“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

“Abundant scientific information, poetry, and colorful cartoon illustrations…scientific concepts are clearly conveyed, incorporating lively, sometimes icky touches…the enthusiastic tone will help readers find plenty to engage, inform, and intrigue.” —Booklist

“Readers will want to devour the pages… The approachable and accessible verse will make adults and children want to explore the natural world and discover a clutter of spiders…. A fun collection of factual poetry to add to shelves.” —School Library Journal  

“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

“Poet Leslie Bulion and illustrator Robert Meganck’s latest collaboration will please fans of their previous collections of science themed poetry. This title…teaches as much as it entertains… Meganck’s whimsical illustrations complement the light-hearted verse. Overall, this is a solid choice for libraries that will enhance both poetry and nonfiction collections.” —School Library Connection   

Leslie Bulion is the author of several children’s books, including Uncharted Waters, The Trouble With Rules, and Fatuma’s New Cloth, winner of the African Studies Association’s 2002 Children’s Africana Books. She lives in Connecticut. You can visit  her website here.

Designer and illustrator Robert Meganck is a professor of illustration, graphic design, digital imaging, and color theory at Virginia Commonwealth University.  He received a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from the Center for Creative Studies in Detroit, MI and an MFA from Cranbrook Academy of Art in Bloomfield Hills, MI.  He has received over 300 regional, national, and international awards for illustration and graphic design work. He lives in Virginia.

“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

Notable Poetry Books and Verse Novels List —National Council of Teachers of English, 2021

Eureka! Nonfiction Children’s Book Award Silver Honor —California Reading Association, 2020

Leslie Bulion is the author of several children’s books, including Uncharted Waters, The Trouble With Rules, and Fatuma’s New Cloth, winner of the African Studies Association’s 2002 Children’s Africana Books. She lives in Connecticut. You can visit  her website here.

Designer and illustrator Robert Meganck is a professor of illustration, graphic design, digital imaging, and color theory at Virginia Commonwealth University.  He received a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from the Center for Creative Studies in Detroit, MI and an MFA from Cranbrook Academy of Art in Bloomfield Hills, MI.  He has received over 300 regional, national, and international awards for illustration and graphic design work. He lives in Virginia.

“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

“A “top of the class” example of combining two different subjects that are approachable and a joy to read. A win for science and English classrooms.” —School Library Journal

“Bulion is an accomplished wordsmith…. Illustration is engrossing, imaginative, instructive, and deftly calibrated to the tone of the text…there’s enough trivia here to stoke middle grade know-it-alls. Even readers who are merely on fact-finding missions, though, will be impressed by the breadth and engagement of Bulion’s chosen poetry forms…. In works such as Superlative Birds, the collaboration of poetry and science invites children of varying reading preferences, learning styles, and worldviews to enter nature study through their own chosen door.” —The Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books, STARRED REVIEW

Notable Poetry Books and Verse Novels List —National Council of Teachers of English, 2020

Connecticut Book Award (Finalist, Young Readers: Picture Books) —Connecticut Center for the Book, 2020

Delaware Diamonds (Nominee, 3-5) ―Diamond State Reading Association, 2020-2021

Kansas State Reading Circle Recommended Reading List (Intermediate) ―Kansas National Education Association, 2020

Pennsylvania Young Reader’s Choice Awards (Nominee, Grades 3-5) ―Pennsylvania School Librarians Association, 2021-2022

Leslie Bulion is the author of several children’s books, including Uncharted Waters, The Trouble With Rules, and Fatuma’s New Cloth, winner of the African Studies Association’s 2002 Children’s Africana Books. She lives in Connecticut. You can visit  her website here.

Designer and illustrator Robert Meganck is a professor of illustration, graphic design, digital imaging, and color theory at Virginia Commonwealth University.  He received a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from the Center for Creative Studies in Detroit, MI and an MFA from Cranbrook Academy of Art in Bloomfield Hills, MI.  He has received over 300 regional, national, and international awards for illustration and graphic design work. He lives in Virginia.

