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WORK TITLE: Poo Pile on the Prairie
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PSEUDONYM(S):
BIRTHDATE:
WEBSITE: https://amyhevron.com/
CITY: Seattle
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COUNTRY: United States
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RESEARCHER NOTES:
PERSONAL
Female.
EDUCATION:Texas State University, B.F.A. (graphic design); University of Washington, certificate (natural science illustration).
ADDRESS
CAREER
Graphic designer, fine artist, and author-illustrator of childrens’ nature books.
AWARDS:New York Public Library Best Book and Pacific Northwest Book Award, both for Log Life; SCBWI Portfolio Honor Award.
WRITINGS
SIDELIGHTS
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Amy Hevron is graphic designer, fine artist, and author-illustrator of nature books for children. As an illustrator she has worked for Beach Lane Books, Random House Studio, G. P. Putnam’s Sons, Harper Collins, and Washington State Library. Based in Seattle, Hevron enjoys exploring nature, birdwatching, and baking.
In Hevron’s debut picture book as writer and illustrator, Dust Bunny Wants a Friend, a dust bunny drawn like a rabbit with gray scribbles for dust, moves around a room trying to make friends. A bug approaches, but when the dust bunny says, “Hi,” it leaves. Then it encounters an ant who also leaves. The cat sneezes, causing the dust bunny to fly around the room. Eventually the dust bunny lands under the bed where many other bunnies welcomes it as one of their own. In Kirkus Reviews, a writer commented on the well-paced repetition and humor, adding: “Her whimsical art, rendered in digitally collaged acrylic and marker on wood, is richly textured…Who knew uncleanliness could be so cute?” The book “will enable very young children to join in telling the story and chiming in on the few repeated words,” according to Marianne Saccardi in School Library Journal.
Hevron joined with writer and Sibert Medalist Candace Fleming on the nonfiction picture book, The Tide Pool Waits. Along the Pacific Coast, the tide comes in and goes out twice a day. In the remaining pools are clusters of plant and animal life, like barnacles, snails, muscles, and sea urchins. They eat, hunt, and scamper about. Some are smaller than a child’s hand, while others are microscopic. When the tide goes out, the ones left behind must protect themselves from the hot sun until the water comes back.
Kay Weisman remarked in Booklist that the book “is a pleasing and painterly portrait of the intertidal zone, fairly bursting with color.” Speaking to Maria Marshall online, Hevron explained what she hoped readers would take from reading the book: “I love how this book is a great introduction into the fascinating worlds of tide pools. I’d encourage readers to try to experience tide pool habitats in person as well,” such as in aquariums or at the beach.
Hevron wrote and illustrated The Longest Journey: An Arctic Tern’s Migration, about the longest migration in the animal kingdom. The Arctic Tern flies from the North Pole in Greenland to the South Pole and then back again, following the warm summer weather and food supply—that’s 60,000 miles in three months. The birds fly over oceans and whales, under the Northern Lights, and across continents, enduring storms and stopping briefly on beaches or cliff sides to eat, to reach Antarctica. They spend a warm summer in the southern hemisphere, then travel back up north to breed. “Hevron’s creative acrylic paintings and evocative, cool-toned sketches of the terns, sea, land, and sky are executed on wood and altered digitally,” noted Danielle J. Ford in Horn Book. Emily Graham remarked in Booklist: “It all makes for a great story, and the text is lyrical and lively.”
City of Leafcutter Ants: A Sustainable Society of Millions celebrates the industrious red insects that tunnel under the rainforest floor. The book presents a cross section of the ants’ city where a population of eight million females each has her own task; there are farmers, soldiers, nannies, builders, cleaners, and the queen. Foragers venture out into the forest to cut out pieces of leaves and carry them home in their strong mandibles. Thoroughly researched, the book shows the harmony in a successful example of collective living. “Her inspired text uses appropriate vocabulary,” according to a Kirkus Reviews contributor, who added: “The pacing and structure are impeccable, while the information is deftly conveyed.” In Booklist, Emily Graham reported: “Vibrant illustrations in lush greens and deep browns capture the ant adventures via cutaway views that put readers into the thick of things.”
Hevron explores more underwater delights in Sunken Ship. A treasure ship in 1733 crossed the Caribbean Sea and sank to the bottom due to a storm. Today it holds another treasure, providing food and shelter to plants and animals in a rich reef ecosystem of sea life. As the ship itself decays, it provides material for an artificial reef, supporting big and small life, from bottlenose dolphins to seaweed and coral. A Kirkus Reviews critic wrote: “With brief yet lyrical text and breezily humorous but informative dialogue, this treasure of a book will help young readers comprehend fascinating facts.” In Booklist, Elisha Brookover commented: “Readers will enjoy the silly puns and speech-bubble asides offered by the new reef dwellers.”
Hevron wrote and illustrated Poo Party on the Prairie, which received numerous starred reviews. On the prairie where the bison roam and drop their poo, an entire habitat can form. The dung beetles prepare for dinner, flies swarm and lay eggs, prairie violets are fertilized and blossom, butterflies gather, and prairie dogs burrow underneath where new roots are growing. The dropped dung helps spread seeds across the land, and provides homes for insects that bigger animals like birds and mammals eat. In School Library Journal, Tracy Cronce praised the artwork saying: “Soft greens, blues, and browns make up the majority of the adorable animal illustrations that are done in acrylic, marker, and pencil.” “Hevron blends whimsy and science for an enchanting and much-needed reminder that complex ecosystems can be found in the most unlikely of places,” according to a Kirkus Reviews writer.
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BIOCRIT
PERIODICALS
Booklist, March 1, 2022, Kay Weisman, review of The Tide Pool Waits, p. 47; July 1, 2022, Emily Graham, review of The Longest Journey: An Arctic Tern’s Migration, p. 67; May 18, 2024, Emily Graham, review of City of Leafcutter Ants: A Sustainable Society of Millions, p. 40; August 2024, Elisha Brookover, review of Sunken Ship, p. 55.
Horn Book, July-August 2022, Danielle J. Ford, review of The Longest Journey, p. 144.
Kirkus Reviews, October 15, 2018, review of Dust Bunny Wants a Friend; May 1, 2022, review of City of Leafcutter Ants; July 1, 2024, review of Sunken Ship; December 15, 2024, review of Poo Pile on the Prairie.
