Chin, Cherilyn. Axolotl’s Safe Place. Tracy Nishimura Bishop, Illus. Lilly Lu to the Rescue. Lerner, 01/2026. 32pp. Fiction. PLB $30.65. 979-8-7656-6049-2. Paper $9.99. 979-8-7656-6053-9. GRADES 2–3. ADDITIONAL.
SERIES REVIEW: This early chapter book series follows Lily Lu and her scientist mother as they travel the world studying wild animals. Each time her mother studies an animal, there’s a problem which the two end up helping with. This reviewer read two titles, one covering a trip to Mexico to study axolotls and the other to Hawaii for manta rays. In Mexico, they help create new habits for rescued axolts to be released into; in Hawaii, they figure out how to remove a fishing hook from a manta ray. Each book includes an introduction to Lily and to the animal being studied, followed by four short chapters, and ending with a few questions that readers can use to reflect on what they just read. Color illustrations depict the animals, the trouble that arises, and the multi-ethnic humans (adults and kids) that help the animal. A useful introduction to wildlife rescues. As an added bonus, both the author and illustrator live in the San Francisco Bay Area.
Joshua Rees—Daly City Public Library