AT THE EDGE Curious creatures of planet earth

K-Gr 3--Elliott returns with a lively and inventive collection celebrating unusual animals from across the globe. Each spread pairs a short, rhyming poem with striking full-page illustrations. The art, composed of bold textures and zoomed-in perspectives, invites readers to linger over the distinctive features of each creature. The poems vary widely in tone and length, showcasing his signature wit and impeccable sense of rhythm. Some, like the two-word ode to the black rain frog, "Bumpy. Grumpy," offer quick flashes of personality. Others pose humorous questions, as with the naked mole-rat: "Are you cold because you live underground? Or are you underground because you are cold?" These playful verses spark curiosity and encourage readers to look more closely at animals they may never have encountered before. While the poems themselves focus on mood, voice, and memorable imagery rather than factual detail, this intentional sparseness invites questions: Why is a pink fairy armadillo pink? What makes the tiny peacock spider's mating dance so spectacular? Elliott's humor and light touch create many entry points for discussion, prompting children to wonder, explore, and seek out answers. To satisfy that curiosity, the back matter includes fascinating little-known facts about each animal. Librarians and educators will find this section particularly useful for introducing research, inquiry, and animal science units. VERDICT A delightful, curious, and engaging collection; if there is only one poetry book to add this year, this is it.--Heidi Dechief

Poet Elliott's latest volume centers 14 unique species in disparate global habitats. Rhymed verses combine science-based tidbits and funny wordplay, evoking the children's poetry of Douglas Florian. Regarding the flamboyantly arrayed male peacock spider, Elliott writes, "When he romances, / this spider dances. / In jaw-dropping hues / this jitterbug woos…. / He hopes he will win her. / If not, he's her dinner." Another creature, the orchid mantis, mimics a flower to snag its prey: "Petal. / Pistil. / Stamen. / Stem. / You look like a flower, / but you don't have them." There's occasional anthropomorphization, as in this two-word poem about the black rain frog: "Bumpy. / Grumpy." Elliott imagines the axolotl, an amphibian found only in Mexico City's Lake Xochimilco and named for an Aztec god, as both dreaming and smiling. The creatures in several poems need the backmatter's contextualizing species notes to make sense. "Aye-Aye" begins, "No! No! / Never call it by its / name name. / If you / do do, / you will never be the / same same." The note reveals that some believe that uttering this lemur's name could bring bad luck. Robin's collage compositions adeptly convey the species' physical characteristics, from coloration to feathers, skin, and claws, set against generalized versions of habitats like desert and savanna. A light and breezy, around-the-world look at an array of unusual species.(Picture book/poetry. 4-8) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.