Science

Let’s take a look at the 2026 Boston Globe/Horn Book Awards!

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The 2026 Boston Globe/Horn Book Awards were announced on June 15, and I was thrilled that Nicholas Day won the nonfiction award for A World Without Summer, and Julie Leung and Angie Kang won the picture book category for Navigating Night. The fiction award went to Lisa Greenwald’s A Scar Like a River, which I am hoping to get to before the summer is over. I’ve read a couple of the honor books, but I hadn’t heard about these two.

The Great Frog by Katie Palazzola (Neal Porter Books, 40 pages, ages 4-8). Two siblings contemplate a blob of frog eggs; younger brother Peedie wants to stay outside and watch over them while his sister Kit knows that it’s time to go inside. “But don’t worry,” she tells him. “The Great Frog will take care of the eggs.” When they return, the eggs have hatched into tadpoles, and Kit expands on the Great Frog story. He rides a horse named Tarnation and lives in a moon castle in the sky. Still later, the tadpoles have grown legs, and Kit predicts the Great Frog will arrive to choose his successor in another week. But when the day arrives, Kit admits to Peedie that she made the whole thing up. Peedie takes it in stride, understanding the importance of stories, and the two agree to be looker-afters, just like the Great Frog. Includes information on the frog’s life cycle, a list of websites to learn more, and an author’s note encouraging readers to dream and have big ideas.

This quirky debut picture book celebrates stories and sibling relationships, mixed in with a bit of scientific information. Kit and Peedie have a warm and understanding relationship, and readers may be inspired to become looker-afters of the natural world themselves.

When Beavers Move In by Alison Pearce Stevens, illustrated by Natasha Donovan (Godwin Books, 48 pages, grades K-3). When beavers more into areas populated by humans, they can be a nuisance and cause flooding, leading humans to kill the beavers. But the Tulalip Tribes of Washington State take a different approach. When they’re called in to help, members of the tribe trap the beavers and move them to their tribal land. High up in the mountains, the beavers cut down trees and build dams, starting a chain of events that increases fish populations, creates a wetland, and ultimately, helps protect land from forest fires. Includes an author’s note with additional information about beavers and the Tulalip Tribes’ beaver project, including ways readers can help.

This excellent nonfiction picture books emphasizes ways to create balance in nature, allowing beavers to improve land in a way that doesn’t harm humans, and celebrates Indigenous methods of land management. It would make an excellent companion to Kristen Tracy’s 2024 picture book When Beavers Flew.

Fly me to the moon

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Explore the Far Side of the Moon by Jenny Jacoby with consultant Dr. Sheila Kanani, illustrated by Lea Woo (Thames and Hudson, 64 pages, grades 2-6). Readers are invited on a mission to the far side of the moon to explore the area in and around the Shackleton Crater at the lunar South Pole. Each spread covers a different aspect of the mission from Meet Your Crew to Liftoff to Stepping Onto the Moon to The Splashdown. Illustrations include diagrams and pictures that show readers many aspects of space travel that can be highly technical, like a cutaway of the moon lander, or more mundane, like directions for making a beef taco or how to go to the bathroom in space. The last few pages show moon maps and the phases of the moon, and there’s also a glossary and an index.

This is a fun look at many different aspects of space travel, with plenty of information presented in ways to make it easily accessible for elementary kids. It’s perfectly timed to show kids what the real-life NASA Artemis missions are like.

I Built a Rocket Ship by Anna Lazowski, illustrated by Jennica Lounsbury (Kids Can Press, 32 pages, ages 4-8). A grieving child tells her late mother that she’s building a rocket ship. As she creates, she shares some of her memories, like the time they went camping, and her mom showed her the constellations when she was scared of the dark. Dad is quiet when she tells him what she’s doing, but later he takes a lasagna Mom made out of the freezer and promises they’ll use the recipe to make another one together. The two of them paint the spacecraft Mom’s favorite color “so you’ll be sure to see me coming.” The last page shows the purple rocket ship flying through space next to a swan constellation.

This book will break your heart, with memories, and grief woven into the spare text. I loved the rocket as a coping mechanism, following Mom’s advice to build it, filling it with her favorite things, and using it as a springboard for memories. The dad is clearly going through his own grieving process but is there for his daughter throughout.