School Library Journal, winter 2018, Marianne Saccardi, review of Dust Bunny Wants a Friend, p. 50; February 2025, Tracy Cronce, review of Poo Pile on the Prairie, p. 74.
ONLINE
Amy Hevron website, https://amyhevron.com/ (August 1, 2025).
Maria Marshall, https://www.mariacmarshall.com/ (August 1, 2025), Maria Marshall, “The Picture Book Buzz – Interview w/Candace Fleming & Amy Hevron, Review of The Tide Pool Waits.”
Amy Hevron loves exploring nature, birdwatching and baking tasty treats from her home in Seattle, Washington. She is the author-illustrator of City of Leafcutter Ants, The Longest Journey and her Tiny Habitats series which includes Log Life, a New York Public Library Best Book and recipient of the Pacific Northwest Book Award. Amy is also the illustrator of several books, including Can You Hug a Forest, a SCBWI Golden Kite Finalist for Picture Book Illustration, written by Frances Gilbert, Trevor, a Washington State Book Awards Finalist, written by Jim Averbeck, The Tide Pool Waits written by Candace Fleming, and Tree Hole Homes written by Melissa Stewart.
Amy holds a BFA in Graphic Design from Texas State University and a certificate in Natural Science Illustration from the University of Washington. She is a two-time winner of the Portfolio Honor Award from the SCBWI.
Her clients include: Beach Lane Books, Neal Porter Books, Random House Studio, Roaring Brook Press, G. P. Putnam’s Sons, Harper Collins, Washington State Library, King County Library System, Pacific Science Center.
Amy is represented by literary agent Kirsten Hall of Catbird Agency.
oh, hello there!
I’m Amy Hevron. Here’s me looking at ravens or other birds. I love to do that. I also love journeys. Journeys through nature. Career journeys. Journeys towards a goal.
When I’m not looking at birds, I’m writing and illustrating children’s picture books. Some of them include The Tide Pool Waits by Candace Fleming, Tree Hole Homes by Melissa Stewart, my own Tiny Habitats series, City of Leafcutter Ants, and The Longest Journey about the longest journeyer in the world, the Arctic tern.
Oh My Raven is an anagram of my name. Join me on this journey as I share recent musings, creative process and inspiring people, places and things.
The Picture Book Buzz - Interview w/Candace Fleming & Amy Hevron, Review of The Tide Pool Waits
Have I got a special treat for you today! A chance to join me for a peek at the creative genius of Candace Fleming and Amy Hevron as they discuss the inspiration and process of making their stunning new picture book The Tide Pool Waits.
Candace Fleming awarded herself the Newbery Medal in fifth grade after scraping the gold sticker off the class copy of The Witch of Blackbird Pond and pasting it onto her first novel—a ten-page, ten-chapter mystery called Who Done It? She’s been collecting awards (her own, not Elizabeth George Speare’s) ever since.
Today, Candace is the versatile and acclaimed author of more than forty books for children (fiction, historical, and science picture books), and young adults (biographies, anthologies, & novels),
including the Los Angeles Times Book Prize honored The Family Romanov: Murder, Rebellion, and the Fall of the Russian Empire; Boston Globe/Horn Book Award-winning biography, The Lincolns; the bestselling picture book, Muncha! Muncha! Muncha!; the Sibert-Award-winning Honeybee and Giant Squid; Strongheart: Wonder Dog of the Silver Screen; and the beloved Boxes for Katje. She even contributed the chapter on Katharine of Aragon to Fatal Throne.
For additional information on Candace, see our earlier interview (here).
Amy Hevron loves exploring nature, birdwatching and baking tasty treats from her home in Seattle, Washington. Amy’s medium of choice is acrylic paint on wood which she layers with pencil, charcoal, and marker, and collages digitally. She holds a BFA in Graphic Design and a certificate in Natural Science Illustration. She is a two-time winner of the Portfolio Honor Award from the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators. Prior to focusing on illustration, Amy worked as a graphic designer and sold her original wood paintings at boutiques and craft fairs around the US.
Amy is the author/illustrator of several picture books including the upcoming The Longest Journey: An Arctic Tern’s Migration (Summer 2022, Neal Porter Books) and Dust Bunny Wants a Friend (2019). She’s the illustrator of the upcoming Tree Hole Homes by Melissa Stewart (Fall 2022, Random House Studio), The Perfect Pet for You! by Estelle Laure, and Trevor by Jim Averbeck (2018).
Their newest picture book The Tide Pool Waits, released April 5th.
Welcome Candace & Amy,
Tell us a little about yourself. (Where/when do you write or illustrate? How long have you been writing or illustrating? What is your favorite type of book to write or illustrate? )
CANDACE - I do most of my writing in my little office in the little house I share with Eric Rohmann. Most days I write while my dog, Oxford, lays at my feet and my cat, Oliver, is curled beside him. I write all my first drafts (pictures books, novels, big pieces of nonfiction) on wide-lined, loose–leaf paper with blue Bic pens. I like the freedom of writing this way because the words don’t feel precious. I’ve been writing this way since I was a kid. I guess it’s too late to change now, huh? I don’t have a favorite type of book. Each has its own challenges and joys. Truthfully, though, when I’m immersed in a YA biography, I often long to write a preschool picture book. And when I’m writing a picture book, I find myself dreaming of my next chapter book. Yup, I like variety.
AMY – I started making children’s books 8 years ago. Prior to that I worked as a graphic designer and fine artist for 18 years. So those skills helped prepare me for my jump into kid’s books. I work in my studio at home and am a morning person, so I work best early in the day. After about 3pm my brain shuts down J And like Candace, I don’t have a favorite kind of book to work on. I love the research aspect to working on nonfiction books and the challenge of creating whimsical animals and natural settings but keeping them somewhat realistic. And I also love fantastical books and books centered on cute characters where I can create more from my imagination.
Who was your favorite author, illustrator, and/or your favorite book as a child?
CANDACE - I had so many, but if I had to land on one it would be Marguerite Henry. In fourth grade, the same year I arm-wrestled my way to elementary school fame, I fell in love with Misty of Chincoteague. So, I wrote Marguerite Henry a letter. Honestly, I’ve absolutely no memory of what I said in that letter. But it must have been good, because weeks later I arrived home from school to find a package from… wait for it! … Marguerite Henry. It was a signed copy of Misty with both her signature and Misty’s hoof-a-graph. I still have it, a most prized possession.
