Spi-Ku
A Clutter of Short Verse on Eight Legs
by Leslie Bulion
illustrated by Robert Meganck

We’ve met tiny critters living in the leaf litter layer, soared with the best and brightest denizens of the bird world, and bounced along with the lively participants of the amphibian acrobat show. Now, dive back in to the entertaining world of science poetry with Spi-Ku, a humorous exploration of the silk-spinning, bungee-jumping, hunting, trapping, trick-filled world of spiders!

Meet spitting spiders spinning prey-pinning silk, scuba diving spiders donning snazzy silver bubbles, bulky, burrowing, trap-setting spiders, and so much more. Watch as the Tiger Wandering Spider attracts mates with her perfumed silk trail, or perhaps hitch a ride with some Dock Spider eggs as they travel in their mother’s jaws. Award-winning author and master of science poetry Leslie Bulion’s clutter (a collective noun for spiders) of Haiku and other short poems pairs wonderfully with Robert Meganck’s humorous illustrations to celebrate the amazing attributes of Araneae.

Read on for helpful sidebars, call-outs, and backmatter, including a glossary of science terms, notes about the poetic forms, a list of common and scientific names, a spider-hunting adventure how-to, resources for further study, and a relative-size chart. This must-read is sure to entertain little scientists, young animal fans, and lovers of all things with eight legs!

See more of these fascinating creatures in this excerpt, and the eight-legged fun never has to end with this teacher’s guide.

Explore more science poetry from Leslie Bulion!

“Cheerfully illustrated… As always, Bulion uses both evocative vocabulary and a variety of poetic forms; these are chosen with care and defined in the backmatter… Engaging and information rich, this is wonderfully well woven.” —Kirkus Reviews, STARRED REVIEW

“Notes on poetic form are on hand for readers who gravitate to the “A” in their STEAM curriculum, but the verses are also effective as mnemonic devices…teasing wordplay…and wry Gorey-esque bait for the spider grossout fans… Meganck’s digital artwork balances light-hearted cartooning with reliably detailed anatomical drawing.” —Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Book

Find Spi-Ku spinning onto a bookshelf near you this March at your local library, indie bookstore, or Barnes & Noble, and be sure to check out the rest of our brand-new picture books and middle grade and YA titles coming to Peachtree this season!

Arlo the Lion Who Couldn’t Sleep
by Catherine Rayner

★ “Spellbinding…alluringly tranquil… Gentle and gorgeous.” —Kirkus Reviews, STARRED REVIEW

Eek! A Noisy Journey from A to Z
by Julie Larios
illustrated by Julie Paschkis

★ “An absolute zoo of an ABC book—in the best possible way.” —Kirkus Reviews, STARRED REVIEW

Hat Tricks
by Satoshi Kitamura

★ “Dynamic, fun-filled, imaginative, and ideal for participatory reading aloud.” —Kirkus Reviews, STARRED REVIEW

Madeline Finn and the Therapy Dog
by Lisa Papp

★ “A beautifully designed introduction to the lives of therapy dogs and how much work goes into becoming one.” —School Library Journal, STARRED REVIEW

Bo the Brave
by Bethan Woollvin

★ “A great book to delve into what heroes are made of. Highly recommended for elementary libraries.” —School Library Journal, STARRED REVIEW

Life in a Frozen World
by Mary Batten
illustrated by Thomas Gonzalez

★ “Informative…fascinating… The text makes a compelling case for understanding and caring about Antarctica.” —School Library Journal, STARRED REVIEW

The Society of Distinguished Lemmings
by Julie Colombet

★ “Even the most rule-bound reader will be cheered up by these stodgy lemmings.” —Kirkus Reviews, STARRED REVIEW

William Still and His Freedom Stories
The Father of the Underground Railroad
by Don Tate

Kirkus Reviews Best Picture Book Biography of 2020

Chicago Public Library’s Best of the Best Books of 2020

BCALA 2020 Best of the Best Booklist

★ “Brings deserved attention to the life of a man who dedicated himself to recording the lives of others.” —Kirkus Reviews, STARRED REVIEW

★ “An illuminating picture book biography of a lesser-known hero.” —Publishers Weekly, STARRED REVIEW