Life on the Moon by Matthew Swanson, illustrated by Robbi Behr (Knopf Books for Young Readers, 320 pages, grades 3-7). When Leo was given the choice between staying on Earth with his mom and living on the moon with his dad and Dad’s girlfriend, he chose the moon. Which may say something about what his life on Earth has been like recently. But no sooner has he arrived on the moon, than his dad and girlfriend go off on a top-secret mission and disappear. Leo breaks the rules and goes out in a lunar rover to try to find them. Almost immediately, he realizes that two rules he’s been told about moon life–there’s no life on the moon and there are no technical difficulties–are completely untrue. Not only are there life forms, but they are all intricately connected, so that disturbing one will potentially destroy them all. As Leo slowly learns this, he comes to realize that his own life is a web of interconnections, and that he has a purpose that he is only beginning to understand. When catastrophe threatens the lunar colony, it’s up to Leo to come up with an unconventional solution that will give the reader plenty to think about after reading the last page.

Personally, I’m not a big fan of picaresque novels, and the blurb on the cover–“A modern-day Phantom Tollbooth”–was a bit of a red flag, as I don’t particularly care for that book. However, if I’m going to read a book in which the protagonist travels from one adventure to the next meeting all kinds of unusual creatures, each with its own lesson to teach, let it be one by beloved husband-and-wife team Matthew Swanson and Robbi Behr. I believe that many readers will fall in love with this book (as the have The Phantom Tollbooth, to be fair). Behr’s illustrations are imaginative and funny, and Swanson’s story is ultimately complex and affecting, raising interesting questions, some of which are nicely articulated in the afterword. This would make a very interesting read-aloud or book club choice that could lead to some good discussions.

14 animal poems

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At the Edge: Curious Creatures of Planet Earth by David Elliott, illustrated by Robin Clover (Candlewick, 40 pages, grade K-3). Fourteen unique animals from around the world are celebrated, each with a poem and a cut paper illustration of the animal in its habitat. There are insects, mammals, reptiles, amphibians, fish, and birds. The black rain frog’s poem is just two words (“Bumpy. Grumpy.”), and most of the other poems are under a dozen lines. The final two pages have notes about the animals, with a short paragraph of information about each one.

This would be a great introduction to poetry for young readers, with interesting, colorful illustrations of a host of unique creatures along with short, easy-to-read information. I do kind of wish the information appeared on each page instead of at the end to make it easier to learn more about these fascinating animals. This is part of a poetry series by Elliott called Paws, Fins, Feathers, Claws that looks like it would be an excellent addition to an elementary poetry collection.

Fourteen Ways of Looking at Jellyfish by Carole Boston Weatherford, illustrated by Bagram Ibatoulline (Candlewick, 32 pages, grades 1-5). How to consider jellyfish? They can be seen in the water by a child on a dock, listed by their unusual common names like fried-egg or flower hat, or looked at from the perspective of the hundreds of millions of years they have lived on earth, predating dinosaurs by millions of years. Each way of looking is described with a different type of poem and shown with a variety of illustration styles, like a page from a scientist’s notebook, or a cartoon showing the emergency of a box jellyfish’s sting, or a dreamy underwater landscape. The back matter includes a bibliography and a list of websites to dive deeper into jellyfish research.

This gorgeous poetic meditation on jellyfish is sure to be considered for awards, whether it’s Sibert for the information or Caldecott for the illustrations. It seems to have been inspired by Wallace Stevens’s “Thirteen Ways of Looking at a Blackbird,” but I couldn’t find that cited anywhere in the book.

Science Friday

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Honeybird Blue by Taunya English, illustrated by Raissa Figueroa (HarperCollins, 40 pages, ages 4-8). Honeybird and Pop get up before the sun to head into the John Heinz National Wildlife Refuge in Philadelphia for a day of birding. Honeybird has a list of birds by color that she hopes to see, and she’s sure today will be the day that she finally sees Blue: the great blue heron, who has skinny legs and a topknot just like her. Off they go, and as the day progresses, they see Yellow (yellowthroats), Green (mallards), Grey (woodpeckers), Black (blackbirds), Brown (geese)…but no Blue. Pop reminds Honeybird that “birding is seeing what you see,” but she’s still disappointed as they head back to the car. Right before they go, they gather in a circle with other birders, each one naming a favorite bird (“Honeybird,” says Pop). Just as they pose for a photo…there’s Blue! Flying in the sky, then landing nearby so that Honeybird gets a good look and makes the last tick on her list. Includes a birding glossary as well as pictures and additional information about all the birds in the book, including the honeybird.

This lovely book with illustrations by Coretta Scott King Honoree Figueroa is an excellent introduction to birding with an enthusiastic and knowledgeable main character. It would also make a nice Father’s Day gift and might inspire a father-child outing into nature.

