Classics, Nonfiction, and Children's Literature
With collage illustrations, Little Turtle and the Changing Sea by Becky Davies (illustrated by Jennie Poh; Little Tiger Press, 2021) emphasizes a turtle’s life cycle, with emphasis on the dangers of human pollution when the ocean changes one day. As the title suggests, the story highlights two different oceans. The first ocean turtle encounters, beginning
Life After Whale: The Amazing Ecosystem of a Whale Fall by Lynn Brunelle (illustrated by Jason Chin; Neal Porter Books, 2024) is a nonfiction picture book about the complete ecosystem that forms around a whale carcass on the bottom of the ocean. It begins with an elderly whale and in the first pages, the whale
The Wild Robot Protects by Peter Brown (Little Brown Books for Young Readers, 2023) is the third volume in the story about The Wild Robot. My daughter and I listened to the others in anticipation of seeing the movie (as soon as it’s not $$$ to rent online!). I was excited when I first learned
I was unfortunately a little disappointed with oversized nonfiction picture book I Am Wind: An Autobiography by Rachel Poliquin (illustrated by Rachel Wada; Tundra, 2024). As the title indicates, this book teaches about wind with a first-person narration. Interspersed with the narration are side paragraphs (in a different font) that identify and name specific winds
The uniquely illustrated picture book A Log’s Life by Wendy Pfeffer (illustrated by Robin Brickman; Simon & Schuster, 1997) shows the interconnectedness of ecosystems through the life of an oak tree. Three-dimensional collage illustrations bring the different creatures and textures to life in the illustrations. This picture book explains the cycle of decomposition with a
The nonfiction Keepers of the Reef by Dr. Sharon Wismer (illustrated by Alice Wong; Tillbury House, 2022) invites a young reader to visit the Great Barrier Reef to learn about a unique ecosystem. With a friendly “come on in!”, two children swim into a coral reef scene in this gorgeous book about the coral reef
With a focus on the Great Barrier Reef in Australia, The Coral Kingdom by Laura Knowles (illustrated by Jennie Webber; words and pictures, 2018) introduces the basic animals of the coral reef with the colorful coral reef ecosystem as the highlight of the picture book’s pages. Rhyming couplets on each page help make the text
Because of an Acorn by Lola and Adam Schaefer (Chronicle Books, 2016; illustrated by Fran Preston-Gannon) has pretty pictures and simple text to show the connection between an acorn growing and the other types of life surrounding it. Birds, fruit, deer, chipmunks, and other animals all are able to live. They also contribute to adding
Dive In: Swim with Sea Creatures at Their Actual Size by Roxie Munro (Holiday House, 2020) is a large nonfiction picture book about the coral reef ecosystem. Munro illustrates the variety of animals to be found there, with the main teaser being that these illustrations are actual sized, from tiny seahorses to reef sharks. With
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