Solitary Animals

Starred review from October 4, 2021
Many titles acquaint readers with terms of venery, but this book additionally celebrates the fact that not all species appreciate a crowd. While a water hole attracts “a parade of elephants” and “dazzle of zebras,” writes Stein (The Invisible Alphabet), “the panther arrives by herself. The panther is a solitary animal.” The octopus, the sloth, and the eagle share this solidarity of solitariness, and their far-from-lonely lives—the sloth exudes contentment, the octopus is playfully balletic, the bald eagle keenly observes the world beneath her—should be assuring, even profound, to children who similarly prefer their own company or treasure moments of alone time. And human introverts and extroverts alike will connect with debut artist Ramsey’s radiant digital animal portraits: iridescent hummingbirds dance around a bright red hibiscus, while the sleek, prowling panther shimmers in tones of purple, black, and pink, its glowing eyes piercing the darkness. An eye-catching affirmation of singular over plural. Back matter provides additional background, covering survival and instinct. Ages 3–5.

December 1, 2021
Preschool-Grade 2 Stein introduces one aspect of animals' social behavior (whether they live in groups or alone) in this boldly illustrated picture book. To accomplish this, he utilizes playful collective nouns to contrast animal groups with solitary creatures that thrive on their own. The book opens at a watering hole, where a dazzle of zebras and tower of giraffes gather--and a lone black panther quietly lurks nearby. Similar scenarios are provided for wildlife in the sea and sky, but the illustrations are what will truly catch the reader's attention. Ramsey creates dynamic, large-format scenes full of drama and vibrant colors that pop against their backgrounds. For example, a bald eagle poses regally against a swath of blue sky, and a mesmerizing school of fish, shown only in blue silhouette, spirals into the ocean's inky black depths. At the very end of the book, readers will find a Q&A section about what it means to be a solitary animal and how they survive being alone. An edifying and entrancing book that works well in group and solitary settings.

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January 1, 2022

PreS-Gr 1-This picture book highlights a random assortment of solitary animals. Groups of animals are highlighted and the appropriate collective noun used to describe them. For example, a "tower of giraffes" is juxtaposed with the solitary jaguar. Hummingbirds are a "charm," but eagles fly solo. Little more is explained about individual animals, and there is the odd switch, when a "swarm of swallows" is then called a gulp. Except for the alliteration, this will confuse readers. Brilliantly colored digital illustrations of the individual animals are sometimes realistic and sometimes less so. Very simple text introduces each animal and their collective nouns. The beauty of the illustrations could provide a jumping-off point to exploring individual animals in greater detail and could encourage a discussion of collective names. In addition, students could explore the details of why some animals live in groups and some do not. VERDICT With lovely illustrations and a variety of animal collective nouns, this book is meant for browsing.-Susan Lissim

Copyright 2022 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Starred review from January 1, 2022
Most animals live in groups, but some live most of their lives by themselves. Stein introduces four solitary species and contrasts their contented solo lifestyles with social animals in similar habitats. In describing the social animals, their colorful collective nouns are used: after a parade of elephants, tower of giraffes, and dazzle of zebras arrive at a waterhole, the panther appears "by herself" without additional descriptors. Similarly, an octopus and an eagle are contrasted with sea and air animals, respectively, which include a pod of whales, school of fish, huddle of hummingbirds, and kit of pigeons. A lone sloth receives no comparisons but is instead amusingly portrayed moving very slowly as a single short sentence unfolds across a three-spread sequence: "The sloth is... / ...a solitary... / ...animal, too." The visually stunning and dynamic illustrations favor inky black, indigo, and light blue backgrounds, in front of which the contrastingly colorful animals seem to glow. A section titled "More about Solitary Animals" provides brief answers to questions young children might ask as they compare their feelings about aloneness with those of the creatures. Danielle J. Ford

(Copyright 2022 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

July 1, 2021
Most animals live in groups, but some live most of their lives by themselves. Stein introduces four solitary species and contrasts their contented solo lifestyles with social animals in similar habitats. In describing the social animals, their colorful collective nouns are used: after a parade of elephants, tower of giraffes, and dazzle of zebras arrive at a waterhole, the panther appears "by herself" without additional descriptors. Similarly, an octopus and an eagle are contrasted with sea and air animals, respectively, which include a pod of whales, school of fish, huddle of hummingbirds, and kit of pigeons. A lone sloth receives no comparisons but is instead amusingly portrayed moving very slowly as a single short sentence unfolds across a three-spread sequence: "The sloth is... / ...a solitary... / ...animal, too." The visually stunning and dynamic illustrations favor inky black, indigo, and light blue backgrounds, in front of which the contrastingly colorful animals seem to glow. A section titled "More about Solitary Animals" provides brief answers to questions young children might ask as they compare their feelings about aloneness with those of the creatures.

(Copyright 2021 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)