Beavers

August 12, 2013
Gibbons adds beavers to the list of the animals covered in her long-running series. The spreads combine illustrations, text, panels, insets, and captions to an almost graphic novel–like effect at times, as the beavers build both a dam and a lodge (“Next the beavers arrange branches and stones above the lodge floor. It is the beginning of a dome-shaped structure.” Other sections describe what beavers eat, how they communicate (“They warn other beavers or enemies by whistling, hissing, or growling”), and beaver family life. In informative, succinct, and busy spreads, Gibbons highlights the animals’ extraordinary instincts for structural engineering. Ages 4–8.

August 15, 2013
Gibbons adds to her extensive nonfiction shelf with this informational guide to beavers. From how and why beavers build dams to their life cycle, habitat, body parts and how they communicate, Gibbons covers it all in her signature easy-to-digest format that includes short paragraphs of information and picture captions, which stretch from a single word to a few sentences. Readers will learn that larger beavers are able to move 30- to 40-pound stones when building their lodges and that they have two sets of eyelids--one is clear and closes sideways. A beaver also has mouth flaps that close behind its four incisors (which never stop growing) when the beaver is underwater. Especially fascinating to any reader who has tried to dam a stream will be the description of how beavers build their dams. Gibbons packs lots of information into her full-bleed watercolors, arraying beavers' predators along the edges of a pond, for instance, or, on another page, to show human activity and its impact on beaver populations and habitat. Backmatter includes a page of fascinating facts (largest beaver? 115 pounds!) and a list of websites. A great source for learning more about beavers and an incentive to get out in nature and see their handiwork. (Informational picture book. 4-8)

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November 1, 2013

PreS-Gr 3-Gibbons has a talent for bridging the divide between picture books and more detailed nonfiction. She provides information on two levels. An ongoing narrative at the bottom of each page includes general facts about beavers and is organized in sections with headings such as "Building a Beaver Dam." Then, on each full-page drawing, she labels important features of beavers, their habitat, and other animals that share the ponds and riverbanks. Most of the detailed information on each page is written in complete sentences as well, with vocabulary words in capital letters for easy identification. This allows the author to include a wealth of information within the picture-book format. The full-bleed pen-and-ink and watercolor illustrations are engaging but incredibly busy. A map is included along with a page of additional beaver facts at the end of the book. This inviting addition will definitely find a home in many collections.-Susan E. Murray, formerly at Glendale Public Library, AZ

Copyright 2013 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

October 15, 2013
Preschool-G Gibbons (Ladybugs, 2012) is a master at creating factual books through which young readers can explore details of nature at an accessible and engaging depth. Her latest uses narrative text, generous and accurate watercolor illustrations, and informative inset boxes to show and tell readers about the habits, environments, family structure, and anatomy of the beaver, a mammal well known for its industrious dam building and playful social life. In detailed paintings, Gibbons depicts natural scenes as well as close-up details of curious beaver parts, such as their teeth, eyes, and leathery tails, along with cutaway scenes of beaver lodges and dams, their construction, and interior elements, such as living spaces and escape routes. As both a read-aloud and a resource for children in the earliest grades looking for a research source, this stands as a model. Pair with the chapter on human dam building in David Macaulay's Building Big (2000).(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2013, American Library Association.)