From School Library Journal PreS-Gr 3—Here, Smith mines the humor and surprises found in the collective nouns assigned to groups of things and animals, juggling a host of habitats in a 24-hour time period. Arrayed in pixielike footwear and a leafy tunic, his protagonist is constantly moving—falling mid-flight from an "unkindness of ravens" or transforming into a trapezoid to mimic the "formation of rocks." The interactions are, by turn, affectionate, dramatic, and funny—developed through expert shifts in expression, gesture, and posture. Witness the water swelling and lifting the lad's clothing, revealing matching underwear as he cavorts with the "smack of jellyfish" or the stare down from the "band of gorillas" when he plays a sour note. The artist has honed his technique of manual and digital manipulation of oil paint, sprayed varnish, and colored pencils to create a visual extravaganza of dappled, textured compositions; their changing palettes create colors ranging from the dazzling whiteness behind a "colony of penguins" to the restful blues enveloping the nocturnal "bed of clams." A shift from past to present tense upon the return home, plus the second use (new meaning) of "a tribe of kids," contrasts a raucous, Pan-like forest civilization with the quiet goats that opened the story. VERDICT There is much to savor and explore in this cleverly crafted picture book, and readers will glean more with each perusal. A must-have—Wendy Lukehart, District of Columbia Public Library