(2) PS Croc, who works as the local river ferry for other animals in the jungle, is running late one morning and doesn't have time for his usual bowl of Snappy Snacks cereal. Backup plans fall through: all of the doughnuts at Hippo's stand are sold out; his emergency banana falls in the mud. When he finally begins his shift with an empty belly, Croc discovers a new problem: his animal passengers look delicious. Larmour's lighthearted text uses repetition and occasional direct address ("Told you"), with entertaining dialogue shown in word balloons. Thought bubbles enhance the humor, such as when Croc envisions his passengers in meal form (e.g., a warthog hot dog). The illustrations, in bold gouache hues finished digitally, also provide various comedic pauses, as when Croc's hunger hits a fever pitch and a shower of doughnut sprinkles rains down before his wide, intense eyes. Croc's feelings are palpable, including relief when a friend swoops in just in time. A fast-paced, comical reminder that breakfast really is the most important meal of the day.

Reviewer: | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 2024

(1) K-3 A gentle panther loves the forest, but he's afraid to scale the tall trees and feels different from the other majestic cats. He admires Tiger's bold stripes, Lion's bright mane, and Leopard's dazzling spots. The panther collects feathers to mimic Lion's mane, but Wind blows them away, telling Panther he doesn't need them. He uses sticky pollen to give himself stripes like Tiger's, but Rain washes them away. When he attaches leaves to his fur to resemble Leopard's spots, Sun dries them out and they fall off. Disheartened, the panther turns to Moon. Enchanted by the moonlight, the panther forgets his fear and climbs high above the trees. Moon points out that Panther has a special gift "to be the color of the night," and, awestruck by the beauty of the night sky, the protagonist embraces his true self as a midnight panther. Mistry's intricate patterns, reminiscent of indigenous South Asian art forms, teem with life and serve as the perfect backdrop for the panther's dark coat. The fable-like story unfolds to show how the panther's timid nature and self-doubt slowly grow into self-confidence. Mesmerizing visuals underline the beauties of nature and of embracing oneself.

Reviewer: Sadaf Siddique | Horn Book Magazine Issue: January, 2025

(2) 4-6 Hamra has just turned thirteen, though no one in her family seems to have noticed. Due to COVID-19, her home country of Malaysia is under quarantine, leaving her mother working long hours in an overrun hospital hours away, her father distracted by his duty to get supplies to those in need, and Hamra at home to care for her grandparents. While her grandfather often annoys her with his many far-fetched stories, her grandmother's increasing dementia worries and even angers her. Adults are supposed to take care of children, after all. To escape the pressures of caring for elders, Hamra goes to the jungle. When she recklessly takes fruit from the magical jambu tree, a weretiger demands she accompany him on a quest as payment for stealing. If she succeeds, the weretiger will remember his humanity, and her grandmother's dementia will be cured. Accompanied by her best friend, Ilyas, Hamra embarks on a quest where she must face her fears and find the courage to save her family and herself. A compelling story about family, friendship, and the power of memory, filled with Islamic traditions and Malay folklore.

Reviewer: S. R. Toliver | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2023

(2) K-3 At the beginning of the story, a grandson and grandfather stand with their palms pressed together, bowing in reverence to the jungle. Grandfather is hard at work building a new home, planting rice, and fishing, while his grandchild, Ti, wears a timid expression, distracted by the unknowns of the wild. When their boat is caught up in stormy waves, the grandfather imparts a lesson of harmony with nature. "'My voice is so much smaller than the sky's,' I say. Grandfather places a hand on my shoulder. 'But still the sky is singing. You do not have to shout down the storm. Find its rhythm; sing with it.'" Gentle prose recounts a family's humble roots intertwined with an elder's respect for nature to pass on to next generations; the narrative's natural cadence with simple back-and-forth dialogue evokes oral traditions. Vivid illustrations of grandfather and grandson among lush landscapes reflect the cultural heritage and biodiversity unique to Vietnam. Appended notes provide additional details ("in tribute to the very first pioneers to the south of Vietnam") and leave readers with a call to action to spark conversations with parents and grandparents and to consider the importance of conservation.

