Little kids remain the most prolific makers of all. Without access to income or even allowance, and allowed a great deal of aesthetic leeway in their finished products, young kids need and want to make things to give to all of the great people in their lives. Using this series, they can decorate premade picture frames, shape and decorate salt dough, and learn how to stamp and glue their way into the hearts of family, friends, and teachers. Steps are numbered and formatted vertically so that they’ll be easy to follow. Most projects include a planning step—always a good habit....

The focus of these sea creature profiles is on physical characteristics, with some data about behavior and life cycles. In Sea Horses, for example, readers learn how the animal’s tail, ridges, eyes, and pouch help it thrive. The progression of facts doesn’t always flow smoothly from one spread to the next, but the information is generally engaging. Photos are often quite effective. In Octopuses, for instance, images of suction cups and color changing are visually striking, though the depiction of the animal’s home is less successful. Of the four titles, Flying Fish is overly vague, lacking substantial information about habitat and...

Covering a wide variety of topics (morning routines, transportation and safety vehicles, etc.), this series is of relevance to new learners interested in the larger world around them. Each title opens with a “Words to Know Before You Read” page that allows caregivers to have conversations with little ones before reading the actual text. Using emergent literacy techniques, such as picture walks, is also encouraged. It’s Too Noisy! is the strongest in that it presents a timely topic (noise pollution) in an easy-to-understand picture book format. Softly hued illustrations depict kids and their families; however, the artwork is a bit...

The Weird, True Facts series tackles holidays in this high-interest offering, which takes a global look at strange celebrations. Examples of the different ways people celebrate the same holiday around the world abound, as do wacky religious traditions. Some have historical roots (like the Italian re-creation of the 1194 revolt), and others honor local beliefs (the Monkey Buffet Festival in Thailand), while others are far simpler (the Gilroy Garlic Festival in California). Each holiday gets only one brief paragraph, so this serves best as a jumping-off point, and more organization could have served to alleviate confusion (the color scheme sometimes...

Aided by a dynamic, photo-rich layout, this entry in the STEAM Jobs You'll Love series neatly and informatively explores careers in wildlife conservation. After a brief introduction to the field, it breaks down different potential career paths using STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, Mathematics). The most natural section, science, showcases jobs in ecology and forestry, while the technology section explains how new technological advances, such as remote-controlled cameras, help wildlife biologists get closer to wild animals. Similarly, conservation engineers work to show animals to people without negatively impacting their habitats, and wildlife photographers and illustrators make up the art section....