Hooray for My Brain! by Paul Meisel (Holiday House, 32 pages, grades K-4). “Look at us!” two kids call from the first page. “We can run! We can read and play the drums! We can jump and draw and throw and talk!” And it’s all thanks to their brains. They then get into the details, introducing readers to the way the brain connects to the spinal cord and nerves to allow our bodies to do so many amazing things. Information on the structure of the brain shows which lobes are responsible for which bodily functions. Glands located in the brain–the pituitary and the hypothalamus–are described. “Hooray for my brain!” the narrators say in unison as they ride their bikes off the last page. Includes a glossary.

Theodor Seuss Geisel Honoree has created a science book that’s accessible for younger readers but doesn’t shy away from challenging vocabulary and complex concepts. The illustrations play a big role in providing clarity, and showing the two kids on many of the pages helps readers understand how different parts of the brain make different activities possible. Kids may want to do additional research on some of the concepts introduced, and a list of resources would have made a nice addition.

Science, art, and nature

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Reaching Across the Sky: A Celebration of Bridges by Christy Hale (Christy Ottaviano Books, 48 pages, grades 2-6). The author’s note introduces readers to bridges, not only as structures that help people travel across gaps, but also as both real and symbolic ways to connect people and communities. She then looks at more than 100 bridges around the world, dividing them by categories on two-page spreads: “Bridges span obstacles,” “Bridges join places,” “Bridges take people where they need to go,” etc. Each spread shows one, two, three, or more bridges that illustrate this concept, along with a sentence or two of additional information about each one. She also looks at how human bridge builders have been inspired by nature, whether it’s a fallen tree, a stone arch, or a spider web. There are fourteen pages of back matter, giving extensive additional information about bridges with more real-life illustrations, as well as a glossary, and resources for learning more.

This book really has something for everyone, from kindergarteners to older students studying engineering or physics. The gorgeous collage illustrations made me want to visit many of the bridges shown. I confess I didn’t wade through all the back matter, but it would be a great starting place for kids engaged in bridge building projects.

Kaleidoscope of Hope: How Butterfly Life Cycles Reflect Our World by Miranda Paul, illustrated by Hari and Deepti (Greenwillow Books, 40 pages, grades K-4). The collective noun for butterflies is kaleidoscope–as I learned on the first page of this book–and kaleidoscopes are used not only to show the brilliant patterns of butterflies’ wings, but to explain the various stages of the butterfly life cycle. Eggs are a kaleidoscope of hope, caterpillars are a kaleidoscope of growth, and metamorphosis is a kaleidoscope of change. Each stage is introduced with a two-page spread that includes a few sentences and illustrations. Turn the page for more detailed information about that stage, along with gorgeous kaleidoscopes of eggs, caterpillars, chrysalises, etc. The final two sections (A Kaleidoscope of Nothing? and A Kaleidoscope of Action) discuss threats to butterfly populations, as well as actions kids can take to welcome butterflies to their yards. Includes a note from the author about the hundreds of butterflies she and her family have raised, instructions for making a butterfly puddle, a note from the artists about how they created the illustrations, and a list of sources.

The more I examined this book, the more impressed I was with every aspect of it. Not only does it introduce the butterfly life cycle in ways that will be understandable to younger kids, but it gives additional information for those wanting to take a deeper dive. The paper sculpture illustrations by husband-and-wife team Hari and Deepti are unique and gorgeous, particularly the kaleidoscope ones, and I’m glad they got to show how they created them in the illustrators’ note.

Under the sea

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The Secret World of Seahorses by Nicola Davies, illustrated by Lou Baker-Smith (Candlewick, 32 pages, grades K-4). This straightforward introduction to seahorses includes information on eating, mating, reproduction, and body structure. Human activity endangers millions of seahorses–76 million are caught every year and turned into lucky charms, key rings, teas, and tonics. Three projects to save seahorses around the world are described, in Malaysia, Cambodia, and England. Additional information about seahorses and climate change is given at the end.

This would make a great nonfiction companion to Eric Carle’s Mister Seahorse, offering more information about different aspects of seahorses that are touched on in that book. The mixed media illustrations with a wide color palette do a beautiful job of portraying underwater scenes. While Nicola Davies doesn’t shy away from describing human dangers to seahorses, the specific projects to save them add an upbeat note.