Reviewer: Kristine Techavanich | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2023

(2) PS In the forest lives a tiger: strong, powerful, and fearless. When hunters come to the forest, the other animals hide and warn the tiger to hide as well. But the creature is not afraid and does not hide. Eventually, the hunters capture the tiger and bring him to the city for other humans to see. As the animal grows smaller and weaker in his cage, he realizes that strength was not what he enjoyed most when he lived in the forest. After he manages to escape and return to the jungle, he treasures his freedom above all else. This simple story reads like a traditional fable, with animal characters representing values through their actions and thoughts, and learning explicit life lessons. Horáček's illustrations use texture and vibrant hues in the jungle settings, contrasted with dull gray tones and lines for city scenes, creating a strong sense of atmosphere and mood on each spread.

Reviewer: Autumn Allen | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2020

(3) 4-6 Nandu (What Elephants Know), a young elephant driver in Nepal, cares for his elephant Hira Prashad and welcomes breeding elephants to a new nursery in the Borderlands. When poachers begin killing nearby rhinoceroses, Nandu sets out to track the poachers to their base. Rich descriptions of the jungle, touching relationships between humans and elephants, and a strong conservation message give this novel its warm heart. Glos.

Reviewer: Anita L. Burkam

(2) K-3 This book's Little Doctor, like Steig's Doctor De Soto before her, provides medical care to potentially dangerous animals. The little girl administers medicine, provides tail splints, etc., and the gentle crocodile patients pay her with stories. So far, so sweet--but there is underlying tension, involving teeth and jaws and plastic debris. Watercolor illustrations, rich in detail and in texture, give the dreamy narrative (with an environmentalist reminder) its energy.

Reviewer: Sarah Ellis | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2019

(2) K-3 "This is a story about a kitten" begins the story-within-the-story a girl is writing and illustrating. Her orange-and-black tabby responds, "A kitten?! Don't you mean a...TIGER!" As she revises her work to suit his wishes for a tale with "PIZZAZZ!”--adding "ROCKETS! ROBOTS! LIGHTNING! SHARKS!"--the kitten becomes increasingly (and humorously) more nervous-looking. The imaginative child's artwork benefits from Woodruff's own deft use of cheery colors in her mixed-media illustrations.

Reviewer: Megan Dowd Lambert | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 2019

(2) K-3 DePaola's The Quicksand Book, now apparently retitled Tomie dePaola's The Quicksand Book, has been dusted off and brightened up for a new generation. The information is, er, solid; the frame story is funny; and a considerable bonus is provided in the directions for "How to Make Your Own Quicksand."

Reviewer: Roger Sutton | Horn Book Magazine Issue: June, 1977; July, 2019

(3) PS In this companion to Hug, Tall, and others, young chimpanzee Bobo would rather play in the jungle than go to bed--at least until "Dark" turns out to be scary. Like the previous books, Play features comics-style panels with limited speech-bubble text and expressive pen-and-ink illustrations. Bobo has pleasantly grown as a character, with an expanding vocabulary and a desire for independent exploration before snuggling up with Mommy: "Bedtime."

Reviewer: Rachel Marsh

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Nikki Dyson. When a mysterious creature with "super-duper, ship-shape-sharp teeth" starts biting everyone's bottoms, Frog and friends seek out King Lion's help. Don't look here for animal accuracy--Zebra lives in the jungle and Lion prefers mangoes to meat--but a peppy rhyming refrain, silly sound effects ("EE-EE-EEEK!"), and much talk of bottoms will keep readers laughing. Digital illustrations create a lush, colorful jungle world.

Reviewer: Rachel Marsh

(3) PS Little Tiger's older brother challenges him to scare "a single animal in the forest." But no matter how much Little Tiger tries ("Tiptoe, tiptoe, tiptoe... / ROAR!!!"), he's too little to be frightening. Finally, he catches sight of his own reflection in a pond and manages to scare...himself. Soft, personality-rich pencil and watercolor illustrations accompany a simple but entertaining story.