AMY – I was one of those reluctant readers as a child. I preferred to draw, color and imagine my own stories featuring my stuffed animals. But there are a few picture books that I loved as a young child. Corduroy by Don Freeman and Moon Mouse by Adelaide Hall, illustrated by Cyndy Szekeres were two books that really captured my imagination. Their beautiful illustrations tell a story all on their own, and I remember “reading” them before I could even read the words.
These are such great books! Candace, what was your inspiration for The Tide Pool Waits?
CANDACE - All my life I have rolled up my pant legs and scrambled over rocks to comb the seashore for hours on end. My office shelves are lined with sea glass, seashells and sea-smoothed rocks. Obviously, the place holds some inner meaning for me, though I’d be hard-pressed to explain its exact significance. I just know that the shore’s constant change and movement attract me. So do its tide pools. How many hours have I spent crouched on seaweed-slick rocks looking closely?
Gazing into a tide pool is like peering through Lewis Carroll’s looking glass. The world beyond is strange and wondrous. Flowers bloom that are not flowers, but animals. Stars – red and yellow – freckle rock rather than sky. Eyes – belonging to what? – peek out from the protective shelter of swaying weeds. There is struggle and survival in a tide pool. There is drama too. Wow, talk about inspiration!
Wow! I love this explanation of your fascination with tidepools. I think the many happy hours I likewise spent on the beach and scrambling around outcroppings was what initially drew me to the book. It always feels like a second home. Amy, what was it about The Tide Pool Waits manuscript which appealed to you as an illustrator and/or what discoveries did you make?
AMY - I love the pacing and anticipation in Candace’s manuscript. It evokes that same sense of waiting when you visit tide pools in person. You sit and watch and wait. And eventually, little creatures start to reveal themselves. I also love how she features several unique and unheard-of critters. In fact, there were a quite few that I had to look up because I didn’t know what they were, like sculpin and chitons.
I totally agree with you, Amy. Candace, how many drafts did it take for you to get the rhythm and refrain established? And how long did it take The Tide Pool Waits to go from idea to publication?
CANDACE - I’ve just pulled out my folder to count drafts. It looks like fourteen in total, with the refrain “the tide pool waits” not appearing until draft number six. Writing really is a discovery process, isn’t it? Hmmm… I’m not sure I remember exactly how long from initial idea to publication. In fact, Neal Porter originally suggested the idea. Umm… maybe three years? Does Amy concur?
Books do seem to peek out of manuscripts in their own sweet time - just like your sea creatures. Amy, how many revisions did it take to create the fun illustrations for The Tide Pool Waits? Can you tell us a little about your unique process?
AMY - When I started paginating the book and sketching out scenes, I quickly realized that I needed to look at a tide chart. I plotted out the scenes based on a day in July when high tide was at midnight (where the story begins), and low tide was roughly around 8 am. Then as the story continues, we move into afternoon when the tide is high again. Knowing the time of day helped me to determine sea levels, the position of the sun, and how bright the sky and sand should be throughout the book.
For this book, I painted with acrylic on Bristol paper, which is different for me since I usually paint on oak plywood. But I wanted to paint on paper because I knew there would be a lot of little details that would be hard to pull off on wood. And I thought the wood grain texture might be distracting in a book mostly set under water.
There were only a few revisions to the art. Towards the end of the art process, we had a tide pool expert review the art, and he found a few things that needed to be edited to be more accurate. For instance, the crabs needed 8 legs (I originally only had 6 on some of them), the baby opaleye fish needed blue eyes, and there were some strands of seaweed in there that were too abstract, so I repainted it to look more like giant kelp.
I found your oak painting illustrations fascinating. It's interesting that this book required not just lots of research for you, but also an adjusted style. I think you did an awesome job with it! Is there something you both want your readers to know about, or take away from, The Tide Pool Waits?
CANDACE – I hope they sense the ephemeral nature of the tide pool – it appears and disappears – and makes them think about how one thing can change another. I hope on some level it makes them think about waiting for life’s inevitable changes… anticipating them… embracing them. Above all, I hope they just find in the book’s pages a good story, well told and beautifully illustrated.
AMY - I love how this book is a great introduction into the fascinating worlds of tide pools. I’d encourage readers to try to experience tide pool habitats in person as well. Many aquariums like the Seattle Aquarium in Washington state and the Monterrey Aquarium in California have great tide pool exhibits where you can get up close and touch starfish, urchins and all sort of these unique creatures. And my favorite tide pool beach to visit is Agate Beach in Newport, Oregon. Here they have great informational signage and wildlife staff on-site to help point you to which tide pools have interesting critters in them that day.
I may be biased, but I thin you definitely succeeded. Amy, many illustrators leave treasures or weave their own story (or elements) throughout the illustrations. Did you do this in The Tide Pool Waits? Could you share one or more with us?
AMY - I love those illustrated treasures in picture books! And I added a little hermit crab substory in there that’s not mentioned in the text. It first appears in a yellow shell on the title page. Then midway through the book, we see a red shell being swept in by the rising tide. Then in the dueling kelp crab/rock crab scenes we see the hermit crab find the new, larger red shell. And in the last scenes we see the hermit crab in its new red shell home.
Thank you so much for highlighting this extra illustrated narrative. Candace, what is the hardest or most challenging thing for you about writing children’s books? How about writing The Tide Pool Waits in particular?
CANDACE – I believe nonfiction picture books should have drama. They should have tension, anticipation, suspense… even books about science and nature. Finding that tension in the topic of tide pools, however, took some mulling and pondering. It took some trying and experimenting. It took several trips to the seashore and about a pound bag of M & M’s. But eventually, I realized that the waiting provided anticipation. Once I hit on the tide pool creatures waiting, the story came together quickly. For me, writing picture books is like breaking into a safe with a combination lock. All it takes is for a couple numbers to click into place and… voila!... a story.
I love the image of you as a "safe cracker." Amy, what was the hardest part about illustrating The Tide Pool Waits?
AMY - There wasn’t anything hard about illustrating The Tide Pool Waits. Candace’s manuscript was structured so perfectly that the sketches came together effortlessly. And then working with my editor Neal and art director Jennifer is always a joy. I started sketching on this in the fall of 2020 and then painting the art in January 2021, so this was such wonderful world to escape into during that time.
