Published by Sterling Children’s Books 

Summary:  Sure, we all know T-Rex, Stegosaurus, and Triceratops, but they weren’t the only vertebrates around in prehistoric times, not by a long shot.  The rhyming text introduces some of the other key players, like the familiar saber-tooth cat and woolly mammoth, and the less-well known dunkleosteus and glyptodont.  An introductory note from Dr. Mark A. Norrell, paleontologist at the American Museum of Natural History starts things off, and a final author’s note puts the prehistoric eras into some perspective, comparing the 170 million years of dinosaurs with 200,000 years of modern humans.  There’s also a bit more information on each animal and a timeline showing the different geologic time periods and which of the animals lived in each one.  40 pages; grades K-3.

Pros:  There’s more to this book than meets the eye.  Young dinosaur fans will enjoy learning about some new animals, but the front and end notes add a lot more information.  If you’ve followed this blog for a while, you may know what a fan I am of cut-paper illustrations, and these are right up there with Steve Jenkins’ work.

Cons:  You might be sorry if you don’t glance at the pronunciation guides in the end matter before attempting a read aloud.

Published by Charlesbridge 

Summary:  Brightly colored photographs illustrate the simple text describing how air is all around us and necessary for all kinds of life.  The last several pages talk about how dirty air is unhealthy, and makes several kid-friendly suggestions (ride bikes and walk more, turn out the lights) to help clean up polluted air.  The final two pages have six questions, such as “What is air?” and “Why is clean air so important?” with a few paragraphs of information on each topic.  40 pages; ages 4-8.

Pros:  A simple and beautifully illustrated introduction to the importance of clean air in our lives.

Cons:  Trying to answer the question “What is climate change, and how is it connected to air pollution?” in two paragraphs seems overly ambitious.

Published by Candlewick Press 

Summary:  Before the title page, a boy lies on his bed, wishing he could fly.  A couple pages later, he’s in wheelchair on the beach, watching a bird called a godwit flying with his flock.  They’re heading north, on the longest migration any animal in the world makes, traveling 7,000 miles from Australia to Alaska.  It’s a perilous journey, but the godwit finally makes it.  He builds a nest and finds a mate.  Together they have four babies, only one of which survives to make the return trip with his parents.  The flock flies for nine days and nights without stopping, arriving back at the beach where the story started, and where the boy has now abandoned a set of crutches to run along the beach.  An author’s note tells more about godwits and some of the threats to their survival.  48 pages; grades K-3.

Pros:  Beautiful collage illustrations capture the various environments inhabited by this remarkable bird.

Cons:  A hungry fox eats the other three chicks.

Published by Balzer + Bray 

Summary:  Blobfish takes a book called The Deep Sea Book and turns it into The Blobfish Book.  The original is about the deepest part of the ocean, with photographs of some of the animals that live there.  Blobfish’s version has a pink cartoon of himself drawn onto the photographs, attempting to make it all about him.  Finally, the book gets to the page about blobfish, but the sentence “The blobfish was once voted the world’s ugliest animal” stops the narrator in his tracks.  Fortunately, the other sea creatures are paying attention, and they join forces to create a final page that celebrates Blobfish and cheers him up again.  Includes more facts about the deep sea and its creatures, plus a list of additional resources.   40 pages; ages 4-8.

Pros:  2016 is turning into The Year of the Blobfish…this is the second kids’ book featuring a blobfish in the last six months (see Pink is for Blobfish).  This one is a fun blend of fact and fiction, with some facts about the deepest parts of the ocean being snuck in around Blobfish’s slightly obnoxious, but always good-intentioned narration.

Cons:  The informational part is pretty slight.