THE FANTASICAL SAFARI: Wander through 5 of the most remote habitats to meet more than 80 amazing animals

THE FANTASICAL SAFARI: Wander through 5 of the most remote habitats to meet more than 80 amazing animals
LUCY BROWNRIDGE (illus. Kristjana S Williams)
Wide Eyed Editions (non-affiliate Bookshop.org link)
$30.00 hardcover, available now

Rating: 5* of five

The Publisher Says: Step into a world where reality and myth collide. From powerful elephants and cunning foxes to towering giants and legendary dragons, The Fantastical Safari is a vibrant, beautifully illustrated book that brings science, storytelling, and adventure together. From the bestselling author of The Wonder Garden comes the incredible The Fantastical Safari!

Step into some of the hardest to reach landscapes on earth and meet the extraordinary creatures who live there. Discover how they survive and thrive in some of the strangest, most remote and unusual places in the world.

This book uncovers the science and stories behind some of the world’s most fascinating animals - from the tree kangaroo in the highlands of Papua New Guinea to the vampire ground finch in the Galapagos Islands. Alongside breath-taking illustrations, readers will explore different destinations where every day consists of endurance, perseverance and survival for the animals and plants that live there.

With its stunning design, engaging storytelling and fascinating facts, this book encourages young readers to see the world in a whole new way. Whether exploring solo or sharing the adventure with family, this book is a gateway to curiosity, discovery and endless imagination.

Locations include:

The Mariana Trench

The Greenland Ice Shelf

The Galapagos Islands

The Highlands of Papua New Guinea

The Sahara Desert

I RECEIVED A DRC FROM THE PUBLISHER VIA EDELWEISS+. THANK YOU.

My Review: I'm deeply interested in the natural world (as long as I don't have to sleep in it). I found this interesting book about the extreme environments on our planet left me enrapt for hours after reading it...and the artwork...!

The mere existence of bioluminescence should evoke wonder in everyone who learns of it. There are many wonders in the world and this book makes them feel immediate, new, even to someone to whom their existence is not news. What must that say about the effect the package of art, text, and science will have on its six-year-old intended audience? I'd reserve it for the brightest of them, less worry about an eight-year-old or older needing significant assistance with reading it.

No one of any age needs assistance appreciating the artwork:

the most amazing place in all the world

It really amazes me that anyone can claim to be bored in a world where animals produce their own light:

And the other bits of Planet Earth are just as amazing. Frozen "wastes" or roasting deserts or humid jungles...the way life burgeons should give any thinking person a frisson of delight, a fillip of excitement at learning of it.

The artwork is packed with the sort of details that kids batten on detecting (and pointing out to you ad infinitum). It's a bargain at the price, for the pleasure and the sneaky education it will give a kid.

DÍA DE MUERTOS, adorable, interesting book about a holiday I think we should all adopt

DÍA DE MUERTOS
JAQUE JOURS (Illus. Alejandra Ruiz)
words & pictures (non-affiliate Bookshop.org link)
$14.99 hardcover, available now

Rating: 5* of five

The Publisher Says: A colorful and immersive book that introduces kids to the joy and meaning of Dia de Muertos. Discover the meaning of Dia de Muertos and learn how children all around the world celebrate this festival.

Pancho and his family are inviting you to celebrate with them! Join in as they prepare in the lead-up to the festival, setting up the ofrendas, finding photographs of beloved family members, decorating with flowers, cutting out skull patterns, cooking tamales and enjoying a wonderful day with all the family.

Along the way, you’ll learn all about the significance and history of the festival, brought to even more life with:

Instructions to make your own papel picado

A recipe to make delicious pan de muerto

A fun quiz to try out all your knowledge

In this immersive exploration of Día de Muertos, kids join a family as they celebrate. Seen through the eyes of young children celebrating themselves, this is a simple and exciting way to introduce little ones to this special period.

In the Celebrations & Festivals series, you are invited into a family's celebrations as you explore the magic and excitement of religious and cultural festivals around the world.

I RECEIVED A DRC FROM THE PUBLISHER VIA EDELWEISS+. THANK YOU.