★ “Inspirational.”—School Library Journal, STARRED REVIEW

Amphibian Acrobats
by Leslie Bulion
illustrated by Robert Meganck

Denver Public Library’s Best and Brightest Children’s Poetry of 2020

★ “A completely satisfying package… Child readers and educators will find themselves enthralled by short, punchy poems and the science behind them.” —Kirkus Reviews, STARRED REVIEW

★ “Once again, Bulion awes—and ewws—readers with facts disguised as fun.”—Booklist, STARRED REVIEW

The Candy Mafia
by Lavie Tidhar
illustrated by Daniel Duncan

★ “It won’t take a detective to spot Willie Wonka, as well as Sam Spade, hidden in the tongue-in-cheek caper’s literary DNA.” —Booklist, STARRED REVIEW

Spi-KuA Clutter of Short Verse on Eight Legs
Written by Leslie Bulion
Illustrated by Robert Meganck

Welcome to the silk-spinning, bungee-jumping, hunting, trapping, trick-filled world of spiders! Watch as they find mates, find prey…or find mates that become prey! Award-winning poet Leslie Bulion and illustrator Robert Meganck team up again for this clutter (a collective noun for spiders) of Haiku and other short poems and humorously accurate illustrations that celebrate the amazing attributes of Araneae. A feast for science and animal fans and a bonanza for teachers and students interested in cross-curricular studies!

Looking for more information about these rolling, diving, web-weaving creatures? Check out this teacher’s guide for spider-themed fun in the classroom!

Order Spi-Ku from Bookshop.org, Amazon, or Barnes & Noble just in time for some at-home poetry month celebration.

Amphibian Acrobats
Written by Leslie Bulion
Illustrated by Robert Meganck

Step right up and learn all about the lively participants in the Amphibian Acrobat show—from the agile Wallace’s flying frog to the bouncing Venezuelan pebble toad to the tricky yellow-eyed ensatina. These show-stopping creatures hail from around the world and your own backyard! Come along and get to know all about these lively denizens with this entertaining collection of science verses from author Leslie Bulion. Illustrator Robert Meganck’s witty drawings add another layer of fun to this humorous and informative exhibition.

Can’t get enough of these talented critters? Check out this teacher’s guide for more amphibian learning fun!

Order Amphibian Acrobats from Bookshop.org, Amazon, or Barnes & Noble just in time for some at-home poetry month celebration.

Superlative Birds
Written by Leslie Bulion
Illustrated by Robert Meganck

Explore the fascinating world of superlative birds―from the bee hummingbird, the tiniest bird in the world, to the peregrine falcon, the fastest creature on Earth. Get to know all about the best and brightest―and smelliest!―denizens of the bird world with this collection of nonfiction science verses. You won’t need your binoculars to observe the superlative characteristics of these avian wonders. Author Leslie Bulion’s science glossary, notes on poetry forms, and resources for information about these extraordinary birds, and Robert Meganck’s enjoyable illustrations make this an informative and humorous gallery of the world’s most accomplished birds.

Fly further into the wonderful world of birds with this teacher’s guide!

Order Superlative Birds from Bookshop.org, Amazon, or Barnes & Noble just in time for some at-home poetry month celebration.

Leaf Litter Critters
Written by Leslie Bulion
Illustrated by Robert Meganck

Have fun on this poetic tour through the leaf litter layer and dig into the fascinating facts about the tiny critters who live there. Nineteen poems in a variety of verse forms with accompanying science notes take readers on a decomposer safari through the “brown food web,” from bacteria through tardigrades and on to rove beetle predators. Glossary, hands-on investigations, and resources are included in the back matter.

Check out this teacher’s guide, and dive deeper into the leaf litter layer.

Order Leaf Litter Critters from Bookshop.org, Amazon, or Barnes & Noble just in time for some at-home poetry month celebration.

Random Body Parts
Written by Leslie Bulion
Illustrated by Mike Lowery

Take a free-form trip though the human body with these humorous riddle poems. In these pages you will discover the astonishing answers to these questions such as, “Which body parts would wrap four times around the equator?” or “Which body part, if spread out flat, would cover a tennis court?” Put your cerebral cortex to work. Follow the anatomical, poetic, and visual clues to make a guess, then read the science notes to check your powers of riddle reasoning. You’ll even find hints from the greatest poet of them all―William Shakespeare!

Want to learn more about human anatomy? Download the free teacher’s guide.

Order Random Body Parts from Bookshop.org, Amazon, or Barnes & Noble just in time for some at-home poetry month celebration.

