This fascinating nonfiction picture book about animal construction projects will captivate young scientists and naturalists—and have them looking for more in their own backyards! Did you know the natural world is a construction zone? All over Earth, on land and at sea, animals are building the most amazing things. From tricky trapdoors to undersea cities to palaces of pebbles and more, come see the incredible creations of animal architects. PreS-Gr 1-We live in a construction zone! That's what Cherrix tells readers in this look at the structures built by 11 different animals. Tiny larvae build the Great Barrier Reef; trapdoor spiders build insect traps to collect meals; male satin bowerbirds build elaborate sculptures out of twigs, called bowers, to attract a mate; ants dig complex tunnels; penguins build nests out of pebbles. All around us, animals are busy building homes, nests, tunnels, mounds, and more. Sasaki's lush, digital artwork is resplendent, with swift-moving strokes that produce lively movement on the page. Cherrix's prose is peppered with facts that describe what readers are seeing, while also evoking awe of the complex, often beautiful, structures, and just how talented these architects of the animal world are. Children will enjoy meeting new animals and learning their behaviors. Back matter includes further reading to keep young naturalists intrigued. VERDICT An appealing choice for story times.-Jessica Schriver, Rutgers Univ., Camden, NJα(c) Copyright 2011. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted. A former children’s book editor and book buyer at Malaprop’s Bookstore/Cafe in Asheville, North Carolina, Amy Cherrix now writes fulltime. Her books include the nonfiction In the Shadow of the Moon , Backyard Bears , Eye of the Storm , Animal Architects , and Animal Superpowers . She earned a master’s degree in children’s literature from Simmons University. If she isn’t writing or scouring the internet for late-breaking science news, you can find her on Instagram @AmyCherrix. Chris Sasaki is an animation art director, illustrator, and writer living in Oakland, California. He worked at Pixar Animation Studios and designed characters for Monsters University , Inside Out , Coco , and Onward . His work has been featured in Nucleus Gallery, Cartoon Brew , The New York Times , and Red Cap greeting cards. Chris is the illustrator of Animal Architects , Home Is a Window , and Paper Son: The Inspiring Story of Tyrus Wong, Immigrant and Artist , which received the 2019 Dilys Evans Founders Award from the Society of Illustrators.