My Review: I grew up on La Frontera. D&ía de Muertos was part of my mental furniture even in posh, pointless Los Gatos because my eldest sister was a fluent Spanish speaker and a Mexican culture fancier. The papel picado craft was taught in my grade-school art class (I sucked at it). There were sugar skulls everywhere starting around 15 October, and pan de muerto was a treat I battened on. For those whose cultural exposure was different from mine, the book includes facts and explanations:

This little book is one I'd give to a clever five-year-old to practice reading alone, or use for lap-reading. By about first grade I'd expect an average kid to be able to manage this with ease and enjoy it to boot.

I like the artwork:

...I feel it captures the spirit of the holiday.

If you're one to offer this to non-Hispanic kids at an effort to afford then diversity and inclusion in their reading and awareness, like me, I hope you'll put this under your Yule tree to poke at the current orthodoxy.

COMEBACK CREATURES: Discover the Wild Things Once Thought Extinct?

COMEBACK CREATURES: Discover the Wild Things Once Thought Extinct?
LEISA STEWART-SHARPE (Illus. Lucy Rose)
Wide Eyed Editions (non-affiliate Bookshop.org link)
$30.00 all editions, available now

Rating: 5* of five

The Publisher Says: Every so often animals we thought were extinct come back! Comeback Creatures is a fascinating look at Lazarus species; animals once thought to be extinct that have been discovered in the natural world. This is a book that delivers much-needed positivity in our ever-changing world, with the message that nature always finds a way…

Discover animals thought to be extinct that have been found alive in the wild!

Earth is a world of land and sea, of light and dark, of life and death, with thousands of species vanishing each year. They’re gone, presumed extinct, lost for good . . . Or are they?

In some special cases, certain creatures, thought to have died out, have been found alive and thriving by scientists and local people. They are known as Lazarus species. From the black-footed ferret, which was thought to have died out from disease but was discovered on a porch in Wyoming, USA, to the Pinocchio lizard, a long-nosed reptile found in the cloud forests of Ecuador, examples can be found all over the globe. Comeback Creatures is packed with inspirational stories of animals that have come back from the brink.

Read all about a habitat and the animals and plant life within it, then turn the page to reveal a Lazarus creature that has been found there and the fascinating story behind its discovery. Compendium spreads dotted throughout the book give a snapshot into even more of these creatures that have defied the odds to survive.

At the back of the book there’s information on how to become a wildlife detective to protect nature where you live, along with a map to show each habitat and a helpful glossary.

The thoroughly researched yet lyrical text by children’s author Leisa Stewart-Sharpe brings the story of each creature to life, alongside richly detailed artwork by illustrator Lucy Rose.

A captivating look at our world, Comeback Creatures is a hopeful exploration of wildlife conservation.

I RECEIVED A DRC FROM THE PUBLISHER VIA EDELWEISS+. THANK YOU.

My Review: It's important to tell kids that, even if it doesn't feel like it all the time, good stuff still happens in the natural world. Sometimes really cool good stuff, like creatures we thought were gone forever...really aren't! It's happened, and here are examples:

It is a reason to think positively. I'm more and more sure that's a skill we're really failing our kids by not instilling it in them. Growing up with all your adult models walking around talking doom and gloom does nothing for a kid's growth into an active, engaged adult.

But...be honest...if you found out something called the "terror skink" had been re-discovered, wouldn't your inner ten-year-old be hollering "COOL!" at the top of their lungs?

It happened:

I think this book, with its gorgeous artwork...I want the terror skink one for my wall!...its challenging vocabulary, and its glossary for instilling the habit of research is ideally suited to making that positive attitude honestly, demonstrably supported by facts, available to the vulnerable.

Plus it's all just So COOL!

WACKY CONTRAPTIONS: Gadgets That Whiz, Whoosh, Whirl, and Twist with Hands-On Engineering Activities

WACKY CONTRAPTIONS: Gadgets That Whiz, Whoosh, Whirl, and Twist with Hands-On Engineering Activities
LAURA PERDEW (illus. Micah Rauch)
Nomad Press (non-affiliate Bookshop.org link)
$24.95 hardcover, $19.95 paperback, available now

Rating: 4* of five

The Publisher Says: In Wacky Contraptions: Gadgets That Whiz, Whoosh, Whirl, and Twist with Hands-On Engineering Activities, young engineers ages 9 to 12 brainstorm, design, and build devices using the engineering design process. Kids learn about simple machines, mechanical advantage, forces, energy, motion, electricity, and other physical science concepts while creating fun and fascinating prototypes that do different kinds of work. A hands-on project book for kids who love building wacky contraptions!