Oh my gosh, it definitely would have been! Candace, did anything surprise or amaze you when you first got to see Amy’s illustrations? What is your favorite spread?
Text © Candace Fleming, 2022. Image © Amy Hevron, 2022.
CANDACE – I’m surprised at how whimsical they are, and yet so evocative of real tide pools. My favorite spread is where the kelp crab and rock crab meet. They have so much personalities for crustaceans!
I see Amy's hermit crab with its yellow shell at the bottom of the illustration as well. Amy, is there a spread that you were especially excited about or proud of? Which is your favorite spread?
Text © Candace Fleming, 2022. Image © Amy Hevron, 2022.
AMY - I love the illustrations where you can show views that wouldn’t be possible in real life. Like all the cross-section and underwater views. But I think my favorite spread is the title page because it shows the overhead view of looking down into the tide pools. I like how it invokes the real experience of visiting tide pools.
Did you all find the hermit crab in the yellow shell on this spread? How are you, or have you been, staying creative these days?
CANDACE –I’ve written more since the pandemic began than any other time in my writing journey. Working at my desk, absorbed in research, or in my imagination has been an escape. For a few hours a day, at least, I can get away from the “real” world.
AMY – I’ve gotten into a regular routine of taking a walk in the morning. Hearing the birds, seeing the plant life budding, and just strolling around my neighborhood really helps me to clear my mind.
Are there any new projects you are working on now that you can share a tidbit with us?
CANDACE – Eric Rohmann and I have a nonfiction picture book called Polar Bear coming in Fall, 2022 with Neal Porter Books/Holiday House. It follows a mother bear and her cubs through their first year together as they navigate a changing Arctic landscape due to climate change. Also publishing in the fall from Scholastic/ Focus is a middle grade nonfiction called Crash From Outer Space which on the surface is about flying saucers, extraterrestrials, and the myth of Roswell. In actuality, it’s about critical thinking, conspiracy theories and why we believe things that are demonstrably false.
AMY - I’m currently illustrating a book called Can You Hug a Forest? by Frances Gilbert. I’m having fun illustrating this story because it’s set in nature but has fantastical elements. After illustrating several nonfiction picture books in a row, this one is fun to let my imagination run wild.
I can't wait to see these books! Okay, last question. What is your favorite National Park or Forest, regional park, or city park? Or the one you’re longing to visit. Why?
CANDACE – That’s easy – Indiana Dunes National Park. It hugs the south shore of Lake Michigan. I grew up in the area and it has long been my “happy place.” I escape here whenever possible in any kind of weather. Going there is like going home.
AMY – I love so many parks. But I would have to say Olympic National Park in Washington State is my favorite of ones I’ve visited. I love hiking through its old growth forests among 500+ year old evergreen trees, driving up to see the sweeping mountain views from Hurricane Ridge, and of course, visiting its tide pools along the beach.
I couldn't resist highlighting the amazing range of ecosystems that these two parks contain. Hopefully, you can see why it was hard to pick one picture to represent each park! And besides, I love the Olympic National Park, too.
Thank you Candace & Amy for sharing with us a bit about yourselves and your newest picture book.
To find out more about Candace Fleming, or to contact her:
Website: https://www.candacefleming.com/index.html
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/candace.fleming.books
Twitter: https://twitter.com/candacemfleming
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/candaceflemingbooks/
To find out more about Amy Hevron, or contact her:
Website: https://www.amyhevron.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/amy.hevron
Twitter: https://twitter.com/amyhevron
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/amyhevron/
Averbeck, Jim TREVOR Neal Porter/Roaring Brook (Children's Fiction) $17.99 7, 24 ISBN: 978-1-250-14828-5
A lonely canary takes a chance on friendship and the payoff is immeasurable.
Bright yellow Trevor knows how to leave his cage ("a tiny peck and the door would pop open"), but he stays for the seeds, especially his favorite stripy ones, which he saves "for the loneliest days." But then a potential companion arrives outside his window. Averbeck's gentle fable describes a small bird who's both too unworldly to recognize that his bright yellow friend is a lemon and too sweet to interpret the lemon's silence as anything other than friendship. Trevor flies out of his cage to meet the lemon, bringing along his hidden stripy seed to share. Though the seed falls to the ground, Trevor builds a nest, sharing the summer days with his quiet friend, performing duets in which "the lemon sang the silences." Hevron's depiction of Trevor's earnest embrace of this friendship and his small world of cage, window, brown tree, pale blue sky, and yellow lemon is filled with sweetness and simplicity of line and color. A storm knocks the lemon from the tree, but Trevor realizes that his friend has left a gift: The lemon's tumble shakes the grown sunflower below, and brightly colored birds--new friends--soon come by to ask if they might share the stripy seeds with Trevor, and something big and lovely comes to Trevor as a result of his odd but memorable friendship.
Both poignant and triumphant at once. (Picture book. 2-5)
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2018 Kirkus Media LLC
http://www.kirkusreviews.com/
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"Averbeck, Jim: TREVOR." Kirkus Reviews, 1 June 2018. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A540723275/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=eea5ade0. Accessed 7 June 2025.
Hevron, Amy DUST BUNNY WANTS A FRIEND Schwartz & Wade/Random (Children's Fiction) $17.99 1, 22 ISBN: 978-1-5247-6569-9
A dust bunny is swept up into a quest for companionship.
From a spot behind a potted plant, a dust bunny (depicted as an actual bunny, with light gray scribbles superimposed denoting puffs of dust) moves to a place under a chair. A double-page spread shows the full expanse of the room, revealing a small bug, some ants, a sleeping cat, and scattered toys. The small bug is the first to come into contact with the dust bunny. As the two meet, the art's scale zooms in, and the dust bunny offers up an enthusiastic greeting ("Hi!"). Unfortunately for the dust bunny, the bug continues on its way. As do the ants, who visit next. The cat sneezes, sending the dust bunny flying onto a blanket next to a teddy bear. Soon, a pair of tiny brown hands lifts the blanket up. The dust bunny clings on, but a broom sweeps them away. The discombobulated dust bunny looks like they've had enough. But, across the gutter, a pile of other dust bunnies crowding underneath a bed joyfully welcomes one of their own. Wordless, except for a few hand-lettered exclamatory phrases (in addition to "hi," there's "bye" and "ACHOO!"), Hevron's authorial debut is distinguished by well-paced repetition and humor. Her whimsical art, rendered in digitally collaged acrylic and marker on wood, is richly textured. Even the white space of the background shows the wood grain--an exquisite touch.
