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)

Gr 2-4--In this illustrated information book about mountain formation, readers join a girl and her raccoon friend as they work, like young earth scientists, through nine steps that will guarantee the creation of a mountain that supports plant and animal life. While the passage of millions of years is cited in these key steps, readers with a solid introductory grasp of earth science concepts, the water cycle, and basic geological features will build a deeper understanding of the effects that climate patterns, water, and time have on this grand phenomenon in nature. At times, the second-person viewpoint reads like a cheerful how-to guide about adding the necessary features and processes that form a mountain, while a crisp, descriptive tone connects the scientific information. Short phrases, metaphors, and exclamations color the illustrated demonstrations of geological concepts and changes, emphasizing an engaging mix of large, shaded swatches of watercolorlike blends and finer details from colored pencil lines and textures. This is for careful readers. The "steps," which are labeled with large print letters, are designed to be read in strict sequential order; the text is sprinkled liberally with geological terms, though not all are defined; the small, thin font becomes lost at times in expansive illustrations. Other relevant geologic terms are introduced in the back matter, as is a reflective afterword. VERDICT Highly recommended for the curious upper elementary reader interested in earth science or paired with a geology unit that explores mountain formation and geological terms.--Rachel Mulligan