“With the assistance of Mlawer and Lázaro, National Young People’s Poet Laureate Engle brings to children the childhood of the great storyteller Miguel de Cervantes y Saavedra in his native tongue….the Spanish translation by Mlawer and Lázaro beautifully captures the rhythm and language of the original…. Colón’s remarkable pen-and-ink-and-watercolor illustrations have an old-masters quality that perfectly complements the narrative… This is a worthy translation of a beautiful and engaging book.” ―Kirkus Reviews, STARRED REVIEW

“Young readers will relate to Miguel’s constant daydreaming and to his wild imaginings of a hero who can right wrongs…. Teresa Mlawer and Georgina Lázaro’s Spanish translation of Miguel’s Brave Knight (2017) ring true to Engle’s poetic voice.” ―Booklist

Best Children’s Picture Books of the Year in Spanish ―Bank Street College of Education, 2019

Tejas Star Reading List―Texas Library Association, 2019-2020

Margarita Engle is the Cuban-American author of many verse books, including a Newbery Honor winner, The Surrender Tree; a PEN USA Award winner, The Lightning Dreamer; and a verse memoir, Enchanted Air, winner of many awards, including an inaugural Walter Dean Myers Award Honor and the Lee Bennett Hopkins Poetry Award. Margarita’s books have also received three Pura Belpré Awards and four Américas Awards, as well as a Jane Addams Award, International Reading Association Award, Claudia Lewis Poetry Award, and the Charlotte Zolotow Award. In 2017, the Poetry Foundation named her the Young People’s Poet Laureate. Margarita grew up in Los Angeles, but developed a deep attachment to her mother’s homeland during summers with her extended family in Cuba. She was trained as a botanist and agronomist before becoming a full-time poet and novelist.

Raúl Colón was born in New York City in December of 1952 and moved with his parents in the 1960s to Caguas, Puerto Rico, where he studied commercial art. In 1978 Colón made Florida his home, working at an educational television center designing everything from puppets to short animated films. In 1988 the artist settled with his family in New City, New York, and began a freelance career. Today, Colón continues to be a versatile and acclaimed illustrator whose work has appeared in important national publications. An award-winning illustrator of over thirty books for children, Colón has received a Golden Kite Award, a Pura Belpré Award, and both a gold and silver medal in The Original Art show.

“Engle’s poems are lyrical yet direct… Colón’s pen, ink, and watercolor illustrations (inspired by the prints of Gustav Doré) accompany every poem bringing Engle’s words into sharp focus…. An intriguing, lightly fictionalized introduction to an iconic author, this will encourage readers to learn more about the first modern novel.” ―Booklist, STARRED REVIEW

“Beautiful and engaging, this book will inspire readers to find out more.” ―Kirkus Reviews, STARRED REVIEW

“Colón’s pen-and-ink and watercolor illustrations are paired perfectly with the text and the subject…This expressive picture book biography presents a solid argument for why Cervantes should be revered as an important figure in the Western canon. A gorgeous and well-crafted work for all nonfiction collections.” ―School Library Journal, STARRED REVIEW

“Margarita Engle (The Wild Book) and Raúl Colón (Draw!) combine their formidable strengths to create Miguel’s First Knight, an inspiring story of tenacious hope and indelible grit….what shines forth is the power of imagination to transcend hardship and injustice. As portals to creativity, Engle and Colón prove how ‘[s]ome daydreams really do/ come true.’” ―Shelf Awareness, STARRED REVIEW

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“Poems about contemporaneous events—the plague, book burning—add depth to Engle’s representation of the era. Colón’s noble portraits, done in pen, ink, and watercolor, recall the work of classic popularizers such as N.C. Wyeth and the D’Aulaires. Even readers who don’t progress to Cervantes’s own work will come away with an indelible sense of the story and its creator.” —Publishers Weekly