At the Sea Floor Café
Odd Ocean Critter Poems
Written by Leslie Bulion
Illustrated by Leslie Evans

Witty poems and elegant artwork introduce what’s on the menu for some unusual undersea creatures. The ocean is Earth’s largest ecosystem, and this clever collection of poems for kids describes the devious and surprising methods ocean denizens use to forage for food, capture prey, and trick predators. The poems bobble and swim effortlessly from page to page, leading readers from the snailshell home of the jeweled anemone crab to a raft of violet snails hanging upside down in their bubble houses. In addition to helpful resources included in the back matter, striking linoleum prints round out this title, which can be used across the curriculum.

Order At the Sea Floor Café from Bookshop.org, Amazon, or Barnes & Noble just in time for some at-home poetry month celebration.

Amphibian Acrobats
Written by Leslie Bulion
Illustrated by Robert Meganck

Author Leslie Bulion provides a science glossary, notes on poetry forms, and resources for information about these extraordinary animals. Illustrator Robert Meganck adds another layer of fun to this humorous and informative exhibition with his witty drawings.

Can’t get enough of these fascinating creatures? Follow along with Leslie as she teaches you how to fold a jumping amphibian acrobat and join Robert as he shows you how to draw a frog.

Keep exploring the amazing world of amphibians with this teacher’s guide.

“A completely satisfying package… It’s impossible not to warm to herpetology after reading aloud poems… Meganck’s wry cartoons amplify the humor. The backmatter, strong as the main text, serves young readers well but will also spur teachers interested in multidisciplinary units on to new heights… Child readers and educators will find themselves enthralled by short, punchy poems and the science behind them.” —Kirkus Reviews, STARRED REVIEW

“Using the same format as Superlative Birds (2019) and Leaf Litter Critters (2018), which never gets old, Bulion pairs jaunty poems with science notes…. The thorough yet equally spirited science notes complement the poems… Once again, Bulion awes—and ewws—readers with facts disguised as fun.”—Booklist, STARRED REVIEW

“Delightful… The joyful poems beg to be read aloud… The jaunty illustrations amplify the text’s humor….a fun and informative addition for nature lovers.” —School Library Journal

Find Amphibian Acrobats tumbling onto a bookshelf near you, available today at your local library, indie bookstore, or Barnes & Noble, and be on the lookout for the rest of our brand-new Spring 2020 titles as well as our picture books and middle grade titles back at Peachtree this season in paperback!

We hope you’ve caught the poetry bug as well, because we not only have some great poetry, but we also want to share a story about a great poet. So whether you want to read poetry or read about poetry this month, we’ve got you covered. Enjoy!

Poet: The Remarkable Story of George Moses Horton

Spi-Ku
A Clutter of Short Verse on Eight Legs
Leslie Bulion, award-winning educator favorite and master of science poetry, delivers a humorous exploration of the silk-spinning, bungee-jumping, hunting, trapping, trick-filled world of spiders! Meet spiders that spit silk, roll like wheels, scuba dive, hide under trap doors, strum tunes, and so much more.

Amphibian Acrobats
Step right up and learn all about the lively participants in the Amphibian Acrobat show—from the agile Wallace’s flying frog to the bouncing Venezuelan pebble toad to the tricky salamander called the yellow-eyed ensatina.

At the Sea Floor Café

Random Body Parts

Bring on the Birds; Stripes of All Types; Spectacular Spots; and Fabulous Fishes

Grow: A Novel in Verse

The author and illustrator who brought you Leaf Litter Critters are back with even more fun facts and humorous art! Explore the fascinating world of superlative birds―from the bee hummingbird, the tiniest bird in the world, to the peregrine falcon, the fastest creature on Earth.

Ever wonder which bird has the loudest voice? Which one builds the biggest nest or has the most feathers? Get to know all about the best and brightest―and smelliest!―denizens of the bird world with this collection of nonfiction science verses. You won’t need your binoculars to observe the superlative characteristics of these avian wonders. Follow along with a chickadee as it offers fun asides to each of the poems and provides hints to the special traits that only birds share. Readers can even scan a QR code for one of the poems and sing along!

