Dianna Hutts Aston

Author Dianna Hutts Aston and illustrator Sylvia Long, a team which has produced a number of beautiful works of picture book natural history, return in this seventh collaboration, this time turning their attention to those marvelous calcium carbonate homes known as shells. As in the earlier titles from this duo, there is a dual narrative structure here, with a simple, poetic text describing what shells are—"A shell is cozy... A shell is showy. A shell is hatched and protective"—accompanied by a more detailed look at specific topics such as the various forms shells take, the life cycle of the creatures which live in shells, all the places they can be found, and so much more...

Pairing an informative and engaging text with beautiful illustrations, A Shell Is Cozy is another triumph from this pair, and is a book I would heartily recommend to all young animal and nature lovers. As always, I loved Sylvia Long's use of color and form, in her detailed ink and watercolor artwork. The decorative "endpapers"—not actually in the place of the endpapers, so they won't be obscured by library stickers or taped-down dust-jackets—show a gorgeous array of shells, unlabeled at the front and labeled at the rear. I also appreciated the fact that author Dianna Hutts Aston included mention of how humans use shells, once their original inhabitants are no longer in them, and that she mentioned the Watts Towers in Los Angeles, constructed out of (amongst other things) shells. I know she wrote an earlier picture book on this subject, Dream Something Big: The Story of the Watts Towers, and I hope to track that down next, of her titles. Published last year (2023), this one is the last of these "Nature Books" from Aston and Long I had yet to read, and I am glad to have completed the set. That being said, I certainly hope more such titles will be forthcoming! Examining the natural world through these themed picture books is both fun and educational.… (meer)

Author Dianna Hutts Aston and illustrator Julie Maren join forces in this lovely picture book about the journey of an orange, from blossom on a tree, in a "land that glowed with spring light," to luscious fruit being harvested and transported far from its origin place. Selected at a grocery store by a young boy one January, the orange is shared by a group of friends, who enjoy its sweet taste while playing in the snow...

I greatly enjoyed An Orange in January, both for the thoughtful, engaging narrative and for the lush, gorgeous artwork. I have read a number of Aston's other picture books—notably, her An Egg Is Quiet and its many wonderful companions—but this is the first time I have encountered Maren's artwork. Sadly, it would appear that this is one of only two books she has illustrated. In any case, I think this would be an excellent title to use with younger children, in order to explore the theme of food, from source to table, particularly in an the context of food which must travel long distances to reach its destination. For my own part, I hope to track down more titles from Aston, as well as the other picture book from Maren.… (meer)

Beetles, those little winged creatures who, with their approximately 400,000 known species, make up 40% of insects worldwide, and 25% of all known animal species, are the subject of this lovely picture book from Diana Hutts Aston and Sylvia Long, the author/illustrator team responsible for such titles as An Egg Is Quiet, A Seed Is Sleepy, A Butterfly Is Patient, A Rock Is Lively, and A Nest Is Noisy. As with those earlier books, here there is a dual format, with a poetic macro-narrative that gives general, descriptive information—"A beetle is shy. A beetle is kaleidoscopic. A beetle is colossal... or microscopic"—and a micro-narrative that imparts more details. Topics touched upon include the beetle's life genesis from egg to fully-formed insect, the varying sizes of beetles, where in the world they can be found (all over!), their activities, forms of self-defense, and lots more...

As with its predecessors, I greatly enjoyed A Beetle Is Shy, appreciating its dual narrative approach, which I think makes the subject accessible to children at a variety of stages, drawing them in with the more poetic narrative and then giving them more information. As always with this series of books, I also loved the accompanying watercolor artwork, with its beautifully vivid color palette, and its many charming little details. The decorative first and last pages here (not the endpapers, which might be covered up by taped-down dust-jackets in library copies) were as lovely as ever, depicting a variety of beetle species. All that being said, I couldn't help but feel, as I finished the book, that it didn't quite live up to some of the earlier books from this team. It's somewhat shorter, and seems to cover less. It also struck me that some of the information one discovers later on in the book, such as what makes a beetle a beetle, distinguishing it from other kind of insects, might have been better placed toward the beginning of the book. Leaving that aside, this is still a beautiful and engaging book, one which could introduce young children to the wonders of the world's coleopteran species. It is for that purpose that I would recommend it, perhaps to be followed up by a title giving a more specific and comprehensive treatment to the topic.… (meer)