Lyford follows Katy Has Two Grampas with a lively story based on her child’s real-life middle school. Adi’s public school is the quintessential experience for any young animal lover: serving as a home to over 1,000 animals, its attendees are known as the Critter Crew, and their daily lessons revolve around caretaking the school’s many unusual species. Readers get the chance to follow Adi as they go about a classic day, checking on the animals’ health, cleaning up after them, and relishing immersive animal-centered experiences—all sprinkled with valuable education on animal habitats, diets, and more.Adi’s school is as extraordinary as it is instructional, and Luzina’s kaleidoscopic illustrations are a perfect fit for the animals’ varied personalities. Reginald the chameleon, an escape artist in his own right, is drawn with oodles of character (and the star of a multi-page seek and find), while other notables are pictured enjoying their daily routines alongside interesting scientific facts—like Squishy, a sulcata tortoise, who can live longer than a century, or a wealth of octopuses, including a “flapjack” variety too big for a school aquarium but still fun to learn about. Equally immersive are the kids’ experiences at Adi’s school, including an annual underwater dive trip.
Just as the animal tidbits are a delight, the story’s pictures are a feast for the eyes—an inviting montage of delightful creatures and diverse characters, all working together in a gentle, unhurried rhythm. The students obviously have their work cut out for them, between refilling aquarium tanks and completing animal health checks, but the story portrays learning as an exciting journey that will inspire readers of any age. Lyford closes with real photos of animals from Adi’s school, and backmatter includes an entertaining animal scavenger hunt that younger readers will adore. This is a treat.
Takeaway: A kaleidoscopic animal journey overflowing with science and fun.
Comparable Titles: Laura Gehl’s Odd Beasts, Debra Kempf Shumaker’s Freaky, Funky Fish.
Production grades
Cover: A
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: A
Editing: A
Marketing copy: A
