(3) K-3 Illustrated by David Hohn. Hallie Morse Daggett dreamed of joining the US Forest Service to fight fires in California's Siskiyou Mountains--an unheard-of goal for a woman at the turn of the previous century. But Hallie persisted and was finally hired as a fire lookout in 1913. She spent fifteen fire seasons in a primitive mountain cabin reporting on smoke and flames, contending with fierce electrical storms, and fending off wild animals. Bissonette's engaging portrayal of a self-assured and determined figure is enhanced by Hohn's imaginative illustrations. An author's note provides more detail and includes three black-and-white archival photos.

Reviewer: Kitty Flynn

(1) K-3 Illustrated by Rob Dunlavey. Once again Elliott (On the Farm, rev. 3/08; In the Sea, rev. 1/12; and others) captures the essence of a habitat and its creatures in poetry that manages to be both pithy and profound. Here fifteen poems, each on its own double-page spread, are devoted to animals of the forest. As in previous volumes, some poems are clever and funny ("Give the skunk / a lot of / room, unless / you care for / strong perfume"); others are almost elegiac in tone. A few are concrete poems, including "The Hornet," arranged in the shape of a hornet's nest. Dunlavey's art is not as in-your-face spectacular as that by some of the previous illustrators of the series but is perfect for setting and subject. His expansive watercolor and mixed-media illustrations feature aptly muted hues, with occasional bright spots: the red flash of a scarlet tanager; the pink of a wild turkey's neck. The compositions are focused and compelling--the viewer knows exactly where to look on every spread. It's worth lingering to find details of interest, however. A fox on the hunt "stands red /against the April snow," and our eye is caught and held by the intensity of her expression and posture. But look closely to see a squirrel clinging, unmoving, to the far side of a tree, and a vole hiding in an underground burrow. An ideal marriage of poetry and art; another successful entry in a long-running and (seemingly) perennially renewable series.

Reviewer: Martha V. Parravano | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2020

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Alexander Mostov. This broad overview aims to raise awareness of threats to the world's forests. The lively pages dole out information via friendly illustrations, accessible text boxes, and lots of captions; the volume's clear organization helps with comprehension. After introducing features of tropical rainforests, boreal forests, and temperate forests, French's presentation focuses on deforestation, its causes (e.g., agriculture, paper industry), effects (habitat loss, threats to indigenous populations), and solutions (ethical consumerism, education). "What You Can Do" offers realistic suggestions. Glossary.

Reviewer: Kitty Flynn

(3) K-3 I Like to Read series. A bunny, two mice, a bird, a squirrel, and an owl emerge from a hollow tree to enjoy a snow storm. When too much snow piles up ("Snow is heavy"), a branch breaks, causing the bird to fall into a deep drift. Oh, no! The cartoonlike illustrations show the other animals gathered around a bird-sized hole: "Friends try to help." An effective page turn resolves the tension as the bird pops out of the hole: "...birds can fly." Subtle details in the illustrations (the sky changes from pale morning colors to vibrant sunset orange and pink) extend the story and enhance the wintry atmosphere.

Reviewer: Kitty Flynn

(2) PS Illustrated by Jennifer Faria. This sweetly unassuming picture book is simultaneously a small wintertime adventure, a story of a loving intergenerational friendship, and an animal-identification book incorporating both English and Ojibwemowin vocabulary. On a snowy day, a very young boy and his grandfather take a walk in the woods across from their home. On their walk, they encounter a black bird. Grandpa introduces the bird first in English as "Raven" and then in Ojibwemowin as "Gaagaagi." The pattern is repeated with "Rabbit" ("Waabooz") and "Deer" ("Waawaashkeshi"). As they walk, the boy and Grandpa make tracks in the snow, comparing them with the animal tracks they see. Their encounters with the woods' wildlife are interspersed with moments demonstrating the warm relationship between the two. At book's end, they head home for milk and cookies and a nap. Acrylic and colored-pencil illustrations vividly portray the snowy landscape as well as the boy and grandfather's home; the bright yellow living room filled with mementos radiates love and warmth. ­Endpapers helpfully label the three ­animals with their English and Ojibwemowin names; the Ojibwemowin names are also spelled phonetically.

