We Can Hear Without Ears: And Other Things You Didn't Know We Plants Could Do
April 7, 2026 by Astra Young Readers
Copy provided by the publisher
Told from the point of view of plants, this overview of the way that plants have untold talents points out some of the things plants can do. While mice roam around looking for food, but tulips are their own food factories. Sunflowers collect solar energy, and willows are water wizards! Plants and animals often face enemies like birds and animals, but do have some natural defenses like sap, warning chemicals, and thorns and spikes. There is a discussion of the titular statement; plants can sense vibrations, and have even more senses than animals do because they can't run away. Unusual plants, like Venus flytraps, that need certain nutrients have ways to lure in bugs so they can satisfy their carnivorous cravings. The plants offer a lot of convincing arguments for why they are not a "green bunch of slackers"!
The mixed media collage illustrations are reminiscent of Leo Lionni's iconic 1967 Frederick, and there's even a little mouse sniffing a flower! Each two page spread evokes different environments, and are quite lovely. I especially enjoyed the tomatoes, as well as the clouds that occasionally have words written in them!
The end of the book has some additional information about what nonplants can learn from flora. Paying more attention to our surroundings, relying on renewable energy, adapting, and staying connected to other life forms would benefit that world. It would have been nice to see a bibliography or list of resources, but this would make a great read aloud to start a unit on plants and lead into other research.
May 12, 2026 by Astra Young Readers
Copy provided by the publisher
While forest fires are devastating, they are also sometimes necessary. In nicely cadenced, rhyming verse, we follow the stages of a fire from the beginning of a blaze through the devastating aftermath and the regeneration of the area. There are all manner of people involved in manWhile the forest may look dead, there are animals who help with the regrowth by eating the plants and spreading the seeds.
The illustrations were made by photographing three dimensional scenes drawn in ink and pencil, which gives a smoky, blurred quality to the scenes, perfect for the fire and its aftermath. It also allows the animals and people to really pop and stand out. I did enjoy the hopeful colors that were introduced as the forest was coming back to life.
As well done as the main part of the book is, the best part of this book might be the back matter! There is extensive discussion of "Are fires good for the enviroment?", Hot Story Facts with a lot of excellent information about facets of fires, and an absolutely amazing bibliography and further reading. This is a perfect companion to Collard's 2015 Fire Birds: Valuing Natural Wildfires and Burned Forests, which is the first selection listed under additional resources! This would make an excellent read aloud for classes starting a unit on climate change or forest life cycles.
May 19, 2026 by TOON Books
Copy provided by the publisher
A little boy is telling his friend that he LOVES capybaras and would like one for a pet. She dissuades him, telling him that the rodent can get to be very large (150 pounds!), likes to be in the water, and prefers being around other animals. The two discuss other facts about capybaras and different rodents, so we learn that they like to eat a lot of produce, rub their scent glands on everything, are have different names around the world. In Japan, there is a television show about a capybara, and the animals are treated to hot tubs in the zoos! Later, the little boy has a capybara themed birthday party, and reveals that he has a new pet... a guinea pig, who is closely related to his favorite animal but requires less room and specialized care.
The artwork depicts a variety of animals nicely, and there is a good use of texture in the acrylic gouache and india ink pictures. The use of eco friendly materials makes this an even more appealing book, which is even printed on recycled paper!
It's nice to have the story framed around the idea of making a large, wild animal a pet, and the information presented certainly makes a guinea pig sound like a better choice. I appreciated that McCloskey cited the source of his information in a note in the back. My favorite part might have been the listing of different "fad" animals, although I wished that the reason for the 1972 interest in pandas had been mentioned. I like near Washington, D.C. at that time, and my class went to the National Zoo in order to see the pandas that had been given to the US by China!
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