Daylight Starlight Wildlife

March 16, 2015
Minor (How Big Could Your Pumpkin Grow?) follows 20+ woodland creatures by day and by night in this measured volume. The animalsâwhich include foxes, toads, and squirrelsâinhabit grassy expanses and forested areas, and human-built environments are seldom in sight: a "wide-eyed barn owl silently swoops through the sky" near a house's peaked roof, and wild turkeys trot past a picket fence. Minor works in gouache and watercolor, with tiny brushstrokes and daubs characterizing his controlled paintings. While he devotes a full spread to a red-tailed hawk against a sun-drenched sky, he divides most of his spreads to show diurnal creatures and their nocturnal counterparts. "Chubby mother woodchuck and her cubs waddle out to munch in a meadow," and under a sprinkling of stars, "Fearless mother skunk leads her litter through the field." Minor's bucolic imagery suggests abundant space for humans and wildlife alike ("While you're resting, are raccoons racing by under the cover of night?"), and even if this green world is not an everyday reality for all readers, Minor's gentle scenes will draw them in. Ages 3â5.

March 1, 2015
An album of contrasts introduces diurnal and nocturnal animals. The attraction of this invitation to explore daytime and nighttime worlds is visual: appealing gouache-and-watercolor animal portraits display Minor's characteristic use of light and color, meticulous detail, and appreciation for nature. An opening spread shows most of the creatures described. Then each one is introduced, usually paired with contrasting animals on a spread, though there are occasional expansive double-page images. A red-tailed hawk is followed by a barn owl; rabbit and possum families face each other, as do a tiger swallowtail butterfly and luna moth, and so forth. Two or three lines of text explain each luminous painting, identifying the creature, the activity, and, often, the time of day: "Sprightly deer mouse scampers / down a log and finds a firefly. // As the sun rises, stealthy bobcat and her / kitten scope out the summer landscape." The line breaks support the design rather than the sense of the text; these are captions, not poems, but the language is interesting. Curiously, the introductory spread shows a bat, but the airborne nocturnal mammal described is a flying squirrel-a better companion for the gray squirrel that "scurries / all day." The book concludes with a spread of "fun facts," not seen.For storytime or laptime, another beautiful rendition of the natural world. (Picture book. 2-7)

Starred review from May 1, 2015

PreS-Gr 2-This gorgeous picture book provides a look at animals that are active during the day (diurnal), those who come out at night (nocturnal), and a few that appear at sunrise or twilight (crepuscular). Minor relies on simple, lyrical text ("Speedy gray squirrel scurries all day in search of acorns to store for winter.") and stunning, full-color paintings to share characteristics of each creature, as he takes readers from day to night and back again. Many of the critters will be familiar to children (rabbit, deer, skunk), while several are lesser known (opossum, flying squirrel, luna moth). The use of comparisons and contrasts will be especially helpful in classroom settings, but browsers will also be attracted by the appealing, realistic illustrations. There are two pages of "Fun Facts" appended, which include thumbnail illustrations of the 22 animals, along with some interesting additional information for the most curious. VERDICT This lovely title should find a spot in all collections and will likely inspire greater outdoor observation and appreciation.-Sara-Jo Lupo Sites, George F. Johnson Memorial Library, Endicott, NY

Copyright 2015 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

July 1, 2015
In his signature representational artistic style -- detailed, luminous, and pristine -- Minor compares and contrasts diurnal and nocturnal animals. The opening double-page spread establishes the pattern. The creatures introduced are shown in a meadow, with half of them appearing in the daytime on the verso and the others bathed in soft moonlight on the recto. On the following pages, Minor depicts an animal (a butterfly, for example) or group of animals (such as woodchucks) active during the daytime hours; a corresponding illustration, most often on the facing page, shows a related animal or animals (such as a lunar moth or skunks) active at night. Minimal text echoes the movements in each of the gouache illustrations: Chubby mother woodchuck and her cubs waddle out to munch in the meadow, while in the nighttime counterpart, Fearless mother skunk leads her litter through the field to find a midnight snack. Diurnal animals are depicted first, then their nocturnal counterparts, except on the final double-page spread. Here, a horizontal illustration of nocturnal raccoons faces right to close the book, while below, daytime turkeys travel in the opposite direction. Readers have two options: either follow the raccoons and cut off the lights for bedtime, or follow the turkeys back to the beginning of the book and read it again. A list of Fun Facts about the featured creatures is appended. betty carter

(Copyright 2015 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)