“Engle supplies historical, biographical, and literary context in her appended notes, making this a flexible piece for classroom use, readalouds, and independent reading. Says Miguel, ‘I still carry invisible stories/ in my head, my daydreamed tales/ help calm/ my worries.’ If ever a theme can connect children over a span of five hundred years, this is it.” ―The Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books

“The illustrations perfectly complement each poem and add a dream-like quality to the storytelling. I would highly recommend this as an addition for a biography or poetry collection. This would be a great read aloud (either all the poems or a selection) to assist with introducing classic literature to any audience.” ―School Library Connection

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Cybils (Finalist, Poetry) ―Cybils, 2017

Best Children’s Books of the Year ―Bank Street College of Education, 2018

Notable Social Studies Trade Books for Young People ―National Council for the Social Studies/Children’s Book Council, 2018

Notable Children’s Books in the Language Arts ―Children’s Literature Assembly, NCTE

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International Latino Book Awards (Finalist, Best Children’s Nonfiction Picture Book) ―Latino Book & Family Festival, Latino Literacy Now, 2018

Land of Enchantment Book Awards (Nominee, Grades 3-5) ―New Mexico Library Association, New Mexico Council of ILA, 2020-2021

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Margarita Engle is the Cuban-American author of many verse books, including a Newbery Honor winner, The Surrender Tree; a PEN USA Award winner, The Lightning Dreamer; and a verse memoir, Enchanted Air, winner of many awards, including an inaugural Walter Dean Myers Award Honor and the Lee Bennett Hopkins Poetry Award. Margarita’s books have also received three Pura Belpré Awards and four Américas Awards, as well as a Jane Addams Award, International Reading Association Award, Claudia Lewis Poetry Award, and the Charlotte Zolotow Award. In 2017, the Poetry Foundation named her the Young People’s Poet Laureate. Margarita grew up in Los Angeles, but developed a deep attachment to her mother’s homeland during summers with her extended family in Cuba. She was trained as a botanist and agronomist before becoming a full-time poet and novelist.

Raúl Colón was born in New York City in December of 1952 and moved with his parents in the 1960s to Caguas, Puerto Rico, where he studied commercial art. In 1978 Colón made Florida his home, working at an educational television center designing everything from puppets to short animated films. In 1988 the artist settled with his family in New City, New York, and began a freelance career. Today, Colón continues to be a versatile and acclaimed illustrator whose work has appeared in important national publications. An award-winning illustrator of over thirty books for children, Colón has received a Golden Kite Award, a Pura Belpré Award, and both a gold and silver medal in The Original Art show.

Leslie Bulion is the author of several children’s books, including Uncharted Waters, The Trouble With Rules, and Fatuma’s New Cloth, winner of the African Studies Association’s 2002 Children’s Africana Books. She lives in Connecticut. You can visit her website here.

Mike Lowery is a professor of illustration at the Savannah College of Art and Design Atlanta and has illustrated several books for young readers. He lives in Georgia. You can visit his website here.

“Engaging and accessible” ―School Library Journal

“A handsome new effort…worth noting…fun, golly-gee stuff, enhanced by Michael Montgomery’s lovely oil illustrations.” ―Atlanta Journal-Constitution

“Notable… fascinating…This truly is a book that will entertain people of all ages.” ―The Bloomsbury Review

Children’s Book Award (Nominee) ―Florida Reading Association, 2003-2004

Michael G. Montgomery has illustrated numerous children’s books. He attended Georgia Southern University and the University of Georgia. He lives in Georgia. You can visit his website here.

Wayne Montgomery, a graduate of Mercer University, started the first large sports training facility in middle Georgia. He lived in Georgia until his death.

Juanita Havill is the author of more than thirty books for children, including Grow; I Heard it From Alice Zucchini;Jamaica’s Find (Reading Rainbow Review Book, IRA-CBC Children’s Choice, and the Ezra Jack Keats New Writer Award); Jamaica Tag-Along (American Bookseller Pick of the Lists); and Sato and the Elephants (NCSS Notable Trade Book for Young People). She lives and gardens in Arizona.

