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January 1, 2024
From an octopus' "stony villa" to a satin bowerbird's "blue pavilion," Simler takes young readers on a poetic, fanciful tour of animal homes. Architectural drawings of human habitations on the endpapers set the tone for the gentle anthropomorphization of Simler's descriptions. Spread by spread, the animals describe their dwellings in short poems, translated by Lal from the original French. "I live in the vertical plane," declares the cross orbweaver spider, "in a complex structure / made from the strongest / and most elastic material there is." Simler's trademark style of digitally finished hair's-breadth strokes of colored pencil creates a "lace citadel" that occupies two-thirds of the spread, tiny breaks in the white lines allowing the web's strands to glimmer against a black background. The spider's delicate hairs beg readers to touch them. Simler introduces 27 animal abodes in all, from every continent except Antarctica, most of them rarely depicted in books for young readers. Refreshingly, only two (the golden eagle and the Sumatran orangutan) represent charismatic megafauna. Readers will meet Australia's cathedral termites, for instance, which build a "clay skyscraper," and the Kalahari's sociable weaver, which inhabits a "straw apartment complex," a tree-enveloping nest that holds 500 birds. Backmatter includes a short prose paragraph about each animal, a glossary, and recommended resources. Standing out in beauty and breadth, a lyrical addition to the animal-homes shelf. (Informational picture book/poetry. 5-8)

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Starred review from January 1, 2024
Grades K-3 *Starred Review* Animals make their homes in all corners of the world, and this gorgeous French import explores the varied and wondrous ways in which 27 animals dwell in their natural environments. There are a few familiar faces, like industrious beavers and bustling bees, but young readers may not have thought deeply about their lairs, and there are plenty of offbeat animals, too. Feathery fan worms emerge from slender tubes, the curious caddisfly larva adorns itself with a chaotic casing of underwater debris, and an elf owl peers out of its prickly perch in a saguaro cactus. Each critter is treated to a stunning full spread featuring a depiction of the animal and its domain, and an accompanying verse of translated text beautifully imparts tidbits of fascinating information. The striking artwork has a sketched, scratchy quality that is just as spectacular when taking a wide view of a golden eagle's cliffside retreat as it is zooming in on a spider's silvery web, and the blueprint endpapers are a particularly clever touch. The mesmerizing artwork combined with sophisticated text will appeal to a wide age range, and readers eager to learn more can delve into back matter offering a few more facts, a glossary, and suggestions for further reading. An exceptional exploration of a delightfully diverse roundup of natural dwellings and their equally intriguing inhabitants.

COPYRIGHT(2024) Booklist, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

March 1, 2024
Simler takes on the perspectives of twenty-seven creatures who share the intricacies of their homes in this eye-catching French import. Each entry features a poem about, and illustration of, the animal and its habitat. The playful poem titles include a comet moth's "Silky Apartment," a European fan worm's "Tubular Condo," and the common tailorbird's "Haute Couture Bedchamber." Creatures relate their stories with style: the satin bowerbird tells readers that its home is built from sticks and twigs, which Simler describes as "an arched avenue." It paints its walls with berry juice, adding, "I have a real flair for home decoration." Readers leave with facts about the natural world, such as that the red ovenbird takes several weeks to construct its "Mud Bungalow," that the elf owl is the smallest owl in the world, and that the silk that connects the walls of the "Leafy Fortress" of a weaver ant is spun by young larvae. Simler's highly textured, jewel-tone illustrations give readers detailed peeks into the animals' homes. The elf owl stares directly at readers from its perch on a cactus plant, and a Sumatran orangutan, about to succumb to sleep, gazes out from a "mattress of fresh leaves" in the forest. These vivid, sensory poems could serve as superb classroom writing prompts, and back matter (including a glossary and recommended resources) provides additional information. Julie Danielson

(Copyright 2024 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

Starred review from May 24, 2024

Gr 2-5-An artistic and poetic examination of 27 animal homes, extolling what makes each unique while also creating points of relation; the book unites STEM learning with literary excellence. Poems describing an animal or insect's home and what makes it special in both construction and purpose are accompanied by elaborate illustrations. This provides excellent visual and verbal reinforcement for readers. Additionally, to encourage relatability, the poems include familiar words which contextualize the animal's home within readers' understanding of what home means. The educational impact of the book is further heightened with a global selection of animals and insects, as well as back matter of more facts, glossary, and additional resources. Simler excels at nuanced explorations of nature. The hyper-colored digital illustrations mimic intricate colored-pencil line drawings which naturally draw the eye to seek out every detail. The poems speak to the heart while subtly including educational facts. It takes brilliance to unite science and creativity, but Simler has done just that in a versatile work appropriate for English, writing, or science lessons. VERDICT An essential purchase; this standout work of illustrated poems encourages readers to consider wild creatures' homes and compare their similar needs to our own.-Jessica A. Bushore

Copyright 2024 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

January 1, 2024
Simler takes on the perspectives of twenty-seven creatures who share the intricacies of their homes in this eye-catching French import. Each entry features a poem about, and illustration of, the animal and its habitat. The playful poem titles include a comet moth's "Silky Apartment," a European fan worm's "Tubular Condo," and the common tailorbird's "Haute Couture Bedchamber." Creatures relate their stories with style: the satin bowerbird tells readers that its home is built from sticks and twigs, which Simler describes as "an arched avenue." It paints its walls with berry juice, adding, "I have a real flair for home decoration." Readers leave with facts about the natural world, such as that the red ovenbird takes several weeks to construct its "Mud Bungalow," that the elf owl is the smallest owl in the world, and that the silk that connects the walls of the "Leafy Fortress" of a weaver ant is spun by young larvae. Simler's highly textured, jewel-tone illustrations give readers detailed peeks into the animals' homes. The elf owl stares directly at readers from its perch on a cactus plant, and a Sumatran orangutan, about to succumb to sleep, gazes out from a "mattress of fresh leaves" in the forest. These vivid, sensory poems could serve as superb classroom writing prompts, and back matter (including a glossary and recommended resources) provides additional information.

(Copyright 2024 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)