With gorgeous watercolor illustrations and a thought-provoking text in rhyme, prolific author/illustrator Jim Arnosky asks young people to consider what is going on in the natural world, as they move through their own days. As they are waking up, a band of sheep is walking along a narrow mountaintop spine; as the brush their teeth and wash their face, a shark circles a reef and a polar bear runs across a field of ice. All throughout the day, as they are engaged in various activities, somewhere, at that very moment, a creature in the wild is also doing something...

At This Very Moment is the forty-ninth book I have read from Arnosky, whose work I greatly admire, and I think it is wonderful! It isn't simply educational, in the sense of introducing children to various animals—although it does do that—no, it is also inspirational, and seeks to inculcate in children an awareness of the natural world around them, as well as the idea that many things are taking place at once, all over our beautiful planet. I found the artwork here beautiful as always, and think the text makes for an excellent read-aloud. I also greatly enjoyed the author's afterword, in which he talks about each species mentioned, and what they mean to him. The beaver and the bluejay are neighbors, the alligator is thought of every day, the lions are in his dreams, and the raccoons in his woodshed. Highly recommended to all young animal and nature lovers, as well as to anyone searching for picture books that promote awareness of and love for our fellow residents here on earth. ( )

The water color illustrations in this book are vivid, bold, and realistic depictions of many different types of animals in their natural habitats. The text is written in lyrical, rhyming prose. Arnosky allows the reader to make connections between tasks in their own routines, such as getting a drink of water from the faucet to tasks in the animals routines such as a deer in the forest sipping water from a pond. The story inspires reverence and care for animals and the natural world we all inhabit. Wonderful platform for a science unit studying animals, natural habitats, or it could tie in to language arts study of rhyme.

A beautiful depiction of what animals are doing throughout the day at the same time as us. It relates our lives to nature and helps us see a connection between us. This would be a great study for a classroom. Students could choose an animal from the book and explore more facts or daily routines. ( )

No one creates better nature books for young children than Jim Arnosky. ( )

Another beautiful, flowing book honoring nature and her creatures. Arnosky encourages children to relate to animals and respect the environment through his text and gorgeous paintings. Added informational notes at the end of the book can trigger research. ( )