*The notion that every habitat is part of an interwoven web provides the framework for this informational picture book.... Keystone species from a variety of habitats are featured; each use a different skill, like building or hunting, to keep their “nature-hood” healthy. Some are familiar mammals, including beavers, wolves, and sea otters, but others are lesser known; who knew that cassowaries swallow fruit whole and then poop out the seeds, thereby allowing their Australian rainforest home to thrive? Duffield uses layered text to great effect: on each spread, rhyming text will pique reader interest while a block of smaller print text on the opposing page provides more information. Salyer’s enchanting, digitally composed gouache art captures the beauty of each nature-hood and the web of creatures that exist there. Children will be captivated by the close-up details of each featured species and enjoy locating the other benefited creatures tucked into each full-page image. The gorgeous and arresting cover features some of the profiled animals in cut-out silhouettes, with gracefully curving plants connecting each creature. End pages provide additional information about keystone species and sources. Engaging rhymes and immersive art will introduce many young readers to a new way of looking at habitats, and how interconnectedness helps each one thrive.
Description
Meet keystone species—the hidden heroes of the natural world—and learn about the ecosystems they support in this “enchanting…engaging” (School Library Journal, starred review) nonfiction picture book from the author of Crossings: Extraordinary Structures for Extraordinary Animals.
Keystone species are plants, animals, or other organisms that have a huge effect on the environments around them. From beavers to elephants, alligators to hummingbirds, keystones help themselves and other species survive. Whether it’s creating habitats for themselves and other animals, leaving behind leftovers that fertilize the soil, or clearing out harmful algae, keystones live up to their name in their essential contribution to the harmony of our natural world.
Reviews
[An] illuminating science-led appreciation from Duffield (Crossings) and Salyer (Rain and the Reading Horse): “All throughout the nature-hoods,/ in marshes, grasslands, water, woods,/ they help themselves—help others too—/ just by doing what they do.” Wolves, grizzly bears, tiger sharks, parrotfish, and even the southern cassowary all receive their due.... Accompanying captions provide further ecological insights, touching, for example, on the way beaver dams filter water as well as create ponds that become habitats for other aquatic dwellers. Digitally finished gouache paintings with luminous accents impressionistically render the featured organisms with vibrant, cool-toned hues... Earth’s interconnectedness comes to the fore in this incantatory homage.
Salutes to 11 creatures that work in sometimes surprising ways to help their wild communities. Writing in rhyming lines with lucid explanatory glosses in prose, Duffield points out animals “throughout the nature-hoods, / in marshes, grasslands, water, woods” that help themselves and others survive and spread—often in subtle ways... Salyer varies the tonal quality of her illustrations; some scenes look natural, while others seem viewed through color filters... the images of wildlife are rendered with careful attention to detail; misty glimpses fore and aft of a marveling young observer evoke a proper sense of wonder at the beginning and end. A cogent introduction to an important ecological concept.
