Something Wonderful

August 1, 2020
An illustrated children's book about the interconnected life cycles of tropical rainforest plants and pollinators. As the story opens, a "golden seed" drops from the sky and embeds itself into the bark of a tree, which, over time, grows roots and overtakes its host, becoming its own adult plant. This new fig tree goes on to bear fruit, and special fig wasps burrow and bury their eggs inside the figs. Those eggs will later hatch, and the spawn will go off and pollinate more fig trees in an interconnected cycle. Meanwhile, a chestnut-mandibled toucan eats a ripened fruit, deposits new seeds from a great height, and the cycle of life continues. On each page, a red-eyed tree frog plays a concurrent game of hide-and-seek.Fully illustrated backmatter further explains the life cycle of fig wasps and offers encyclopedic information about fig-tree species, red-eyed tree frogs, and, of course, the spectacular, aforementioned toucan. Ritter's narrative offers condensed but informative text, sometimes from the point of view of the seed and, at other times, from that of the wasp. It's as if one is watching a documentary narrated by English nature historian David Attenborough, to whom this book is dedicated. That said, the writing does perhaps rely too heavily on the refrain, "Something wonderful was about to happen," which appears four times. However, debut illustrator Gonzalez's immersive and meticulously detailed drawings elevate the rainforest story and will reward multiple readings. Each page is executed with scientific precision, and an entire canopy of forest greens and brown tree bark are shown in panoramic spreads. It's a captivating amalgam of color and information that will keep young readers guessing and exploring. STEM advocates will also be very pleased to share this book with future plant lovers. A gorgeous-looking lesson that will satisfy kids and parents alike.

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March 1, 2021
Grades K-3 Ritter and Gonzalez detail the life cycle of a golden fig, beginning with the moment its seed falls from the sky onto a branch high in the canopy, where it germinates. Successive pages walk readers through its flowering and fruiting, pollination by wasps, and ingestion by a toucan, which then excretes a seed to start the cycle anew. The brief but informative text is punctuated throughout with the repeated phrase ""Something wonderful was about to happen,"" which calls attention to the beauty of this complex and interconnected natural cycle. Gonzalez's richly hued artwork features a variety of perspectives ranging from aerial wide shots to intimate close-ups and interior cutaway views. Green and brown tones predominate, accented with yellow and rose. The style is naturalistic, although some cutaway views utilize slightly contrived poses to better convey details. Additional information includes a location key for the red-eyed tree frog hidden in each spread and further information about the fig wasp and its role as a pollinator. A great choice for classroom units on life cycles, symbiosis, and rain forest ecosystems.

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