November 1, 2022
Just like schoolchildren, some animals line up regularly. Once again, Stockdale invites readers to marvel at the natural world, with examples of creatures who, surprisingly, share characteristics with humans. Dedicating her latest to "children who line up everywhere," she spotlights animals who do the same. Her interesting choices include creatures likely to be familiar and unfamiliar to the target audience and come from all over the world: mallards, African elephants, white-spotted pufferfish, Arctic wolves, ants, chinstrap penguins, spiny lobsters, and superb fairywrens, among others. Readers who have enjoyed earlier titles will recognize the format. Each spread covers a different species; two smoothly rhyming couplets introduce the creature and a significant fact. On the final spread, as the fairywrens line up on their branch to sleep, an extra couplet offers "sweet dreams" to bedtime listeners, too. The text is set directly on full-bleed images of the lined-up animals. These clean, flat acrylics, featuring solid colors, are simplified but clearly show the animals in their appropriate environments. The rhyme and rhythm make this a pleasure to read aloud; relatively large sans-serif type and repetition of opening lines will help those reading on their own. Backmatter thumbnails are captioned with more information about each of the creatures for the more capable child or adult reader. (This book was reviewed digitally.) Another remarkable reminder of nature's wonders. (Informational picture book. 3-7)
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January 16, 2023
“Have you ever been asked/ to line up in a row?/ Some animals do this/ when they’re on the go!” Beginning with a question that connects animalian experiences to those of human children, Stockdale’s jolly rhyming exploration of animal queues relays habits of birds, crustaceans, mammals, and more following a leader across diverse habitats. Upbeat narration directs and educates, detailing, for example, a spotted puffer lining up to be cleaned by other fish, and a hermit crab readying to select a new shell. While some critters go single-file to hunt or migrate, others relax: “Line up, tired turtle,/ and rest on a back./ Cozy up close/ while you’re propped in a stack.” Digitally styled acrylic art foregrounds wildlife sequences amid flat-hued natural environments: a procession of ants crawl up a tulip’s stalk; shrews chain through layers of autumn leaves. When fairywrens nestle in a sleepy string, it’s a chance to bid the reader good night following the fun- and fact-filled creature parade. Back matter offers more facts about each animal. Ages 2–5.
January 1, 2023
Preschool-Grade 2 Children who are constantly admonished to ""line up!"" will be interested to learn that many in the animal world also follow this decree. Using rhyming couplets Stockdale cites examples that include ducks, elephants, puffer fish, arctic wolves, flamingos, turtles, shrews, hermit crabs, ants, penguins, spiny lobsters, and fairywrens. For each creature, she describes their queuing behavior and explains its benefit. Arctic wolves, for example, line up to traverse snowy terrain so that the paw prints of the lead animal are visible to those who follow. The acrylic-on-paper illustrations are brightly colored; composed of flat, simple shapes and uncluttered backgrounds; and include judiciously placed, intricate patterns. The result is eye-catching and engaging with the emphasis always on the animals. Particularly effective are the spreads featuring turtles stacked upon one another to conserve body heat, hermit crabs selecting new and bigger shells, and dozing fairywrens leaning upon each other for warmth as they perch on a narrow branch. Appended with further information about each species, this makes a perfect STEM read-aloud.
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