Who knew uncleanliness could be so cute? (Picture book. 2-5)
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2018 Kirkus Media LLC
http://www.kirkusreviews.com/
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"Hevron, Amy: DUST BUNNY WANTS A FRIEND." Kirkus Reviews, 15 Oct. 2018. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A557887181/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=ec66c802. Accessed 7 June 2025.
HEVRON, Amy. Dust Bunny Wants a Friend, illus. by Amy Hevron. 32p. Random/Schwartz & Wade. Jan. 2019. Tr $17.99. ISBN 9781524765699.
PreS-K--In this nearly wordless story (the only words being "hi," "bye," and "achoo"), a dust bunny seeks to make friends with various creatures in her environment. From her place beneath a chair, she greets a bug that, unfortunately, passes her by. To her delight, a parade of ants crawls all over her, but then moves on. When an orange cat noses the bunny, the cat sneezes, causing the dust bunny to tumble across the room onto a blanket containing a stuffed bear. "Hi," exclaims dust bunny, but when human hands shake the blanket, the bear falls out of reach. Finally, a broom sweeps the room, and dust bunny lands among others of her kind under a table. Enthusiastic "hi's" echo all around as the now-happy bunny is among friends. The illustrations, executed in acrylic and marker on wood and collaged digitally, depict an actual bunny surrounded by gray swirls of dust. A spread of the room with its wood-grained walls, chair, potted fem, sleeping cat, insects, and toys gives way to close-up dust bunny's-eye views. The cat, a giant compared to the bunny, stretches beyond the book's gutter, its nose pressed to bunny's face. Touches of humor include a donut-carrying ant walking in the parade and dust bunny's "bye" as the cat's sneeze sends it flying. VERDICT This offering is perfect for one-on-one sharing and will enable very young children to join in telling the story and chiming in on the few repeated words.--Marianne Saccardi, Childrens Literature Consultant, Cambridge, MA
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2018 A wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/
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Saccardi, Marianne. "HEVRON, Amy. Dust Bunny Wants a Friend." School Library Journal, vol. 64, no. 13, winter 2018, p. 50. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A567632983/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=eb67fb87. Accessed 7 June 2025.
Jameson, Karen MOON BABIES Putnam (Children's Fiction) $16.99 7, 2 ISBN: 978-0-525-51481-7
A new moon is born every 28 days, but what does a baby moon do all day? Make a wish and join Jameson's moon babies to discover a day that is out of this world.
Sample a breakfast bottle with milk that flows from the Milky Way. Stand by as the baby moons take a moonwalk--but "wobble-bobble, step and stumble. / Babies try but take a tumble." Join them as they go into orbit on their favorite playground ride, the carousel, and stack moonstones to build castles in the sky. Ever wondered what is in the Little Dipper? "Steamy porridge" for moon babies' dinner, of course. As the day winds down, it's time for bath "play and bubble fun. / Stardust powder when they're done," and, finally, the "softest jammies" and bedtime snuggles with "doting grammies" reading nursery rhymes. Soothing rhythms, a consistent rhyme pattern, lively rhymes, and gently playful references make this book a good bedtime read for both children and caregivers. Illustrations of pastel-hued moon babies against nighttime blue backgrounds are restful, too, but they also include details to discuss: ever watchful grammy moons, real and imagined constellation patterns, and a tiny astronaut doll tucked in every spread.
A playful and soothing book for the close of day. (Picture book. 3-5)
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"Jameson, Karen: MOON BABIES." Kirkus Reviews, 15 Apr. 2019. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A582144069/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=309f2afd. Accessed 7 June 2025.
Laure, Estelle THE PERFECT PET FOR YOU! Harper/HarperCollins (Children's None) $17.99 9, 7 ISBN: 978-0-06-302599-8
How to pick a pet.
“Hey there!” begins the friendly, omniscient narrator. “Are you looking for a pet?” The unnamed main character—a child with light tan skin, a black pageboy, and round, periwinkle glasses that match their large, periwinkle overalls—looks dizzied by the number of choices and squinches up their eyes in thought. The narrator then asks a number of open-ended questions, encouraging both protagonist and readers to think for themselves about what kind of pet best meets their needs: talkative or comforting, cuddly or only for observation, quotidian or uncommon. The questions are practical as well as emotional, meaning that this title would be as comfortable in a fiction section as nonfiction. The illustrations, acrylic on wood, are blocky and warm, and each animal is rendered as an affectionate approximation of itself. At one brief moment the text oversteps, assuring readers that if they have an animal companion, “You will not be lonely, and if you are scared, you will know that it’s okay because your pet will tell you.” It also skirts the hard but inevitable loss of a pet that children often need support dealing with. The end becomes more specific and less general, as the child decides that a turtle is “perfectly right for [them],” but on the whole many children will relate to this exploration. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
Appealing as both guidebook and story. (Picture book. 4-7)
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"Laure, Estelle: THE PERFECT PET FOR YOU!" Kirkus Reviews, 1 Aug. 2021. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A669986474/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=2f47fe30. Accessed 7 June 2025.
* The Tide Pool Waits. By Candace Fleming. Illus. by Amy Hevron. Apr. 2022. 40p. Holiday/Neal Porter, $18.99 (9780823449156). PreS-Gr. 2. 577.69.
"The waves CR-A-A-A-A-SH in. / And then cr-e-e-e-e-p out. / Swish, gurgle, trickle, drip-drip-drop. / Seawater collects between the rocks. And quiet settles over the shore. And ... I The tide pool waits." Using lyrical language that appeals to the senses, Fleming introduces these Pacific Coast intertidal-zone features, explaining how they form, what creatures are found there (barnacles, mussels, snails, limpets, opaleyes, octopuses, and sculpin), and how sea life adapts to these temporary abodes. These animals are most active (eating, hunting, exploring) during high tides when they are fully submerged and free to move about; those caught in tide pools during low tides must wait for the next high tide to break free. Seattle based illustrator Hevron's artwork, rendered in acrylic paint and pencil, employs a colorful palette to depict this dynamic ecosystem. Her stylized creatures appear in minimal detail with shape and hue employed as distinguishing features. This is particularly effective in the back matter, which offers additional information about each creature and the layers of the intertidal zone, enabling readers to easily identify and distinguish among black mussels, purple sea urchins, green and white barnacles, and more. The result is a pleasing and painterly portrait of the intertidal zone, fairly bursting with color. A perfect introduction to these amazing rock pools, appropriate for primary science lessons and curious beach-goers alike. --Kay Weisman
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2022 American Library Association
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Weisman, Kay. "The Tide Pool Waits." Booklist, vol. 118, no. 13, 1 Mar. 2022, pp. 47+. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A697176970/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=2b26e18d. Accessed 7 June 2025.