Stanislawa Kodman is known best by her cats, who say she spends way too much time drawing, playing with letterforms, and watching movies, instead of entertaining them during their few waking minutes. The pressures of a muse are great but such is the life of a cat.

Ruth Tiller is the author of several picture books, including Cats Vanish Slowly, Wishing, and Cinnamon, Mint, and Mothballs, which was named an Honor Book recipient for the Marion Vannett Ridgway Memorial Award and featured as a “Flying Start” in Publishers Weekly. She holds a master’s degree in English literature from Georgia State University and lives in California.

Laura L. Seeley holds a degree in fine arts from the Rochester Institute of Technology. She has written and illustrated numerous children’s books. She lives in California. You can visit her website here.

“This gathering of humorous poetry and fascinating facts should be welcomed as a companion to Bulion and Evans’ previous collaboration, Hey There, Stink Bug! (2006) —even the surprise among the school of krill on the endpapers will make readers smile.” ―Kirkus Reviews

“Beguiling lines should spark readers’ interest in poetry and marine biology alike” ―Publishers Weekly

“The attractive design features appealing colors and block-print illustration” ―School Library Journal

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“Poetry and prose describe various fascinating creatures. Hand-colored block prints enliven each page. Includes glossary, sources, and information about the poetic forms.” ―Bank Street College of Education

“Light and humorous overall, the collection employs a variety of poetic techniques and forms…Leslie Evans’ hand-colored block prints are a striking complement to the text.” ―Parents’ Choice

“How do you categorize a book full of delightful poems, intriguing sea creature facts, and the specifics on how to replicate the poetry forms? Librarians will wrestle with this problem, but finding readers for this book will be no problem… an irresistible addition to both school and library collections. Perhaps a copy in both poetry and nature is in order so that the book is not overlooked.” ―Children’s Literature

“The poems swim effortlessly from page to page, leading readers from the snail shell home of the jeweled anemone crab on the ocean floor, to a violet snail hanging upside down in its bubble house on the sea’s surface” ―Good Morning Connecticut

“This little gem is masterfully crafted with both a poem and an informational paragraph about a sea creature on each page. As kids read about snapping shrimp and Osedax worms (among others), they will be amazed at the way Bulion, who holds a graduate degree in oceanography among other things, artfully integrates key content into her poems.” ―Perfect Pairings

“Poems introduce sea creatures and their habitats using different poetic forms (e.g., concrete, for two voices). Factual information is provided with each poem. This small, attractive collection concludes with where to find out more and a brief explanation of the poetic forms.” ―Reading Rockets

“The book’s 18 poems explore fish, squid, and lesser-known marine animals like the coconut octopus; next to each poem is a brief description about the creature in the poem. But what makes this book super cool is that the poems are written in different styles. In the back of the book each poem’s style is explained, which can help everybuggy learn to write a similar poem!” ―Spider Magazine for Kids

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Parents’ Choice Recommended Award ―Parents’ Choice Foundation, 2011

Outstanding Science Trade Books for Students K-12 ―National Science Teachers Association, Children’s Book Council, 2012

Best Children’s Books of the Year ―Bank Street College of Education, 2012

Eureka! Gold Nonfiction Children’s Book Award ―California Reading Association, 2011

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Young Adult Top Forty ―Pennsylvania School Librarians Association, 2012

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Leslie Bulion is the author of several children’s books, including Uncharted Waters, The Trouble With Rules, and Fatuma’s New Cloth, winner of the African Studies Association’s 2002 Children’s Africana Books. She lives in Connecticut. You can visit  her website here.

Leslie Evans graduated with a degree in printmaking from Rhode Island School of Design and has worked as a designer and illustrator for many years. She is the illustrator of numerous children’s books, including Faces of the Moon and Hey There, Stink Bug! She lives in Massachusetts. You can visit her website here.