Neighbors: The Water Critters

Held and Kim follow their first two Neighbors titles with a grouping of 13 poems that pay tribute to aquatic species, from humble minnows to massive whales. Several poems have a subtle New York “accent” (references to Sag Harbor and the Astor family’s fur trading appear in the seal and beaver poems, respectively). More prominent are the poems’ frequent environmental themes (“Mostly, crustaceans live in sediment,/ but if water pollution thrives,/ say bye-bye to bivalves”). Set against simplified maritime backdrops, Kim’s flattened collages bring in a variety of textures for the sea creatures—a manatee’s streaky gray hide bears “scars on her shoulder/ from a boat’s propeller,” while brownish-green triangles lend a spiky appearance to a snapping turtle’s “hard black carapace,/ or shell, it can’t replace.” Ages 3–11. (Jan.)