Once Upon Another Time

K-Gr 2–The authors use playful rhyme and sweeping landscapes to remind readers about a time “before one human step” was taken. Each outdoor scene depicts the best of each season. Landazábal’s artwork teems with abundant wildlife, pristine bodies of water, and clear skies. These “another time” pictures are contrasted with views of a modern city and the airport and towers that surround it. Skyscrapers and busy roads replace any kind of greenery in the city center. Halfway through the book, an illustration with dinosaur fossils shows the two time periods coexisting, and then segues into ways children can experience the richness of these earlier times. The suggestions (e.g., to breathe in the same air the dinosaurs breathed, to play in puddles, to put down screens and look up at the clouds) are active, mindful, and free activities that focus on difference senses. They include activities that can be done alone or with family and friends.