Reviewer: Nicholl Denice Montgomery | Horn Book Magazine Issue: January, 2021

(2) K-3 This timely and striking story of a forest wildfire is told from the point of view of a deer, who speaks for all the forest creatures. In lush, earth-toned gouache illustrations, we see creatures in their forest home. "We have always lived in this forest," the deer states. "I used to think this forest would always be our home." But one day a spark flies across dry trees; smoke appears; and flames grow. The sky grows dark, and in an alarming and unflinching spread, a small flame lands on the head of Mountain Lion. The animals, now merely red-hot silhouettes against a wall of flames, flee. Marino's driving text is filled with descriptive verbs--the fire snaps and swallows--and her taut sentences pack a punch: "The smoke was strong. But we were stronger." All the animals eventually return and see new shoots of green in the blackened forest, the powerful final line echoing the book's title. A closing note from Marino describes her own experience in the 2017 Northern California wildfires, seeing embers "the size of dinner plates." The appended "wildfire facts" answer questions for young readers about how wildfires start and spread and how wildlife responds. Lists for further reading and for learning more about wildfires are also appended.

Reviewer: Julie Danielson | Horn Book Magazine Issue: January, 2021

(1) K-3 The "strongest guys in the whole forest" are the Little Guys--small pastel-colored creatures with acorn-cap hats and stick arms and legs. This presumed root-for-the-underdog story takes a humorously unexpected turn as close observation shows the Little Guys obnoxiously stealing food from the other forest animals ("None for you! All for us!"). Brosgol's jewel-toned mixed-media illustrations are imbued with humor both subtle and exaggerated, enhancing and extending the spare text.

Reviewer: Emmie Stuart | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2019

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Katie Hickey. Inspired by the British women of the Women's Timber Corp, Davis relates their journey to the forests and back again, as well as their daily lives learning to cut trees. Hickey's pastoral scenes are warm and nicely detailed. The text's constant incorporation of numbers ("Six painful blisters heal and strengthen over time. Two hands willing to work...") distracts from an otherwise interesting slice of WWII history. Historical note appended.

Reviewer: Kristy Pasquariello

(2) K-3 Squirrel Otto discovers a spiky ball; the small creature within declares Otto "MOMMY." "Pio" grows larger and larger (and thus more inconvenient as a roommate), but he also cooks, tidies up, and is good company. Full of funny details, the watercolor and colored-pencil illustrations move the plot along. This tender story about the value of taking care of each other also quietly considers the meanings of home and family.

Reviewer: Julie Roach | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2019

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Kayla Harren. As a teenager in 1979 northern India, Jadav Payeng was concerned that many snakes died after flood damage to the eroding Brahmaputra River region. He planted twenty bamboo saplings...and ended up many years later with a protected 1300-acre forest teeming with animals. Hopeful and inspiring, this true-life ecological story is illustrated with evocative, verdant art. Appended with endnotes and a planting project.

Reviewer: Melinda Greenblatt

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Amanda Strong. Little girl Awâsis loses her Kôhkum's (grandmother) famous bannock on the way to her relatives' house. With the help of her friends in the forest, Awâsis is able to collect all the ingredients she needs to make a new one. Soft, naive illustrations make it easy for readers to understand the Cree words used in the story; a glossary/pronunciation guide is appended, along with a recipe.

Reviewer: Nicholl Denice Montgomery

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Elisa Vavouri. During the Great Depression, Pavel, a Jewish immigrant from Russia, plants trees with the Civilian Conservation Corps and gets to know other Americans from different cultures; some are more welcoming than others. This historical-fiction picture book’s text provides an accessible entry point to this element of history and to themes of assimilation; colorful, textured illustrations are eye-catching, if slightly uneven.