Reviewer: Martha V. Parravano

(3) K-3 Translated by Lisa Rosinsky. Illustrated by Nathalie Dieterlé. In this French import's fictitious jungle where kangaroos, lions, alligators, and others incongruously coexist, all the animals are fighting. Little elephant Jojo, who carries an adorable pink parasol, pretends he lost his memory so the creatures will work together to help him. His clever tactics will delight readers, especially once they're in on the joke. The animals are somewhat abstract-looking in the humorous, colorful ink and colored-pencil illustrations.

Reviewer: Miriam Steinberg-Egeth

(4) K-3 Young girl Nina visits a secret jungle that has engulfed a forgotten city, where she reads to the animals. The jungle creatures have wide-ranging tastes in stories, but they collectively prefer--in a meta touch--"this one...Nina calls it 'Animal City.'" Negrescolor's narrative won't grip young readers the way Nina's stories grip the animals, but the digital art powered by tropical colors will.

Reviewer: Nell Beram

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Ziyue Chen. After acting selfishly, Mela gets lost in the jungle near her northern Thai village. She requests help from different animals, offering her possessions as rewards. Ultimately, only a kindly elephant helps her, and for nothing in return. Mela learns a valuable lesson about generosity and gratitude in this original fable with a folkloric, repetitive cadence and verdant digital illustrations. Includes a note on Thailand.

Reviewer: Melinda Greenblatt

(3) 4-6 Illustrated by Kristjana S. Williams. Five linked stories expand the adventures of Kipling's Mowgli. The first four stories illustrate important qualities and skills through the experiences of Mother Wolf, Bagheera the panther, Baloo the bear, and Kaa the snake. In the final tale, Mowgli draws on each lesson to prevail over his own adversary, the great white ape. Williams's illustrations add interest, but Rundell's storytelling is the star of this collection.

Reviewer: Megan Lynn Isaac

(4) YA After volcanic activity upends Snub's gorilla family in prehistoric Africa, Snub cares for her baby brother and abandoned "not-gorilla" Orphan (a human girl). But Snub's other interactions with the new, two-legged predators turn violent. Unlike Schrefer's previous three volumes (Endangered and others), this novel is in free verse with a third-person perspective. While not entirely convincing, the narrative provides an intriguing glimpse into gorilla consciousness and prehistory. Reading list.

Reviewer: Carolyn Shute

(2) 1-3 With additional illustrations by George Boorujy. Shoe-making donkey Francis is thrilled when calypso singer, Miss Manatee, places a special order. When Francis (carrying a field guide with illustrations by Boorujy) and his bird friend Rhoda enter the jungle in search of wild tiger grass for the order, they make a surprising discovery. The cartoon panels in this silly and delightfully odd early-reader graphic novel's six chapters are filled with informational matter about South American jungles.

Reviewer: Julie Danielson | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 2018

(3) K-3 First Facts: Animal Rulers series. This series showcases predators that dominate their food chains. Each book briefly describes characteristics that help creatures--such as the scorpion (Deserts), Bengal tiger (Jungles), and great white shark (Oceans)--not only survive but rule their habitats. The small volumes offer vivid photographs and interesting content; fact sidebars and same-page vocabulary definitions are helpful design elements. Reading list. Glos., ind. Review covers these First Facts: Animal Rulers titles: Kings of the Deserts, Kings of the Jungles, and Kings of the Oceans.

Reviewer: Luther B. Clegg

(4) 4-6 Illustrated by Arree Chung. Eleven-year-old Ronald Zupan sets out with the requisite sidekicks to rescue his artifact-hunting parents, enduring pirates, poison arrows, a plane crash, and more. Told in alternating voices, Ronald exaggerates the story while his butler, Thomas, tries to keep things grounded in reality. Accompanied by appealing spot- and full-page black-and-white illustrations, the adventures become rather tedious in spite of their variety.

Reviewer: Renée Wheeler