From the smallest specks of life to the largest creatures, this engaging picture book shows the many shapes and forms life takes all around us. What is life? It's constantly moving, growing, reproducing, and dying. It's happening now, all the time, and it's everywhere around us. From little helicopter seed pods that float through the air to blue whales in the ocean, the world is filled with all different types of odd and familiar kinds of life. This whimsical picture book helps young readers see the connections between all living things. Author and illustrator Christian Borstlap's furry, feathery, smooth, and spiky creatures crawl, eat, growl, fly, and interact with one another. While most of his creations are imaginary animals, they all depict real things that organisms must do to survive and thrive. Bold and quirky illustrations tug at kids' imaginations and help demonstrate complex concepts that can be hard to put into words. The book leaves lots of room for discussion and for new discoveries with each reading. PreS-Gr 3—Borstlap, well known in the art community, ponders the meaning of life in his debut picture book. The text, which is around 56 pages, seems too long for a children's picture book, but the artwork is plentiful and there are few words. Kids don't have to dwell on heavy philosophical concepts or they can choose to stop and consider the hidden message behind the simple wording. The text begins with life evolving from stardust then discusses how life is about reproducing, perceiving, breathing, moving, feeling, giving, and taking. Overall, life is unpredictable. Ideas such as how we can't "do life alone" may seem simple and straightforward but there is much to think about. There are colorful, soft-toned, fuzzy sketches of animals and plants. Borstlap seems to be telling the reader to slow down and think deeper about our place in the universe. Although the book is not text heavy, it seems unlikely that it will fully engage the target audience. This title could serve as a coffee table book for adults who wish to thoughtfully contemplate the meaning of life. VERDICT Children might find the illustrations amusing, but they will not understand the complexity of the written message. Purchase if you have additional funds.—Sandra Welzenbach, Villarreal Elem. Sch., San Antonio CHRISTIAN BORSTLAP is an illustrator, designer, art director, and founder of Part of a Bigger Plan, a creative agency whose clients include Christian Dior, Louis Vuitton, Apple, Vogue , Rijksmuseum, and many others. This is his first picture book.