¡Olinguito, de la A a la Z! / 
Olinguito, from A to Z!
Descubriendo el bosque nublado / Unveiling the Cloud Forest
by Lulu Delacre; illus. by the author
Preschool, Primary    Children’s Book Press/Lee & Low    40 pp.
2/16    978-0-89239-327-5    $18.95    g

In 2013, a team of scientists discovered a new species, the olinguito, in the cloud forest of Ecuador; Delacre introduces readers to this relative of the raccoon along with the many other species of animals and plants that share its habitat. Readers will follow a zoologist (look for him in each illustration) as he makes his way through the alphabet of curious and colorful animals, flowers, and plants that call the cloud forest home. Delacre uses alliteration in the parallel Spanish and English texts to make for an engaging, occasionally tongue-twisting read: “…brilla un bosque bordado de bromelias… / …blooms a brilliant forest embroidered with bromeliads…” While the alliteration doesn’t always work seamlessly in English, Delacre’s prose manages to convey the dreamy, quiet world that thrives in the moist, lush ecosystem. The mixed-media illustrations include details young readers and listeners will enjoy noticing, such as the changing colors of the sky as the day progresses and the presence of the olinguito, small and hidden early in the day, then large and prominent at night when the nocturnal creature is active. Delacre also incorporates pressed leaves and flowers into her collages and invites readers to find them in each illustration. Information in both Spanish and English about the cloud forest and the olinguito, a glossary of animals and plants, and an extensive list of sources round out the book.

From the March/April 2016 issue of The Horn Book Magazine.