How do we make contraptions that zoom, bounce, tower, and collapse? By using hands-on STEAM engineering!

In Wacky Contraptions: Gadgets That Whiz, Whoosh, Whirl, and Twist with Hands-On Engineering Activities, young engineers ages 9 to 12 brainstorm, design, and build devices using the engineering design process. Kids learn about simple machines, mechanical advantage, forces, energy, motion, electricity, and other physical science concepts while creating fun and fascinating prototypes that do different kinds of work. Plus, this book encourages kids to adopt a growth mindset and understand that when their projects don’t work, that’s a sign that it’s time to revise and try again!

Built around a plethora of hands-on projects—a conveyor belt, magnetic slime, and a water wheel are just a few examples—a fun narrative style engages kids in discussions of the forces that define our world and the work we do in it. Tension, magnetism, electricity, and chemistry affect our daily lives in ways we often overlook—but armed with the power of knowledge, kids can identify and use the science that surrounds them. Graphic novel style illustrations, photographs, fun facts, sidebars, links to online resources, and more make Wacky Contraptions entertaining and educational.

Additional materials include a glossary, a list of media for further learning, a selected bibliography, and index. All books are leveled for Guided Reading level and Lexile and align with Common Core State Standards and Next Generation Science Standards.

I RECEIVED A DRC FROM THE PUBLISHER VIA EDELWEISS+. THANK YOU.

My Review: A bright sixth-grader who likes doing stuff with their hands will get a real lexical workout with this book. It keeps the language on the edge of their vocabulary; it will get many concepts across in infographics...the layout looks like a screen design...and it has a glossary included, to get them used to looking up words to figure out how to do something. Of course, starting out the usual stuff appears:

This is how we're starting out. It's really good at not being too far ahead of the bright ones, nor too "now look at the screen's left corner" for the average twelve-year-old.

Your middle-school nibling who's in a poor school district could get fired up over this because it's got stuff to do, to make things that work and aren't simply *there* when they are done. If the kid is watchin Mark Rober videos on YouTube, this is the gift of this Yuletide.

ADELE IS LIFE: A Superfan's Guide to All Things We Love about Adele, clever, cute, informative for juvenile readers

ADELE IS LIFE: A Superfan's Guide to All Things We Love about Adele
KATHLEEN PERRICONE (illus. Lauren Mortimer)
Epic Ink (non-affiliate Bookshop.org link)
$19.99 all editions, available now

Rating: 4.5* of five

The Publisher Says: Adele Is Life is a beautifully illustrated guide to the singer’s all-encompassing music and incredible life. Welcome Daydreamers to this all-encompassing superfan book on everything there is to know and love about the modern icon that is Adele.

From being raised by a superwoman single mother in South London who introduced her to music, to when she discovered her favorite blues singer, Etta James, to recording her first album 19, to becoming the Queen of Heartbreak, Adele is one of the most popular soulful performers of her time. Gathering her incredible life story, music, and fan culture all in one place, Adele Is Life details everything you need to know and cherish about her.

This Daydreamer’s essential guide includes:

A full biography, encapsulating her early life through becoming a mother and one of the most soulful singers of her generation.

A full discography of Adeles’s music, including tours, and inspirations for her songwriting for some of her most popular songs like “Rolling in the Deep,” “Someone Like You,” and “Hello.”

A very Adele A to Z, covering her alter ego, famous fans, tattoos, music videos, hair secrets, and more.

Other incredible details and unfiltered moments, including her love for simple things such as wine and McDonald’s and her love for Queen Bey.

Her favorite music and playlist go-tos.

Hold on to your hearts as biographer Kathleen Perricone takes you on a fan-tastic journey through everything Adele.

The Modern Icons series takes you on a journey through the lives and legacies of cultural icons who have shaped our world, from fashion to music to media. With original illustrations and meticulously crafted prose, this series captivates and enlightens, offering a glimpse into the personalities whose unparalleled charm and authenticity have left an indelible mark on popular culture.

