Jayden Noticed

PreS-Gr 2–Jayden is sad that he’s moving to a new house. He notices a lot and wonders if things will be as good as they were at his old house. One thing he observes is rocks, and he has a large collection, each with a different purpose: a courage rock, a thinking rock, and a whole jar of wishing rocks. As he’s riding his bike through the new neighborhood, he notices another kid and stops to introduce himself. This child turns out to be another great observer, and they become friends. Crimi offers a pleasant story with a scientific bent. The idea of noticing things is an easy one for young readers to connect to, and suggesting to kids that they choose one thing to pay attention to would be an enticing way to start a new science unit at school or to introduce to a family trip. Knight-Justice’s collage-style artwork is bright and cheerful, which is a good match for the optimistic tone of the story.