Tree Hole Homes: Daytime Dens and Nighttime Nooks. By Melissa Stewart. Illus. by Amy Hevron. Sept. 2022.40p. Random House Studio, $18.99 (9780593373309). PreS-Gr. 3.599.1564.
Stewart asks children to imagine approaching a towering tree with a hole in its trunk that's large enough for them to slip inside. What if they lived there? How would it feel? This picture book introduces 15 animals living in tree holes that they have either found or made for themselves and their young. The dual text broadens the age range of the book's potential audience, offering a brief commentary for young children and additional facts for somewhat older kids. The simpler, large-print text offers a brief phrase of a continuing sentence on each double-page spread, while individual paragraphs in small type provide more-detailed information on the animals discussed. Hevron's stylized illustrations--digital collages of acrylics and markers on wood--depict the critters and their homes using a limited but effective range of colors. The back matter provides information on each of the featured animals, which include eastern bluebirds, raccoons, tree frogs, bobcats, and little brown bats; most live in North America. A useful addi tion to classroom units on animal homes. --Carolyn Phelan
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Phelan, Carolyn. "Tree Hole Homes: Daytime Dens and Nighttime Nooks." Booklist, vol. 118, no. 19-20, 1 June 2022, p. 63. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A708840705/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=ccb7a14d. Accessed 7 June 2025.
The Longest Journey: An Arctic Tern's Migration
by Amy Hevron; illus. by the author
Primary Porter/Holiday 40 pp. g
7/22 978-0-8234-4700-8 $18.99
e-book ed. 978-0-8234-5302-3 $11.99
A young Arctic tern's extraordinary migration route takes her from the North Pole to the South Pole and back--"the longest migration of any living creature on Earth." Within just two months of her birth, "flapping and fluttering, the little Arctic tern takes off" from Greenland, one of twenty in a flock that will pass over oceans and continents, with brief rests on island beaches and floating driftwood. Hevron's account of the three-month journey explains events both perilous and wondrous, with collective nouns and sound words emphasized throughout: the birds soar over a "flamboyance" of Liberian flamingos, pods of humpback whales, and "tuk-tuk-tuk!' ... a raft of macaroni penguins" but are also threatened by a great skua ("Pyeh! Pyeh!") and powerful storms. Hevrons creative acrylic paintings and evocative, cool-toned sketches of the terns, sea, land, and sky are executed on wood and altered digitally to take advantage of the wood-grain textures in backgrounds and negative spaces. A helpful world map in the corner of many spreads orients readers to the tern's location at each point in the journey. Finally reaching the pack ice of the Weddell Sea in Antarctica, the bird will enjoy summer in the south before traveling back again to her Arctic breeding ground. The main narrative centers on the flight; to learn more about the tern's life cycle, feeding, and reproduction, readers can consult the informative endnotes and suggested resources.
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2022 A wholly owned subsidiary of Media Sources, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
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Ford, Danielle J. "The Longest Journey: An Arctic Tern's Migration." The Horn Book Magazine, vol. 98, no. 4, July-Aug. 2022, pp. 144+. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A711168185/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=42851acd. Accessed 7 June 2025.
The Longest Journey: An Arctic Tern's Migration. By Amy Hevron. Illus. by the author. July 2022.40p. Holiday/Neal Porter, $18.99 (9780823447008); e-book, $11.99 (9780823453023). K-Gr. 2.598.33815.
Many animals set out on annual migrations, but the Arctic tern puts them all to shame, flying 60,000 miles from pole to pole. This tale follows a newly hatched tern in Greenland as she attempts her first trip across the world. As the flock flies under northern lights and across the sea, grabbing snacks on the go and resting on beaches and cliff sides, the little tern grows in strength and confidence, encountering noisy flamingos, ravenous humpback whales, and a sneaky skua bird. On and on they fly, eventually recuperating in the Antarctic before making the return trip. It all makes for a great story, and the text is lyrical and lively, conveying the tern chatter in kip-kip-kips and kree-ah, kreeahs. A wooden background lends a textured, stylized touch to the lovely illustrations, all of which impart real sense of movement and the grand scale of travel. A more compact and detailed description of Arctic terns rounds things out on the final pages. A remarkable depiction of a truly extraordinary natural wonder.--Emily Graham
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Graham, Emily. "The Longest Journey: An Arctic Tern's Migration." Booklist, vol. 118, no. 21, 1 July 2022, p. 67. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A713750976/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=e81219b4. Accessed 7 June 2025.
Can You Hug a Forest?
Frances Gilbert, illus. by Amy Hevron. Beach Lane, $18.99 (32p) ISBN 9784-66590-355-4 Gilbert (Too Much Slime!) answers the title's question with a set of instructions. Beginning with the answer ("Of course you can./ You'll need a forest, though"), the second-person address accompanies images of a doll-like, stylized child with light brown skin and scribbly pigtails. Hevron (The Tide Pool Waits) paints the child on wooden panels, alongside flowers, birds, and trees outlined with thick, oil-pastel-like strokes. Having provided a forest ("Here is one") and two arms ("Here are two. One. Two"), Gilbert continues in onomatopoeic how-to lines: "First, you hug the air./ Wbisha, ivhisha, it says,/ whispering secrers from the sky." Curling light blue lines represent breezes; a red-crested woodpecker flies above rhe child. "Just open your arms,/ lift up your chin,/ and breathe all the way down to your toes." There are as many ways to hug the forest as there are parts of it, and every element--a leaf, a flower, a forest trail, and more--gets a spread of its own that reveals its distinctive sounds and textures. Each one is personified with merry, pin-dot features that make the forest look like a toy shop, and the child reacts actively to each one in this sensorially focused encounter with the natural world. Ages 4-8. Illustrator's agent: Kirs ten Hall, Catbird Productions. (May)
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2023 PWxyz, LLC
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"Can You Hug a Forest?" Publishers Weekly, vol. 270, no. 12, 20 Mar. 2023, p. 80. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A745887367/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=89f21415. Accessed 7 June 2025.