I RECEIVED A DRC FROM THE PUBLISHER VIA EDELWEISS+. THANK YOU.

My Review: It had not occurred to me even once that there were very young fans of Adele. I can hear her songs in my head just by reading the titles; I assumed that meant she was utterly uncool to teens.

Apparently I'm wrong. I'm glad to be wrong in this case because I really like Adele, the performer and the persona. As a role model for young women, and as training for what to expect from women in life for boys, the culture hasn't served up many more honest than this one.

The book is illustrated with art by Lauren Mortimer instead of photos as I'd've expected. That might be an issue for some readers/purchasers; I found the art pleasant but no more. At the price, however, a photo book about a celebrity would be impossible.

On to the art:

The phases and stages of Adele's career are all here. There's also a discography for the more obsessive fan. of course...a musician/performer's biography without one would be a travesty:

A book geared toward a young fan of a terrific musician and positive celebrity presence. Recommended gifting, so long as you're clear it's about her and her music not about the concerts and the performing parts in art or photos.

THE KWANZAA STORY: Celebrating Culture through Community, get one now in time for the celebration

THE KWANZAA STORY: Celebrating Culture through Community
ALLIAH L. AGOSTINI (Illus. Olivia H. Smith)
becker&mayer! kids (non-affiliate Bookshop.org link)
$18.99 all editions, available now

Rating: 5* of five

The Publisher Says: Discover the history and importance of Kwanzaa, a week-long December holiday celebrated in Black, African, and African American culture.

In The Kwanzaa Story, little Alliah (of The Juneteenth Story fame) is all grown up and, along with her husband LeVaur, teaches their children Daphne and Alistair why they celebrate Kwanzaa as a family and as a community. This beautifully illustrated storybook shares the origins of the holiday—rooted in Africa, born in Los Angeles—giving historical and cultural context on how a joyful celebration was birthed after the Watts Rebellion and during the Civil Rights Movement. The journey includes:

The history of the holiday, complete with timeline

Key figures of the Civil Rights Movement and their part in the creation of Kwanzaa

The seven guiding principles of Kwanzaa, known as Nguza Saba

The seven core symbols used during Kwanzaa rituals, including the kinara (candle holder) and the mishumaa saba (the seven candles in red, green, and black)

How Kwanzaa is celebrated today

And more!

2025 marks the 60th observance of Kwanzaa. The Kwanzaa Story offers Black, African, and African American children the opportunity to connect with their culture and the holiday in a meaningful way, and to see themselves and their family traditions represented on the page with accuracy and joy. This book also exposes children of different backgrounds to a new end-of-year cultural celebration, taking them on an engaging and educational journey about the principles and traditions of the holiday. This visually captivating guide to understanding Kwanzaa encourages young readers to connect with the holiday and its social impact.

Follow along as Alliah and her family discover the cultural significance of Kwanzaa's principles and symbols, providing a tangible element to the holiday that will allow kids and family members to fully and joyfully participate in its celebration. Readers of all ages will love learning about the amazing history and traditions of Kwanzaa through the wise and educational storytelling in The Kwanzaa Story.

The Holiday Celebration series from becker&mayer! kids honors the diverse holidays and milestones that shape the cultural fabric of the United States. Though these traditions may have originated elsewhere, brought to our shores by ancestors from around the world, they have endured and evolved to weave the vibrant tapestry of American life. The series includes picture books and their companion kid-friendly cookbooks that share stories uniquely representative of the American experience--an experience that is multilayered, eclectic, inclusive, and joyfully beautiful.

I RECEIVED A DRC FROM THE PUBLISHER VIA EDELWEISS+. THANK YOU.

My Review: Handsome artwork complements the story of how this celebration of the importance, centrality, and personal relevance of community building and membership to the Black American, and broader African diaspora, cultures came to be. 2025 marks the sixtieth celebration of the seven principles:

...restated here for your newly-independent reader. These expressions of the principles, like the text more generally, are pitched at that spot where some things will require some adult input about their meanings, while most will be readily decodable for the seven- or eight-year-old just starting independent reading. Most would challenge an average six-year-old reader unless they're quite advanced.

begin at the beginning

typical text/art spreads

There is a very helpful, quite concise, timeline of the Black cultural holidays and their origins:

The author invites readers to make, or consider how, their own connection to Kwanzaa is or was formed:

A lovely gift for a young Black child, a family needing to explain their holiday tradition to a child, or just a seeker after more satisfying ritual acknowledgments of the irreplaceable bonds of community membership.

