Above and Below

Large half-page flaps open to let children peek underwater, underground, and inside caves in a book that explores eight animal habitats. Left-hand pages identify the animals and objects found at each location, supplemented by brief facts (“The male deer sheds and regrows its antlers every year”). In a scene set at the North Pole, a whale’s tail breaks the surface of the water, a snowy owl flies overhead, and walruses and polar bears appear on ice floes; turning the flap reveals whales, a narwhal, and other ocean-dwelling animals below the surface (details of which are listed on the back of the flap). Though readers may not get a great sense of the animals’ scale in comparison to each other, Clulow brings a serene Peaceable Kingdom presence to each scene, amplified through the creatures’ soft smiles and big, bright eyes. Ages 5–9. (Mar.)