An example of one of the talented birds featured is the lyrebird, known to have the fanciest courtship and best mimic. This copycat (or copy-bird), can imitate all kinds of sounds, from other bird songs to human-made noises. Watch and hear for yourself:

With a science glossary, notes on the various poetry forms, and resources for more information included in Superlative Birds, readers can continue to learn about these amazing animals and their unique talents and qualities. Witty and accurate illustrations add another layer of fun to this humorous and informative gallery. You might even discover a new favorite! Ideal for cross-curricular learning and a great read-aloud for National Poetry Month and beyond, this book is perfect for budding birders and science or poetry fans alike.

★ “With characteristic humor and carefully crafted language, poet Bulion offers readers amazing facts about birds of our world…. These engaging poems read aloud beautifully…. Meganck’s digital illustrations reflect the humorous tone…. Excellent resources for further bird study complete this delightful offering. Entertaining and educational, a superlative package.”
―Kirkus Reviews, STARRED REVIEW

★ “Fascinating facts… Meganck’s illustrations are one-dimensional and friendly, placing the birds against uncluttered backgrounds while clearly emphasizing the characteristic being highlighted by each poem.”
―Booklist, STARRED REVIEW

You might notice on the half-title page spread, illustrator Robert Meganck’s art alludes to his and Leslie Bulion’s previous book, Leaf Litter Critters. Can you find the hint in Superlative Birds about their next book? Look carefully or you could miss it!

Get your own copy of Superlative Birds on Amazon or at your local library, indie bookstore, or Barnes & Noble!

]]> https://peachtree-online.com/2019/02/superlative-birds-fascinating-facts-in-varying-verses/feed/ 2000 https://peachtree-online.com/2018/11/holiday-gift-guide-for-the-budding-bibliophile/ https://peachtree-online.com/2018/11/holiday-gift-guide-for-the-budding-bibliophile/#comments Mon, 12 Nov 2018 18:00:07 +0000 https://peachtree-online.com/?p=28015 Shopping for the holidays can be stressful when you’re trying to figure out the perfect gift for everyone on your list. But this year we’ve got you covered! Encourage a love of reading by giving a book this holiday. Find the perfect gift for every young reader in your life with our 2018 Holiday Gift Guide!

For: The Budding Bibliophile

The Bookshop Girl
Written by Sylvia Bishop
Illustrated by Poly Bernatene

The Joneses have just won the Great Montgomery Book Emporium in a contest, and it’s every book lover’s dream! But the previous owner is hiding something that could destroy absolutely everything for the Joneses. Property Jones has a whopper of a secret too—and it might just be the key to saving her family and their bookshop from the clutches of a nasty villain.

Readers will fall in love with Property Jones and her cantankerous kitten side-kick as well as the beautiful descriptions throughout the story, and they will be in awe of how magical bookstores can be. Read an excerpt here.

Ebenezer Has a Word for Everything
Written by Chelsea H. Rowe
Illustrated by Frank Dormer

No one seems to understand Ebenezer’s work collections, but his efforts are finally appreciated when he meets Fitzgerald. Fitzgerald doesn’t have a word collection—but he does have lots of ideas. Together, they can make stories.

Ebenezer and Fitzgerald demonstrate the creative ways in which words, and language as a whole, can expand and evolve through collaboration with others. For the future storyteller or wordsmith in your life, show your budding bibliophile how fun words (and stories) can be when with a friend. Read an excerpt here.

Miguel’s Brave Knight:
Young Cervantes and His Dream of Don Quixote
Written by Margarita Engle
Illustrated by Raúl Colón

This fictionalized first-person biography in verse follows the early years of the child who grows up to pen Don Quixote, the first modern novel.

Available in both English and Spanish, this moving picture book shows young readers the importance of “never quitting their daydreams.” Miguel’s story is a reminder that passion and personal belief in oneself can go a long way, especially on the side of creativity and hard work. Read an excerpt here.

The Cheshire Cheese Cat:
A Dickens of a Tale
Written by Carmen Agra Deedy & Randall Wright
Illustrated by Barry Moser

In this playful homage to Charles Dickens, unlikely allies learn the lessons of a great friendship. Take a trip back to Victorian England with an alley cat named Skilley and an erudite mouse, Pip as they are drawn into a crisis of monumental proportions that threatens the peace not only of the Cheshire Cheese Inn but also the British Monarchy!

With its playful puns, entertaining and well-rounded characters, and delightful illustrations, The Cheshire Cheese Cat will make any young reader a lover of language and stories. Young readers will be flipping through the pages to learn the how Skilley and Pip’s conclusion unveils in the end. Read an excerpt here.

