horace J. Edwards moves to the sleepy town of Niles, MI, his life takes an unexpected turn. A death occurs in the family, and mysterious things start to happen. Grandmother, who suffers from dementia, begs Horace to find the key, open the secret door, and… View →
School Library Journal - Big and Blubbery
This series takes a follow-the-clues approach to help early readers learn to use species traits in order to confidently identify animals. The traits or “clues” start off vague (“I have more eyes than you”) and increasingly become more species specific (“I use silk to line my nest”). Each View →
School Library Journal - Blue and Bumpy
This series takes a follow-the-clues approach to help early readers learn to use species traits in order to confidently identify animals. The traits or “clues” start off vague (“I have more eyes than you”) and increasingly become more species specific (“I use silk to line my nest”). Each View →
School Library Journal - Quick and Quiet
This series takes a follow-the-clues approach to help early readers learn to use species traits in order to confidently identify animals. The traits or “clues” start off vague (“I have more eyes than you”) and increasingly become more species specific (“I use silk to line my nest”). Each View →
Booklist - At the Marsh in the Meadow
A freshwater marsh is much more than just standing water. From the mucky mud and the reeds growing in it to mayflies nibbling its algae to the eagle swooping down to catch a fish, the marsh teems with life. Using the cumulative style and cadence of “This Is the House That Jack Built,”… View →
Booklist - Good Trick Walking Stick!
Perhaps it’s their talent for camouflage, but the oft-overlooked walking stick finally gets its due in this beautifully illustrated picture book. In a style reminiscent of Steve Jenkins, this book takes readers through the life of a stick insect, from the moment this slender bug hatches… View →
School Library Journal - At the Marsh in the Meadow
The food chain is brought to life in a “The House That Jack Built”-esque poem with cumulative phrases. Readers see how algae at the bottom of a marsh supports the mayflies, which are in turn food for the water spiders. The water spiders are prey for the dragon flies, which… View →
Publishers Weekly - Grandpa Loves You!
In this inspiration-minded companion to Grandma Loves You! and Grandma’s Christmas Wish, the straw-colored bunny from those books spends time with his grandfather. Writing in rhyme, James narrates from the perspective of the elder rabbit, while Brown shows the two rabbits playing in an… View →
Kirkus Reviews - Good Trick, Walking Stick
Stick insects have tricks that make them highly successful creatures. Designed for reading aloud, Bestor’s two-level text provides an overview of a walking stick’s life. A simple, circular narrative begins in winter, with eggs hidden under the snow, and goes through spring… View →
Publishers Weekly Starred Review - Mr. Goats' Valentine
For readers who think Valentine’s Day is too sappy, Bunting and Zimmer have an ideal antidote. That’s because Mr. Goat’s idea of the perfect gifts for his “first love” include ragweed salad in a rusty can and two-year-old rotten eggs. “Guaranteed foul and disgusting,” says the proud… View →