Who's Looking?

Starred review from May 1, 2022

PreS-Gr 2-We see the animals around us, but what does the world look like to them? In this delightfully original nonfiction picture book, a young girl and her baby sister wander through woods, fields, and a shoreline, while a variety of creatures look on: birds, insects, whales, rabbits, and even wolves. Simple scientific explanations and colorful illustrations show readers how each animal may perceive the world. Matas explains that some are color-blind and see only in shades of gray. Others have panoramic 360 degree vision. Eagles have the best sight of any creature and can spot a mouse from great distances, while mice are nearly blind but have a useful special cell that can sense movement. Rabbits can see behind their backs, while beavers, having very poor vision, have gogglelike membranes to help them see underwater. The lovely illustrations make use of borders, perspective, and other effects to offer a sense of the difference between what the creature sees and how a human would see it; it's not photorealistic or literal, but gives children an opportunity to process and ponder the information. In the meantime, the sisters are a remote focal point, and as the seasons pass, the baby grows to a toddler. These two comprise an illustrative reference point and are not part of the text, except in two early lines that explain a baby's early vision and how human vision works with glasses. The scenes clearly show the affection the sisters have for each other. The readable text offers understandable science, while the engaging illustrations promote careful investigation. VERDICT A valuable addition to science and nature collections. Highly recommended.-Eva Elisabeth VonAncken

Copyright 2022 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

July 29, 2022
Preschool-Grade 2 This picture book about how humans and animals see the world is based on a great concept. Two-page spreads show a young girl and her baby sister walking through the woods and enjoying outdoor activities at different times of the year. In each instance, they're observed by a different animal (owl, fish, robin, otter, and, once safe inside, a wolf). The illustrations mark off each critter's field of vision with distinct lines and compare what the animal sees next to the human view. Some comparisons are obvious, such as a whale's limited black-and-gray palette, or an ant's blurry, pixelated vista. Others are relatively subtle, like a beaver with its blurry, underwater outlook. Every scene is interesting, and a brief paragraph set off in a highlighted color box explains how eyes work differently (a goat has rectangular pupils; dragonflies have huge, compound eyes). Young readers will enjoy pointing out the differences and hopefully be encouraged to take closer looks during their own adventures.

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