Underground

In this evocative ode to nature, Fleming returns to the backyard turf of In the Tall, Tall Grass and In the Small, Small Pond, but digs deeper--literally--to explore the teeming life found "Low down./ Way down./ Under ground." In some ways, the book functions as a pared-down summertime companion to Kate Messner and Christopher Silas Neal's Over and Under the Snow (2011): Fleming's scenes simultaneously depict what's underneath and just above the ground; created via her trademark "pulp painting" process, the spreads have a marbled texture, and are rendered in bright sky blues, vibrant grassy greens, and the warm brown-reds of soil. Spiders and salamanders scamper on rocks and between blades of grass, pink earthworms and a chubby toad navigate "Squirm-ways and worm-ways" in the dirt, a fox peeks from an underground den, and ants march through tunnels. All the while, a curious boy watches the activity and tends to his plants. Fleming's luminous scenes invite close inspection and creature-spotting, and a key at book's end contains facts on more than 20 featured animals. Ages 3-7. (Sept.)

PreS-Gr 1--Bursting with her signature bold color and textured pulp paintings, Fleming's latest tour de force affords an immersion into the backyard world below our feet. Economical and descriptive, the rhythmic text pairs with cross-section illustrations of the myriad creatures that burrow, dig, and tunnel their way underneath the earth's surface. Revealed amid the nests and tunnels, too, are other (and oft amusing) forms of subterranean deposits: seeds, root vegetables, old tools, keys, dog bones. Young readers will spot a connecting narrative arc in the artwork as a young boy helps plant and water a new cherry tree. An illustrated "Creature Identification" index is appended, offering concise information about the underground habits of the wildlife. A first-rate picture book on every level and made-to-order for group sharing, this title reveals the fascinating "squirm-ways and worm-ways" found in the natural world.--Kathleen Finn, St. Francis Xavier School, Winooski, VT