If You Went to the Bottom of the Ocean by Brooke McIntyre, illustrated by Gordy Wright (Chronicle Books, 50 pages, grades 1-5). Follow a submersible as it heads out into the ocean, then dives down, down, down. In the sunlight zone, there’s still plenty of light and life, but as you head through the twilight zone and the midnight zone, there is less and less of both. It gets colder and darker, with the weight of the water pressing down harder. Finally, 3.5 miles down, you’ll reach the floor of the ocean…but there are still more depths to explore. The Mariana Trench is another 3 miles deeper, and if you reach the bottom, you’ll be in a place few other humans have ever seen. Includes additional information about the layers of the ocean, their geography, and milestones in human exploration.

Both the writing and the illustrations do an amazing job of conveying the vastness and wonder of the ocean depths. The illustrations grow darker and darker, illuminated by the bioluminescent creatures that live there. The back matter adds interesting information and may inspire readers to dream about traveling to a part of Earth that is still 90% unexplored.

Ocean animals

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The Octopus by Guojing (Two Lions, 48 pages, ages 4-8). A little girl and her mother are walking on the beach when they find a tiny octopus caught in some plastic rings. The girl carefully frees the octopus, then lets it go in the ocean. To repay her kindness, the creature uses a shell pendant around her neck to create magic that shrinks her down to its own size. Together they go on a magical journey through the sea, swimming with all kinds of marine animals and hiding together in scallop shells. When a sea turtle swims head first into a plastic bag, the girl frees it, then takes the bag back with her when she returns home. Back on the beach with her mom, she discards the bag and other trash she’s found into the proper receptacles, then shares her amazing story with her mother while they watch a beautiful beach sunset together. Includes an author’s note with additional information about keeping beaches clean and treating animals with respect, as well as some fun facts about octopuses.

The luminous illustrations tell the story in this wordless picture book that also imparts a lesson about taking care of the environment. Kids will be enraptured by the adorable octopus and the magical underwater scenes.

The Secrets of the Jellies: Amazing Jellyfish and Their Surprising Talents by Karen Jameson, illustrated by Marie Hermansson (Chronicle Books, 40 pages, ages 4-8). Inspired by the Monterey Bay Aquarium’s jellyfish exhibit and live Jelly Cam, this book introduces kids to jellyfish with rhyming text and colorful illustrations portraying a variety of species that sometimes seems to glow in their marine habitat. A sentence or two on each page gives a fact about jellyfish, all of which are elaborated on in a page-by-page guide at the end. There are also thumbnail illustrations and additional information about 22 different jellyfish.

Readers will want to hop on a plane to California to see what must be a truly spectacular exhibit at the Monterey Aquarium. The book is written and illustrated in a way that will appeal to very young readers, but the additional information in the back makes it a good choice for older kids too. The only thing missing was a list of resources for further research.

The Whale’s Tale and the Otter’s Side of the Story: a book to read from front to back and back to front by Kate Messner, illustrated by Brian Biggs (Clarion Books, 40 pages, ages 4-9). A whale and an otter stand at a microphone, each one prepared to make the case about why its species is the best. Starting on the first page, the whale explains the superior ways that whales hunt, communicate, swim, and help the environment, with disparaging remarks about otters sprinkled throughout. The last page tells readers to start on the last page and read the book backwards. In this version, the exact same words are used by the otter to make the case that otters are better than whales. The author’s note explains how words can be used to create misinformation and encourages readers to consider a speaker or writer’s point of view learning something new. There’s also additional information about whales and otters, with a list of books for further reading.

This very clever book is written like Marilyn Singer’s reveso poetry, making it fun to read but also a good exercise in thinking about how the same words can be used to present points of view that are completely opposite. The illustrations are cute, with lots of humor, although I personally prefer a greater variety of colors than the mostly turquoise and black.

Back to nature

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Just One Oak: What a Single Tree Can Be by Maria Gianferrari, illustrated by Diane Sudyka (Beach Lane Books, 48 pages, ages 4-9). What can one oak be? A home for all kinds of animals in all seasons, from its roots to its leaves. A provider of nutritious food, with the millions of acorns it produces over its life time. A climate regulator, slowing winds in the winter and giving shade in the summer. A single oak tree “is beautiful and bountiful to all.” Includes additional information and resources, ways to help oak trees, and an illustration of the oak’s life cycle.

The main narrative of this beautifully illustrated book tells the many amazing things an oak tree provides, while the smaller blocks of text give additional details. The information is fascinating, and this would make a great book for Earth Day as well as for any environmental educational program wanting to highlight the impact of a single tree on many areas of the ecosystem.