ERIC HUANG'S PAGE: PRESIDENTS; TRAILBLAZERS; SCIENCE, all art by Sam Caldwell

SCIENCE: Fascinating Facts You Never Knew About All Things Science!
ERIC HUANG (illus. Sam Caldwell)
words & pictures (non-affiliate Bookshop.org link)
$12.99 paperback, available now

Rating: 5* of five

The Publisher Says: Everything you think you know will be proven wrong in this myth-busting guide to science, from chemistry to geology, engineering, astronomy and even technology.

Science is all about figuring out how things work. It means asking questions and conducting experiments to discover and test possible answers. Science affects every aspect of life, from what you’re wearing and what you had for breakfast, to the weather outside.

Through science, you can examine the smallest atoms to the largest galaxies – and get to know the universe just a little bit better. But how much do you really know about science?

For example, we all know that . . .

Moons are smaller than their planet

Summer is caused by Earth being closer to the Sun

Water is an element

Tectonic plates don't move that much anymore

AND that engineers are people who fix things

Do we . . . ? Because . . . OH NO THEY AREN'T!

Misconceptions about our world are everywhere, but none of them are true! In Oh No They Aren't: Science myths are busted about science from chemistry to geology, engineering, astronomy and even technology.
In this fresh and funny guide learn about how our world works from atoms and molecules to volcanoes and solar systems, or even artificially intelligent robots. Stylishly designed and humorously illustrated by Sam Caldwell, Oh No They Aren't: Science brings important STEM topics to life for kids, uncovering how our world works and making science FUN accessible for everyone.

In the Oh No They Aren't . . . series popular misconceptions in science and nature are dispelled. Check out the Oh No They Didn't . . . companion series for hilarious history and popular culture myth-busting.

I RECEIVED A DRC FROM THE PUBLISHER VIA EDELWEISS+. THANK YOU.

My Review: Busting myths is an eternal pleasure to kids. They like knowing stuff you don't, or you pretend you don't if you're smart, and here's a kid's motherload of trivia to ask you "did you know...?" about.

experimental conditions

methodology explained

As expected in this series, Author Huang and Artist Caldwell explain in fun, easy-to-digest pieces, the whys, whos, and hows of science as a method of understanding the world.

who thinks about rocks?

What makes these books so valuable to parents and other invested adults is the easy in of humor and vibrant art melding with kid-friendly questions-answered formatting. I've never known a kid who was not popping with questions about everything. No one can hope to keep up with the little natural-born scientists, wanting to know why and how and when about stuff we've forgotten decades before they were born.

Except, of course, dinosaurs:

cool!

Beats there a heart so dead to wonder as to be indifferent to these long-dead monsters of the Earth? (I already know the answer is "no" so no need to try to tell me otherwise.)

A wonderful way for you to see if your kid-giftee is interested enough in science to pursue it through schooling years.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

TRAILBLAZERS: Fascinating Facts You Never Knew About Amazing Trailblazers!
ERIC HUANG (illus. Sam Caldwell)
words & pictures (non-affiliate Bookshop.org link)
$12.99 paperback, available now

Rating: 5* of five

The Publisher Says: Learn about innovative figures past and present in this myth-busting guide to trailblazers—everything you think you know will be proven wrong!

Trailblazers have made extraordinary contributions throughout history.From inventing everyday household items we take for granted to breaking barriers in sports and medicine, their impact on the world is undeniable. But how much do you really know about the innovators who’ve shaped our world?

Everyone knows that…

Martin Luther King Jr. used every method possible to fight for civil rights

Ruth Handler founded Mattel and created Barbie dolls

William Shakespeare came up with the story of Romeo and Juliet

AND Florence Nightingale’s family supported her dream of becoming a nurse

Or did they…? Because… OH NO THEY DIDN’T! Misconceptions about famous figures from the past and present are everywhere, but they’re not always true! In Oh No They Didn’t: Trailblazers, myths are busted about over 50 trailblazers—politicians, legends, athletes, activists, scientists, entrepreneurs, creatives, and more.