Reviewer: Shoshana Flax

(3) YA Koch's eye-opening text, well-illustrated with color photos and diagrams, unveils the semi-invisible communication happening among trees. Chapters center on individual scientists' discoveries, providing readers with a glimpse into their innovative research. Koch emphasizes that trees are living beings essential to human and nonhuman well-being and concludes with a convincing call for sustainable forest management. Reading list, websites. Bib., glos., ind.

Reviewer: Erica Wetter

(2) K-3 His dried fruits missing, forest creature Thomas despairs about making a wintercake for Winter's Eve. Bird Lucy overhears a "vile beast" say he found the fruit--then witnesses the stranger returning them. After baking a wintercake for the (now) "noble chap," Thomas and Lucy undertake a dark, perilous journey and find him, alone and sad. Descriptive language and dry humor shine in this warm-hearted winter story. Perkins's earth-toned illustrations are rich in detail, patterns, and textures.

Reviewer: Julie Danielson | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2019

(1) K-3 Illustrated by Betsy Bowen. In 1882, surveyors mapping northern Minnesota made a mistake; subsequently an old growth forest was ignored until 1958. The protected forest still exists today in Chippewa National Forest. Root includes surveying details and the ecology of such pine forests that once covered the northern U.S. Bowen's painted backgrounds and survey-notebook inserts capture the texture and colors of fresh-cut pine or yellowing maps. Substantial back matter serves as a field guide. Glos.

Reviewer: Danielle J. Ford | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 2019

(1) K-3 When six-year-old Marvel, seven siblings, and their newly widowed mother are forced to move into an abandoned tar-paper shack in the woods, it "doesn't seem like much of a home." As the seasons pass, however, Marvel and her family discover the simple treasures their new life offers. Based on Wheeler's grandmother's childhood during the Great Depression, this tender tribute avoids sentimentality in favor of honest, child-centered observations. Wheeler's precise figure-drawing style captures the situation's difficulties.

Reviewer: Cynthia K. Ritter | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2019

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Maria Luisa Di Gravio. A child romps through the forest during a winter bird count, spotting a nuthatch, chickadee, and more while seeking now-retired-down-South Gramps's favorite: a dove. Amstutz light-handedly weaves ornithology facts throughout the well-paced story. Di Gravio's evocative (if slickly Disney-esque) illustrations are full of footsteps in the blue-gray snow and plenty of delicate birds. Further ornithology information and a bird count checklist are appended.

Reviewer: Erica Wetter

(2) 4-6 A series of eerie mishaps on a school field trip strands sixth grader Ollie and her classmates near a Vermont farm exactly like the one in Ollie's book about a sinister "smiling man" and his army of terrifying, once-human scarecrows. Only two other students believe her insistence that they're in danger. This supernatural thriller is a page-turner; Ollie's journey through grief over her mother's death and into friendship makes it memorable.

Reviewer: Sarah Berman | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2018

(2) 4-6 On the cusp of WWI, a group of Polish boys makes a game of stealing buttons from the changing cast of soldiers invading their village. Power-hungry and cruel group leader Jurek controls the contest; protagonist Patryk believes he can win and become a benevolent leader. Short, staccato sentences build dread, leading inexorably to tragedy. Readers are left with the consequences of one boy refusing to speak up.

Reviewer: Betty Carter | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2018

(2) 4-6 The magical shield around the fairies' kingdom is weakening. When siblings Wynn and Elric (The Silver Gate) venture beyond the protective boundary and into the Nightfell Wood, their bravery and openness to friendship help to resolve an impending crisis. An abundance of visual description and drama--conveyed in relatively simple language and sentence structure--makes Bailey's tale both satisfying and eminently accessible to young readers.

Reviewer: Deirdre F. Baker | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2018