How to Make a Mountain: In Just 9 Simple Steps and Only 100 Million Years!

In this appropriately oversize book, Huntington’s wry omniscient narrator instructs a brown-skinned child, plus raccoon and woodpecker sidekicks, on how to construct an entire mountain ecosystem—from the peak itself to its waterways, microclimates, flora, and fauna. It’s a project in which time is elastic: as the child pushes a “supercolossal” rock onto another (mimicking the movement of continental plates), the narrator informs her that it will take “millions of years, in fact. I hope you brought some snacks.” After several more steps on this monumental to-do list (“Let’s consider bringing in a glacier”), the mountainside is flourishing, and even the narrator is impressed: “I love the lake. Nice job on the foothills.” Lemon’s pencil, gouache, and digital art runs with the premise, bringing an on-the-fly quality to the massive forces at work while conveying the indomitable will and enthusiasm of a kid on a mission. A strong message of stewardship and a glossary of terms round out this presentation of basic earth science and geology concepts. Ages 5–8. (May)