Hevron, Amy LOG LIFE Beach Lane/Simon & Schuster (Children's None) $18.99 2, 20 ISBN: 9781665934985
A picture of the long and beneficial role played by a "nurse log" in the forest's cycle of growth and renewal.
A tall fir tree begins a "new life" when it falls in a storm--first as a site for a "big, mushroomy party," then as a host for carpenter ants that draw hungry birds, and then through years and even centuries to nurture new seedling trees while serving as "a soggy shelter to all kinds of critters." Hevron's airy tone ("Snails vacayed in the decay") is mirrored in forest scenes featuring mushrooms with smiley faces and cute though otherwise accurately detailed creatures of many sorts snoozing or scampering about while exchanging comments: "I'll lay some larvae here." "Me too!" "Me three!" By the time the log has disappeared (1,000 years later, a running label suggests), a towering successor stands in its place to fall itself one day and bring the natural process full circle. Though the flora and fauna depicted here are specific to the temperate rainforest of the Pacific Northwest, as the author notes in the backmatter, she closes with a list of old-growth forest sites in other parts of the U.S. where readers can explore nurse log habitats.
Natural history, served with a smile. (source and reading lists) (Informational picture book. 6-9)
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"Hevron, Amy: LOG LIFE." Kirkus Reviews, 1 Jan. 2024. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A777736971/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=6ff8cd94. Accessed 7 June 2025.
Hevron, Amy CITY OF LEAFCUTTER ANTS Neal Porter/Holiday House (Children's None) $18.99 6, 25 ISBN: 9780823453184
Bright collages dominated by rainforest greens depict an insect community of "eight million sisters working together."
It begins, as all leafcutter ant nests do, with a single queen. The nest she establishes appears in cross-section as a sprawling network of round chambers connected by straight, crisscrossing tunnels. Within, red ants scurry about, performing the essential duties any large community requires of its citizens: They are "builders and soldiers, caretakers and cleaners, farmers and pharmacists, and foragers." Hevron doesn't attempt realistic depictions but neither does she anthropomorphize her subjects, instead gesturing at the physical differences within the community by showing their varying sizes. Her inspired text uses appropriate vocabulary, informing readers of the antibiotics the pharmacist ants produce, the pheromone the worker ants emit when threatened, and the mandibles the forager ants use to harvest bits of leaves. The pacing and structure are impeccable, while the information is deftly conveyed. Listeners learn early on of the fungus that the queen brings from her birth nest ("an essential ingredient for the new city's survival"); after exploring the bustle of the city, the text returns to the fungus, informing little ones that "the garden that started from [it] now feeds the entire city of eight million." Two pages of further information will help adults answer any questions the text might elicit.
A fascinating introduction to an amazing insect. (bibliography, further reading, author's note) (Informational picture book. 4-8)
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"Hevron, Amy: CITY OF LEAFCUTTER ANTS." Kirkus Reviews, 1 May 2024. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A791876822/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=6091bcb3. Accessed 7 June 2025.
* City of Leafcutter Ants: A Sustainable Society of Millions. By Amy Hevron. Illus. by the author. June 2024. 40p. Holiday/Neal Porter, $18.99 (9780823453184). K-Gr. 2. 595.796.
Deep in a Central America rain forest, a colony of more than 8 million leafcutter ants are working away. Incredibly, the entire tiny city (including up to 2,000 chambers) was founded by one queen ant: after a dangerous mating flight, we see her burrow into the soil and start laying eggs, setting the stage for the incredible cooperative to come. Over time, the colony grows enough to divide into different areas of labor, including caretakers, garbage collectors, foragers, and even tiny pharmacists that produce antibodies to keep the population healthy. They're fearless fighters, too: when danger arrives in the form of a poison dart frog, the ants don't hesitate to swarm the threat. Crisis averted, the ants can return to their work, and the foragers in the canopy are busy chomping away and carrying snacks back to the nest to sustain the colony. Finally, a newly hatched queen leaves to make a home of her own and the cycle begins anew. It's a treat to see the world from a new perspective, and the engaging text imparts intriguing information while including plenty of action. Vibrant illustrations in lush greens and deep browns capture the ant adventures via cutaway views that put readers into the thick of things, and despite their simple structure, the blackeyed ants read as endearing and expressive. An enormously entertaining introduction to a small-scale subject.--Emily Graham
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2024 American Library Association
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Graham, Emily. "City of Leafcutter Ants: A Sustainable Society of Millions." Booklist, vol. 120, no. 18, 18 May 2024, p. 40. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A804017505/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=a66fe73d. Accessed 7 June 2025.
Hevron, Amy SUNKEN SHIP Beach Lane/Simon & Schuster (Children's None) $18.99 9, 24 ISBN: 9781665935005
A treasure ship yields its riches--a teeming underwater world.
The ship sailed across the Caribbean in 1733 before sinking in a storm. Fortunately, the crew escaped. In the aftermath, the sunken galleon's remains burgeoned with astonishing varieties of sea life and vegetation, all identified here. New generations blossomed over time. Who could have imagined that every part of a downed ship could nourish, sustain, and shelter new life? The ship's remains enriched the seafloor, too, as it "decomposed in the shifting sands," eventually erupting in "a rainbow of reef life." Over time, the ship became an artificial reef, a "coral-reef treasure trove." While the ship may have met a tragic end, the ultimate outcome is "a safe harbor for all." In the author's note, Hevron states that she was inspired by the sinking of the San Pedro and explains that sunken ships actually benefit the planet. With brief yet lyrical text and breezily humorous but informative dialogue, this treasure of a book will help young readers comprehend fascinating facts and salient concepts. Hevron indicates the passing of time, periodically noting the year up to the "present day." The gorgeous illustrations, created with acrylic, marker, and pencil, then digitally collaged, bring the undersea environment and its denizens to vivid, breathtaking life. A simple diagram of the ship's components graces the title page.
A captivating exploration of a wonder-filled domain most of us can only imagine. (additional reading, selected sources) (Informational picture book. 5-8)
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"Hevron, Amy: SUNKEN SHIP." Kirkus Reviews, 1 July 2024. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A799332860/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=52b32d45. Accessed 7 June 2025.