Find these titles and more at your local library, indie bookstore, or Barnes & Noble. Still looking for more great ideas? Our 2018 Holiday Gift Guide has even more gift recommendations for your little readers this holiday season!

In this interview, Spanish translators Teresa Mlawer and Georgina Lázaro share their experience translating Miguel’s Brave Knight and explain the importance of translating literature for children.

Q: What are your own connections to Cervantes’s story of Don Quixote? 

GL: Yes, the fact that Miguel’s Brave Knight is about young Cervantes dreaming about the knight he wants to write about someday and my Don Quijote para siempre (Don Quixote Forever) and Don Quijote a carcajadas (Don Quixote’s Laughter) are about that same knight as children will see him, makes a connection. The previous works and this translation are intended for young readers, and one of the goals of all three is not only to tell a story they will enjoy but also to familiarize them with one the most important books of all times, and to make them appreciate the beauty of our Spanish language.Q: What does your translation process look like?

TM: I read the book in English a few times before I start to work on the translation. Then I proceed to translate page by page. When I have finished the translation, I let it “rest” for a while, then I go back to the translation to see if it sounds right, or if I need to make some changes to the text before submitting the final translation.

GL: My translation process looks very much like my writing process. I think about it as part of my work. Although the book is already written, translation demands not only lots of attention to words and language. It involves, contrary to what many people think, imagination and creativity to transmit not only words and ideas, but also feelings and cadence.

To start, I read the original text several times and do some research. If it is poetry, I consider the structure, its rhyme and rhythm. When I’m working sometimes I write down several options for some words. Then, at the end of a verse or a page I read it aloud and choose the one that is closer in meaning to the original, that reproduces better the music of the text, and that delights the most.

Every day, as I do when I’m writing a book, I read what I have done the day before and then go for some more until the end. When the work is finished, I let it stand for several days and read it with “new eyes” later to modify or add, if necessary, the finishing touches. Sometimes translating feels like a challenging game. Like solving crosswords puzzles, translating offers me lots of special moments, knowledge, inspiration, vocabulary, and skills to improve as a writer.

Q: What kind of research, if any, do you conduct in order to select the correct form or context of translation?

GL: I read the book several times to be sure I understand it completely and to immerse myself in its tone and atmosphere. Usually I read about the author and some of his or her books and writings to learn more about his or her style and voice.

I also read information in Spanish on the theme of the book to learn more about it and to familiarize myself with its vocabulary.

For Miguel’s Brave Knight, I researched about Miguel de Cervantes, especially his childhood and youth, and read again some chapters of Don Quijote de la Mancha to focus particularly on the vocabulary and idiomatic expressions of the time and place in which the novel takes place.

Q: What about translating Miguel’s Brave Knight was most challenging?

GL: I had never translated free verse poetry. When I write I use the traditional poetic forms. For me it comes naturally and effortless. And it has an advantage: if you follow the rules you are sure to achieve music and rhythm. With free verse it is more subjective. You have to trust the words you choose and your ears to capture the music of the original text. I had never attempted that, so I spent lots of time and effort choosing the right words and reading the text aloud many times, over and over again, to be sure our translation was as delicate, and delightful to the ear as the original.

TM: Translating Miguel’s Brave Knight was definitely a challenge because of Margarita’s free verse style. However, I believe that Georgina and I were able to accomplish this goal.

Q: Is communication with the author important to your process? 

TM: I don’t always communicate with the author when doing a translation. I only reach out to the author or the editor if I need to clarify something. In the case of Miguel y su valiente caballero I did communicate with Margarita Engle. Her style is so unique that I wanted to make sure that Georgina and I preserved her style and were truthful to her voice.

GL: In this case it was not only very important, but advantageous. Teresa knows Margarita Engle and had talked to her and knew what she wanted to achieve and what was in her heart and mind when she wrote the book. A few times we were not sure about a particular word, phrase, or idea. It was a blessing that she was accessible and willing to dispel our doubts.

Q: How many drafts of translation did you produce before the finished product was achieved?

GL: Oh! That I cannot tell. Many. Lots. This translation was very different from the others I have done before because I was not working alone.

We assigned ourselves one or two pages each week and we both translated those same few pages. Then each one of us read the work of the other, and chose words, phrases, or even verses of one translation or the other. Sometimes we ended up with a different new page. By this point we already had three or four drafts of a page.

