SOAR HIGH, DRAGONFLY

A circular account of a dragonfly’s
life span told simultaneously as a narrative and a collection of scientific
facts.

The creative duo behind Good
Trick, Walking Stick (2016) returns to the insect world. Readers follow the
life cycle of a green darner dragonfly, from its mother laying eggs to
fertilizing its own before leaving to “find warmer days” elsewhere. The primary
text, set in a relatively large font, relates the development of a particular
dragonfly in a preschool-friendly manner with simple sentences, sound effects, and
a rhythmic refrain—“Oh my, a baby dragonfly!”—that varies the first few
syllables with each repetition. Supplementary text is in smaller, multicolored
type and gives a factual description of the species, complete with vocabulary
definitions and fourth wall–breaking questions to encourage inquisitive thought:
“Do you think that the nymph looks like a dragonfly?” Blocks of this text are
tucked into the corners of spreads, so younger readers can choose to skim them
over while older or inquisitive readers can learn more about the natural world.
Unfortunately, there is no informative backmatter to further help them on their
way. Lambert places marbled colors à la Eric Carle against a plain, mostly
white background. The result is a rich vibrancy that makes the book and its
insect protagonist delightfully attractive.

Dynamic colors and textual
versatility make for a quality nonfiction read. (Informational picture book.
5-8)