When the Sun Goes Down by Greg Pizzoli (Knopf Books for Young Readers, 40 pages, ages 2-5). “Where do you go when the sun goes down?” This question is posed to creatures who live outside (a butterfly, an ant, and a bird), to a couple of indoor pets (fish and cat), and finally, to a child getting ready for bed. Does she go under a leaf like a butterfly? In the dirt like an ant? Curled up in a chair like a cat? No! She goes to bed, to sleep safe and sound. Good night.

Greg Pizzoli keeps cranking out fun and entertaining books for the youngest readers that they’ll be able to read along with sooner rather than later–a deceptively simple art form! This time he’s created a lovely bedtime story that slowly moves from the outside world to the inside, and finally into bed. You can pair it up with another Greg Pizzoli bedtime story, Good Night Owl. Both have nice touches of humor to make an easy transition to sleep.

How does your garden grow?

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The Weedy Garden: A Happy Habitat for Wild Friends by Margaret Renkl, illustrated by Billy Renkl (Greenwillow Books, 40 pages, ages 4-8). Fifteen animals plus one child enjoy a wildflower garden in all different ways: “If you’re a bumble-bee in the weedy garden, you carry grains of pollen from blossom to bloom. You’re a seed-maker dusted with magic. You’re a flower farmer dressed in gold.” Each spread contains a detailed illustration of the garden from that particular animal’s viewpoint. The child on the last page sits still in the garden, surrounded by all the creatures and observing the natural world. Includes additional information about the animals, information about planting a garden or a container garden that will attract wildlife, and a note from the illustrator about creating collage illustrations.

This is a great introduction to creating a wildlife garden that will get kids excited about seeing what kinds of animals might visit. The illustrations are rich and textured, and readers will have fun finding the animals in each one and seeing what they do in the garden. I loved the illustrator’s note, which presents the idea of creating mythical animals with collage, which would make a nice extension art project. Fifteen animals felt like a lot, and younger kids may need a few sittings to get through the whole book.

Growing Together by Ruth Spiro, illustrated by Paola Escobar (HarperCollins, 32 pages, ages 4-8). A girl tells her small sunflower plant that its “new home is waiting,” and off they go to a busy community garden. They see friends and neighbors digging, weeding, composting, and watering to create colorful, tasty gardens. A variety of vegetables is introduced, along with herbs, and flowers, which not only add beauty but bring pollinators to the garden. At the end of the book, a table is set and spread with the bounty from the garden for everyone to feast on together in a joyful celebration. Includes a page showing what was grown in the garden with illustrations and a sentence or two of information.

The bouncing, rhyming text and busy, colorful illustrations introduce a wide variety of garden terms and products that will have kids begging to go outside and dig in the dirt.

Happy Spring!

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Is It Spring? by Kevin Henkes (Greenwillow Books, 32 pages, ages 3-6). The titular question is answered in the affirmative by the flowers, buds, and birds. The wind, sleepy animals, and gray clouds have a more ambiguous “not yet” reply, while the response is a definite no from the late snow. “Will it ever be spring?” we wonder after such a storm, and the sun says, “Yes, yes, yes!” as animals awaken, snow melts, and flowers bloom.

This is a great book for preschoolers curious about the changing seasons and does a good job of capturing the feelings we in the north feel as a 75-degree sunny day gives way to a 32-degree one with snow squalls (to give an example from a recent week in New England). This did kind of make me question if we need another Kevin Henkes book about spring and hope that he is putting his considerable talents into some different projects.

Goldfinches by Mary Oliver, illustrated by Melissa Sweet (Viking Books for Young Readers, 40 pages, grades K-5). This Mary Oliver poem celebrates goldfinches and thistle, and how the birds use the thistle down every year to line their nests before laying their eggs. The book itself is also an ode to being in nature and careful observations, with the collage illustrations portraying a woman–maybe Mary Oliver or Melissa Sweet–hiking through meadows and woods with a notebook and pencil in her hand. The birds are also shown, flying and nesting, and facts about the finches and the thistle are worked into the illustrations. Includes a one-page version of the poem, a list of birds handwritten by Mary Oliver, and a lengthy note from Melissa Sweet with additional information about Oliver and how this poem inspired Sweet to create this book.

I’m a little burned out on Mary Oliver quotes, so I almost gave this book a pass, but then I saw it was illustrated by Melissa Sweet. I’m glad I reconsidered, because it’s a real work of art and would make an excellent introduction to poetry (National Poetry Month will be here before you know it!). Take your time with it to savor both the words and the pictures. It might get you or other readers outside to be inspired by nature.