Gop, Becky Cushing. What Goes on Inside a Beaver Pond? Carrie Shryock, Illus. Storey, 08/2023. 48pp. Non-Fiction. Trade $18.99. 978-1-63586-527-1. GRADES 2 – 5. OUTSTANDING.
A young beaver’s journey, leaving her family’s lodge and striking out to find her own home range, is exquisitely captured in captivating images and fact-filled descriptions. Detailed full-page landscapes, rendered in a soft palette of naturalistic colors, form the backdrop for close-up, comic-style panels. Brief, sans serif text blocks describe the action, including a wealth of informative detail about beavers and the other animals that inhabit their ecosystem. Sounds are represented, even the occasional beaver fart. A smattering of full-page spreads broadens the perspective – giving readers sweeping aerial views and cross-section sneak peeks. The book’s depth and detail invite close observation and encourage curiosity. Reviewed from a digital ARC.
MelissaMcAvoy—Retired