Richard Jones (33)

Long-distance swimmer Lynne Cox tells the story of loggerhead turtle Yoshi in this wonderful work of natural history for the picture book set. Hatched on a beach in Australia, this tiny turtle takes to the waves, growing as she swims and eventually making it to the waters of the southern tip of Africa. Here, injured in a fishing net, she is rescued by a Japanese fisherman, and taken in by the Two Oceans Aquarium in Cape Town, where she would live for some twenty years. Eventually fully grown show more and rehabilitated, Yoshi was released back into the wild with a tracking device, and the world watched in surprise as she made the epic trek home, swimming back across the Indian Ocean toward Australia...

After reading and greatly enjoying author/illustrator Lindsay Moore's recent Yoshi and the Ocean: A Sea Turtle's Incredible Journey Home, I was excited to discover this retelling of the same true story from Cox, whose only other picture book, Elizabeth, Queen of the Seas, was another favorite. I lost no time in tracking Yoshi, Sea Turtle Genius: A True Story about an Amazing Swimmer down, and am certainly glad I did! The narrative is engaging, capturing the magic of Yoshi's ocean journeys, the excitement and danger of her injury and struggle to survive, and the wonder of her epic trek home. The accompanying artwork from Richard Jones, done in paint and then edited digitally, are lovely, and add to the reading pleasure. I think that on the whole the Moore title edges this one out, in terms of my regard for it, but this is a close second, and I liked the fact that it started at Yoshi's birth, rather than her injury, as the Moore did. Recommended to young animal lovers, particularly turtle lovers, and to young would-be marine biologists. show less

Richard Jones's illustrations are gorgeous, and a large reason I picked this book out for my niece's 3rd birthday book. They are fully digital but have a wonderful textural quality like watercolors or oil pastels, and many (if not most!) of the spreads in this book would be gorgeous as full-size wall art. The way he uses bits of coral-orange and pink in the underwater scenes is so good, and dynamic.

My niece is at the age where she loves anything about animals - especially sea creatures!, and show more my sister (a kindergarten teacher) always loves getting nonfiction books for the children, so this book seemed like a no brainer. The pictures tell the story as well as the text does, and the diversity of images and textures should give a pre-schooler plenty to get lost in. They certainly do for me! (Speaking of diversity - as a wheelchair user myself, I appreciate that one of the children in an illustration of the Two Oceans Aquarium is in a wheelchair.)

The text of the book is matter of fact and easy to read, switching between paragraphs of a few sentences and split phrases as the story and pacing require. I thought it got a little clunkier in the last few pages, but still easy enough to read out loud. There is some invention about Yoshi's life before she was rescued by the fisherman, but it's based on factual supposition about sea turtles and the waters she would have seen.

Yoshi, Sea Turtle Genius, is very nice and would be great for any nonfiction picture book collection about sea animals - with a bit of geography, too! And, of course, if you're a fan of picture books for the illustrations, it's a must-have. show less

I liked Bird Builds A Nest and was excited for another informative, interesting nonfiction picture book. This book takes us through all four seasons, starting with winter, where a watchful owl looks out over a frozen pond. Two squirrels sleep curled up in their cozy nest, but must venture out for food. They dig up buried acorns in winter, eat juicy buds off maple trees and dig up bulbs in spring, evade the dangers of the owl and lightning storms, and bury acorns in fall to prepare for show more winter. In addition to the squirrels and the owl, we see frogs and ducks.

There is a "thinking about seasons and weather" page at the end, and an index. Illustrations are in mixed media, in a muted color palette.

See also: Over and Under the Snow show less

Martin Jenkins has written several "first science storybooks" and I recently read through a slew of them, these two being some of my favorites. On a quick surface read, they appear to be about animals and seasons, but dig a little deeper and they actually incorporate specific science concepts.

In The Squirrel's Busy Year, Jones' earth colors illustrate Jenkins' story of the seasons through the eyes of a family of squirrels. An owl sits silently on a tree, a recurrent figure through the story. show more Young listeners will learn how squirrels visit their food caches over the winter, search for buds in the spring, dig up bulbs, and survive a storm in the summer. When fall returns, animals begin to hibernate and the squirrels work to build up a food supply for the winter ahead. There's more to the story than just the seasonal changes for squirrels; as explain in an opening note for parents, this book is about the science of the seasons. Each description of the season and the squirrels' behavior includes a note about the position of the sun and the changes in the weather. The final note includes seasonal activities and a simple index.

In Bird builds a nest, Jenkins uses even simpler language, suitable for a toddler, to show a brief season in the life of a bird. Bird hunts for a worm; after unsuccessfully trying for a big one, she successfully catches a small worm. Next, Bird works on her special project - building a nest. She collects just the right kind of twigs and weaves them together to create a nest. When the nest is lined and finished, it's ready for eggs! This is not just a book about nest-building, it's also a book about forces. The opening note gives readers simple language and concepts to discuss with children and the book incorporates those concepts in how the bird pulls at the worm then chooses a smaller one that can't resist as much, and how she pushes and pulls to weave in the sticks. A final note suggests some activities and a simple index is also included.

These books make fun reading, just right for a toddler or preschool storytime about squirrels, seasons, or birds. They're also a great choice for STEM-based programs for little ones. Use Bird as a central choice for a story about building things, then provide string, twigs, and other recyclables for children to make their own nest. Squirrel would make a great introduction to how the earth moves and affects the seasons; pair it with a flashlight and some shadow puppetry or some globes to learn more.

Verdict: Excellent choices to bring more science into your storytimes and classrooms for younger children.

The squirrel's busy year
ISBN: 9780763696009; Published July 2018 by Candlewick; Borrowed from another library in my consortium

Bird builds a nest
ISBN: 9780763693466; Published January 2018 by Candlewick; Purchased for the library show less