A Closer Look
PreSchool-Grade 2&mdash;Beginning with a close-up image of an object, and then progressively pulling back to present a broader view, McCarthy asks readers, "Look! What do you&hellip;see?" The first spread shows a large black circle against a deep red background, and the illustrations gradually zoom out to reveal a ladybug perched on a leaf. The next series of pictures takes the same approach to depict a colorful cardinal flower, while a third set shows a ruby-throated hummingbird. The final two spreads balance out the book nicely: the first shows two hummingbirds feeding on the flowers while ladybugs crawl on the leaves below, followed by a landscape view featuring a smaller version of this particular plant surrounded by other blooms. Rendered from handmade papers and collage, the bold artwork is elegant and eye-catching. The broad lines, simple graphic images, and textured details suit the magnified perspectives, while the more expansive scenes are beautifully composed. As children take a closer look at the pages, they will enjoy making guesses and experience a sense of discovery that ties in neatly with the book's nature theme. Use this offering to focus observation skills and stimulate imaginations, or pair it with George Shannon'sWhite Is for Blueberry(HarperCollins, 2005) to explore how we perceive the natural world.&mdash;Joy Fleishhacker, School Library JournalCopyright &copy; Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.