Sunken Ship.
By Amy Hevron. Illus. by the author.
Sept. 2024. 48p. Simon & Schuster/Beach Lane, $18.99
(9781665935005). PreS-Gr. 3. 577.789.
A Spanish galleon is "swished ... and swayed ... and SWAMPED!" by a storm-but that's just the beginning! This cheerful tale describes how the sunken hull supports the growth of a new reef over the next century and beyond. Simple, charming illustrations show sea life moving in as the ship settles and decomposes. Readers will enjoy the silly puns and speech-bubble asides offered by the new reef dwellers. The text provides clear, basic information while including dashes of alliteration ("Gribbles gobbled into the mighty masts") that result in a merry read-aloud, as well as smoothly including vocabulary and specific animals such as lightning wrasses, coral larvae, and coral polyps. Though similar in topic to Life after Whale, by Lynn Brunelle (about ecosystems thriving after a whale dies) and Great Carrier Reef, by Jessica Stremer (about an intentionally created artificial reef), this is aimed at a younger audience and offers a friendly, accessible launching point for budding environmentalists and oceanographers. Back matter provides a bibliography and more information about artificial reefs.
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Brookover, Elisha. "Sunken Ship." Booklist, vol. 120, no. 22, Aug. 2024, p. 55. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A808396800/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=2f06cfbd. Accessed 7 June 2025.
Hevron, Amy POO PILE ON THE PRAIRIE Beach Lane/Simon & Schuster (Children's None) $19.99 2, 18 ISBN: 9781665935029
An invitation to step into a small but bustling ecosystem.
"Fresh bison pie!" exclaims one dung beetle as it climbs onto a newly deposited pile of poop. "The perfect place to raise a family," chortles another. "Dung for dinner!" "And dessert!" Young readers may not be so thrilled by the fecal find. But as they follow events on and under the melting brown bounty in Hevron's close-up digital collages from one spring to the next over the course of a year, they'll quickly be caught up in wonder. Flies swarm, meadowlarks and other hungry predators fly in for the insect banquet, pretty prairie violets and other wildflowers spring up, butterflies flutter, and prairie dogs burrow beneath ("Mmm, these roots are tangy!"). After eight months of "sunshine and showers," the poo pile has become "a bouquet of fragrant flowers, graceful grasses, and three thousand flies, beetles, and biters." Winter brings a slower tempo for residents, identified in a final group portrait, and the following spring, mama bison is back with a new little pooper in tow. Hevron blends whimsy and science for an enchanting and much-needed reminder that complex ecosystems can be found in the most unlikely of places. It's all a grand cycle, laid out beautifully in the engaging art and recapped in an afterword that includes a tally of North American prairie habitats where viewers can watch things play out in real life.
A heaping helping of natural history, delivered with a wink. (additional reading, selected sources)(Informational picture book. 5-8)
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"Hevron, Amy: POO PILE ON THE PRAIRIE." Kirkus Reviews, 15 Dec. 2024. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A819570295/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=b31332e9. Accessed 7 June 2025.
* HEVRON, Amy. Poo Pile on the Prairie. illus. by Amy Hevron. 48p. (Tiny Habitats). S. & S./Beach Lane. Feb. 2025. Tr $19.99. ISBN 9781665935029.
K-Gr 2--The wonders of bison poo are explored in this nonfiction picture book. When a pile of bison poo is deposited on the ground of the grasslands, it isn't left stagnant. In the spring, dung beetles dig, eat, and tunnel inside the precious pile and some are even stored away for later. Filled with nutrients, the excrement provides food for insects, which in turn attracts birds, turtles, and even owls. Soon flowers and plants begin to sprout and grow, which draws the butterflies, grasshoppers, toads, prairie dogs, and elk throughout the summer. As fall and winter approach, it is saved for a snack and also burrowed under by bees and pocket gophers to stay warm in the cold. As winter ends and the snow melts, the insects leave and the pile becomes food for the dormant grass. The cycle begins anew with the birth of new baby bison and more poo to enrich the environment. Soft greens, blues, and browns make up the majority of the adorable animal illustrations that are done in acrylic, marker, and pencil collaged digitally. Beginning in spring and ending the following year, the book crosses seasons as different creatures use the bison poo. The final page contains additional information about bison poo and protecting prairie ecosystems. VERDICT A first purchase for all libraries desiring an interesting and beautiful story about this important prairie ecosystem contributor. Highly recommended.--Tracy Cronce
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2025 A wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
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Cronce, Tracy. "HEVRON, Amy. Poo Pile on the Prairie." School Library Journal, vol. 71, no. 2, Feb. 2025, p. 74. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A836878898/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=0220fcc8. Accessed 7 June 2025.
Hevron, Amy POOL PARTY! Beach Lane/Simon & Schuster (Children's None) $19.99 9, 23 ISBN: 9781665935043
Join the lively (and moist) celebration of one of the rainforest's most overlooked habitats: the bromeliad pool.
Rain dances down through the dense canopy, forming a small puddle on the leaf of a bromeliad plant ("A bro-ma-what?" asks a nearby insect). And just like that, invitations to the miniature pool party are spread far and wide. Though it may not seem like much, this tiny puddle is absolutely brimming with life. A tree frog starts off the festivities by laying her eggs in the pool, followed by algae and microbes that feast on "party platters of decomposing leaves." Before long, everything from tiny protozoa to whooping howler monkeys have joined the soiree, using the pool as a source of food or shelter. Cool blues and rich greens burst from the acrylic, marker, and pencil collage illustrations, featuring cute critters that pop from the page. Full visual spreads with individually labeled creatures complement comic-style panels with quippy speech bubbles and bouncing prose, like the "millipedes [that] mingled in moss." Changing scenes, shifting palettes, and headings indicate the passage of time throughout the year's changing seasons. Certain to appeal to the most curious of readers, this stunning addition to the Tiny Habitats series will make a wonderful storytime offering.
Dive headfirst into the lush pages of this rainforest read. (more about bromeliad pools, additional reading, selected sources)(Informational picture book. 4-7)
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"Hevron, Amy: POOL PARTY!" Kirkus Reviews, 1 June 2025. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A841814855/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=effe7c12. Accessed 7 June 2025.