The Tinaja Tonight (Imagine This!)

PreS-Gr 3--Bissonette crafts a factual, engaging narrative in this nonfiction picture book about tinajas. Tinajas, which are found in deserts, are "formed by a natural hollow in the rock where rainwater or melting snow collects." Factual information is featured throughout the narrative. Readers get a well-developed introduction to the desert and its inhabitants, and the author's note and resources provide additional information. Weiler's illustrations are reminiscent of lithograph-style vintage posters from the last century, and the soft layers and sunset palette used throughout the book lend an ethereal quality to each page. This book could be a good read-aloud and would work just as well at bedtime as in the classroom. The text has a gentle flow, and the illustrations capture the purples and blues of twilight. VERDICT Purchase this title, which is also an appealing read-aloud, for collections focusing on ecosystems and environmental science.--Jen McConnel, Queen's Univ., Ont.

Bissonette's poetic narrative, sprinkled with alliteration, leads readers seamlessly from one desert denizen to another...Clarifying information bites regarding each featured element or animal accompanies the text...this exploration of water's vital presence in an arid environment is sure to please. —Kirkus Reviews