Packs

December 9, 2019
From its incantatory opening—“Packs,/ herds,/ huddles,/ and pods./ Together,/ we are better”—Sayler’s artful exploration of creature behavior moves into examples of the way animals and insects find strength in numbers. Each pack-specific discussion ends with the refrain “Together, we”—bats communicate, flamingos dance. Refreshingly, Sayler looks beyond species stereotypes: “We lions live in a pride, and proud we are. Our strong bonds come from our keeping close... Together, we nurture!” Collective nouns are italicized (lions, pride; frogs, army). Sayler vividly illustrates joyful abundance, often juxtaposing a single blue-hued creature opposite vibrant spreads of groups in motion. The conclusion—“All together.../ ...we are better!”—is cannily paired with a bustling city park. The author’s note, opposite an illustrated key that names featured creatures, argues for preserving biodiversity. Ages 4–7.

January 10, 2020

PreS-Gr 2-Lions, flamingos, and wolves stick together in a pride, a flamboyance, or a pack for protection and teamwork. This technique has proven successful for hunting, mating, and raising young animals. Beautiful two-page spreads enliven Salyer's narrative. Frogs, rendered in various shades of green, are depicted in their marshes, ponds, and swamps. Lions glow in shades of gold, and buffalo seem to thunder off the pages. Perfectly matched to the illustrations, the simple sentences summarize the animals' qualities. The final group shows a diverse collection of humans in an urban setting dancing, eating, skateboarding, and dog-walking to solidify the message that there truly is strength in numbers. All the animals are numbered and identified on one of the last pages of resources. This format is very helpful, especially in the case of zoanthids, gold saddle goatfish, and plate coral. VERDICT A must-purchase for every collection. Salyer offers a beautiful look at Earth's herding creatures.-Frances E. Millhouser, formerly at Fairfax County Public Library, VA

Copyright 2020 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

November 15, 2019
Grades 1-3 Packs, herds, huddles, and pods. Together, we are better. This opening sentence sums things up well, and what follows is a series of spotlights on specific animals that rely on groups to survive. Rather than marveling at the strangeness of obscure collective nouns, Salyer seeks to educate, generally focusing on more common animals (butterflies, lions, frogs) though there are some surprising inclusions, such as mongooses, coral, wildebeest. Subjects receive two pages, which include a rich illustration as well as two to three sentences describing how their numbers are used for the collective benefit, capped off by an individualized refrain of Together, we . . . Given the informational component's brevity, it's the artwork that takes center stage, with Salyer's striking, monochromatic spreads flooding the page and forcing the reader to confront the awesome reality of entire groups. Fittingly, she ends with a crowd of humans in a public space, and back matter reminds us that, while many creatures thrive in packs, we also need others to survive. A useful tool for a classroom of children. Together, we learn!(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2019, American Library Association.)

January 1, 2020
For some animal species, there are evolutionary advantages to social groupings. "Packs, herds, huddles, and pods. Together, we are better." Salyer introduces young readers to many of the creative words used to describe animal aggregations (an army of frogs, a flamboyance of flamingos, an �implausibility of wildebeest) but also explains just what those groupings provide: care for their young (elephants, lions); communication to locate food and prey (bats, bees); and safety in numbers (zebras, mongooses). The richly colored illustrations portray the multitudes, often oriented to seem to flow past the observer, or to highlight how animals clustered together make it hard to identify individuals or distinguish them from their backgrounds. The final double-page spread connects the book's message to a familiar social animal--humans--as people of all ages, genders, and ethnicities happily congregate in a village square. "All together...we are better!" Notes at the end of the book identify the exact species portrayed in the illustrations, and caution that many of these species are under threat of extinction. Also appended with a brief bibliography.

(Copyright 2020 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

March 1, 2020
For some animal species, there are evolutionary advantages to social groupings. "Packs, herds, huddles, and pods. Together, we are better." Salyer introduces young readers to many of the creative words used to describe animal aggregations (an army of frogs, a flamboyance of flamingos, an implausibility of wildebeest) but also explains just what those groupings provide: care for their young (elephants, lions); communication to locate food and prey (bats, bees); and safety in numbers (zebras, mongooses). The richly colored illustrations portray the multitudes, often oriented to seem to flow past the observer, or to highlight how animals clustered together make it hard to identify individuals or distinguish them from their backgrounds. The final double-page spread connects the book's message to a familiar social animal�? humans�? as people of all ages, genders, and ethnicities happily congregate in a village square. "All together...we are better!" Notes at the end of the book identify the exact species portrayed in the illustrations, and caution that many of these species are under threat of extinction. Also appended with a brief bibliography. Danielle J. Ford

(Copyright 2020 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

Starred review from September 15, 2019
The community of species is celebrated in this picture book. With a vigorous nod to the philosophy of deep ecology, author/illustrator Salyer presents an uplifting, lively picture book that details the various ways a community structure helps a species thrive and survive. The deep-ecology message begins with cleverly designed endpapers. Illustrated in an identical gestural style and palette, the front endpapers depict a small herd of elephants that spills onto the page turn, while the back endpapers show a diverse group of human bicyclists. The body of the book begins with four double-page spreads depicting, in a glorious overall design on each, a group of individuals within a single species. While stunning in their own right, the illustrations also work to underscore the message of beauty within community, and the text sums this up: "Together, / we are better." Amplifying this broad statement, the balance of the book details a single species per two-page spread, relating what a group of that species is called and giving an aspect of that species' behavior. "We lions live in a pride....we use purrs, licks, and nuzzles.... / Together, we nurture!" The final double-page spread shows a diverse group of humans interacting together, with the words, "All together... / ...we are better!" Final pages note the extinction danger of many species, offer ways to help, and identify the species illustrated in the book. Part natural science, part deep ecology, wholly captivating. (Informational picture book. 4-9)

COPYRIGHT(2019) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.