Q: What was it like working with another translator on Miguel’s Brave Knight?

GL: This translation was very different from all the others I have done. I have worked a lot with Teresa Mlawer but in a different way. Usually I write or translate and she edits. Sometimes I help her with the rhymes and metrics of some of her translations. On this occasion, for the first time, we both worked as translators of the same text. As I have said earlier, we assigned ourselves one or two pages each week and we both translated those same few pages. Then each one read the work of the other, and chose words, phrases or verses from one translation or the other to achieve the best end results. We talked a lot on the phone considering each other’s point of view. Sometimes we thought about our differences and options for a few days or even looked for a third opinion.

To write is a solitary work. Working with another person can be a real challenge. I thought it was going to be difficult to work with another translator. Working with Teresa was different, but also stimulating and fun.

TM: I have worked with Georgina Lázaro before. We make a good team and complement each other. This was indeed a team effort and a work of love for both Georgina and myself.

Q: How important are cultural appropriateness, language authenticity, and accuracy of locale to the translation of a text such as Miguel’s Brave Knight? Do you feel it is important to have a Spanish translation of this text? 

TM: Cultural appropriateness, language authenticity, and accuracy of any text to be translated is extremely important. Because of the subject matter of the story I feel it was extremely important to have this book translated into the language of Miguel de Cervantes.

GL: Yes, I think it is important and necessary to have a Spanish translation of this text. Such a beautiful book about the author of the most famous and important book written in Spanish needs to reach Spanish readers.

To take notice of cultural appropriateness, language authenticity, and accuracy of locale is essential to be able to have a trustworthy text, without disparities, and to succeed in getting the reader to feel as if the new text is not a translation.

Q: Is language or intent more important to a work like Miguel’s Brave Knight?

TM: I would say that both are important, but when it comes to Cervantes, the language is extremely important.

Q: What is the crucial difference between authentic literature and translation literature?

TM: To me there is no crucial difference between authentic literature and literature in translation, as long as both are well written.

Q: What are some of the differences between translating literature and poetry?

TM: Poetry is definitely more of a challenge, especially if you are translating the words of someone as talented and unique as Margarita Engle.

GL: To translate an informative text or a cookbook, for example, you have to be meticulous and precise; there’s no room for creativity. To translate literature and poetry is more difficult. As in all translations, you have to look for accuracy in the words you choose. But besides meaning you have to consider the sound of the words, the music and the tone they create, the rhythm and cadence of the sentences. Especially with poetry the translated text should be read as a poem written in the new language and the translator becomes kind of a creator. This question makes me think of something actress Marta Poveda says: “To do prose is like running by the beach, to do poetry is like running through water.”

Q: What do you enjoy most about translating?

GL: What I enjoy most about translating is the challenge and the fun of it. It reminds me of the days I used to solve crosswords puzzles with my father, especially if it involves the rhyme and rhythm of traditional poetic forms. It is like a game, like a riddle. Like this:

TM: When I look back to my career as a translator I like what I see. It has been and it continues to be a very rewarding experience for me. Therefore, I would say to any aspiring translators: If that’s what you really like to do, go for it!

Q: What do you hope to inspire through your work in translation?

TM: I have to admit that I do translations because I love language and I love children’s literature. However, my goal is to be able to translate into Spanish many of the wonderful children’s books published in English so that Hispanic children will have the opportunity to read all these books in their language.

GL: What I want with my translations is to expose the work of other writers, to make available good books written in English to Spanish-speaking readers or to readers who are learning Spanish. As with my own books I expect children to discover that reading is fun, exciting, and stimulating.

Find  Miguel y su valiente caballero at your local library, indie bookstore, or Barnes & Noble! For more information about the story behind Miguel’s Brave Knight, check out our interview with author Margarita Engle and illustrator Raúl Colón as well as a guest post from Margarita Engle about why she wrote this important and inspiring story.

Nineteen poems in a variety of verse forms with accompanying science notes take readers on a decomposer safari through the “brown food web,” from bacteria through tardigrades and on to rove beetle predators. Glossary, hands-on investigations, and resources are included in the back matter.

“Bulion stuffs her poems with scientific detail and puts even more into accompanying “science notes.” Meganck’s cartoons strike sillier notes…balancing all of the information Bulion provides with hefty doses of fun.” —Publishers Weekly