In this fresh and funny guide written by Eric Huang, learn about inspiring innovators from all over the world and their influence on history and pop culture. Stylishly designed and humorously illustrated by Sam Caldwell, Oh No They Didn’t: Trailblazers makes learning fun with surprising facts and a playful, upbeat approach to nonfiction.

Oh No They Didn’t: Trailblazers is the perfect, inspiring guide for ALL young readers to learn about influential innovators, including parts of their stories that may have been left out of traditional history books or media. In this easy-to-read book, you’re sure to discover lesser-known pioneers who deserve to be celebrated, too!

I RECEIVED A DRC FROM THE PUBLISHER VIA EDELWEISS+. THANK YOU.

My Review: A lot of adulthood is about unlearning what "everybody knows" about stuff. Almost always the myths about leaders are not true, or are skewed, to present them in one kind of light. It can be pernicious; more often than not it's just inaccurate, sloppy, careless uninterest in pursuing facts.

who we're talking about

Kids casting around for models of action, for examples of change-makers, often run into misinformation because The Culture℠ is hell-bent on perpetuating one narrative that might or might not include the truth about someone they do, or could, admire and emulate.

what we're saying

By choosing leaders and forerunners in different social movements, Author Huang offers the kid-reader a chance to see what areas of effort they might be interested in exploring more, and if nothing appeals, still demonstrating that there are always people who take up the torch to light the way for others to follow.

It's a life-changing message to receive. There's a wildly plastic moment in a kid's life where you can form life-changing and course-setting fascinations and commitments, and this book is aimed at that moment.

ecology

civil rights

But equally valuably, showing a kid that the world can be changed by example is, in and of itself, a wonderful investment in their, thus in our, future.

We need more leaders in fields we've never even heard of; we need kids to grow up thinking for the whole world, and all in and on it. A book like this can help them get in tune with that huge idea.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

PRESIDENTS: Fascinating Facts You Never Knew About U.S. Presidents!
ERIC HUANG (illus. Sam Caldwell)
words & pictures (non-affiliate Bookshop.org link)
$12.99 paperback, available now

Rating: 5* of five

The Publisher Says: Do you know the Presidents of the United States? Well, OH NO YOU DON'T!

In this myth-busting guide to the Presidents of the United States, their Vice-Presidents, First Ladies, and presidential pets, everything you think you know will be proven wrong!

Do you know everything there is to know about the Presidents of the United States? OH NO YOU DON'T!

The people who have served as President of the United States of America are some of the most famous people on the planet. But how much do we really know about the presidents? We all know that...

President Abraham Lincoln freed enslaved people by signing the Emancipation Proclamation,

Thomas Jefferson introduced ice cream to the US,

Andrew Johnson was impeached by the House of Representatives and kicked out of office,

AND that Theodore Roosevelt had teddy bears named after him because he once refused to shoot an injured bear...

Do we...? Because... OH NO THEY DIDN'T!

These commonly held misconceptions about our Presidents are everywhere, but none of them are true! In Oh No They Didn't: Presidents, commonly held misconceptions about the Presidents, Vice-Presidents, First Ladies, and presidential pets are all dispelled. This myth-busting guide to the White House and everyone in it is an irreverent, fun, and enriching way to learn about US political figures and history.

Stylishly designed and humorously illustrated by Sam Caldwell, Oh No They Didn't: Presidents is a hugely entertaining and trendy take on US history for young readers. This myth-busting series makes history accessible to everyone, taking an alternative and gripping approach to teaching the true facts about the past. Dive in to learn what else you were taught in school that is completely WRONG!

In the Oh No They Didn't... series, popular misconceptions in history and culture are dispelled, busting myths about famous people and events of the past!

I RECEIVED A DRC FROM THE PUBLISHER VIA EDELWEISS+. THANK YOU.

My Review: The very existence of an office as powerful as the US presidency guarantees its occupants serious global fame while in office. Along with that comes the misinformation, mistakes, major misunderstandings, that come with fame.

The presidents...and first ladies...of the US over the past two hundred fifty years are not all included. The choices Author Huang and Artist Caldwell have made bust the most deep-rooted or best-known misinformed facts about these famous people.

sample spreads

It's an enjoyable way to learn about the honorable past of the US presidency.