It's Spring publishing season, and we've highlighted a few of the exciting new titles being offered on publishers' lists. They range from a lucid explanation of a somewhat elusive math concept for young readers, to a collection of oral histories by individuals who went into hiding in the Netherlands during World War II. You'll also find mysteries—medical and mythological—and a few art books. Aronson, Marc and Adrienne Mayor. The Griffin and the Dinosaur: How Adrienne Mayor Discovered a Fascinating Link Between Myth and Science. (National Geographic; Gr 5-8). illus. by Chris Muller. Adrienne Mayor grew up hearing stories about her great-grandfather, George Halleck Center, a larger-than-life, self-taught naturalist who kept a collection of objects he discovered on his walks: plants, arrowheads, and fossils. Like him, Mayor was fascinated with the natural world; her other passion was mythology. The idea that some of the legendary creatures described by the Greeks might actually be based on a real animals sent Mayor on a decade-long, successful quest to uncover a connection between the ancient descriptions of the fantastical griffin and known fossils. Black-and-white and color photos, images of artifacts, and original paintings and sketches illustrate this fascinating story of an academic outsider’s startling discovery. A map, lists of further reading, online resources, and a glossary are included. The Business Book: Big Ideas Simply Explained. (DK; Gr 10 Up) We have all met children and teens with that entrepreneurial gene. They're the ones who set up their first lemonade stand at age four, held tag sales at age seven, and tried to purchase penny stocks in middle school. By high school, many students know that they would like to own their a business some day or work on Wall Street. This title (and its companion volume, The Economics Book) will serve as a guide to the world of business; it explores why some companies succeed and others fail, examines both good and bad business strategies, reviews the role of the CEO, considers various management styles, and much, much more. Captioned black-and-white photos, graphs, and charts, and flowcharts, illuminate concepts."In Context" sidebars note key dates. Brief biographical profiles are incorporated into the text and a "Directory" of individuals who have impacted "the business environment," from Richard Branson to Zhang Xin, is appended. Campbell, Sarah C. Mysterious Patterns: Finding Fractals in Nature. photos by Sarah C. Campbell and Richard P. Campbell. (Boyds Mills; Gr 2-5). Beginning with shapes familiar to children—spheres, cones, cylinders—the author provides visual examples of how and where they are replicated in nature. But it’s those other natural shapes, each one with “smaller parts that look like the whole shape,” or fractals, first described and named by Benoit Mandelbrot in 1975, that are the focus of this accessible text. Full-page color photos of examples of the phenomenon from trees and broccoli to lightning and mountain ranges elucidate this mathematical concept for a young audience. Geis, Patricia. Pablo Picasso. Geis, Patricia. Alexander Calder. (ea vol.: Princeton Architectural Press; Gr 4-8.) Libraries with pop-up and novelty collections or programs will want to consider these titles–the first in Princeton’s new series, “Meet the Artists!” The texts are brief, quickly covering each artist’s life, followed by a focus on his training, influences, techniques, and legacy. Behind flaps, readers will find additional captioned images, and a paragraph or two offering a description and background information on the work, notes on symbolism, and a few questions. Numerous quotes by the artists are found throughout. Removable items, a pop-up circus, a guitar with strings, and a chain to create profile portraits will probably keep these titles in-house, but young readers will delight in a hands-on opportunity to explore the work of these creative geniuses. The books will also be great mentor texts for students researching and making their own biographical or thematic pop-up books across content areas. Griffin Burns, Loree. Handle with Care: An Unusual Butterfly Journey. (Millbrook; Gr 1-4 ). illus. by Ellen Harasimowicz. At El Bosque Nuevo in Costa Rico, a farm that raises and sells pupae to museums and schools, sheltering, protecting, and providing food for army of hungry caterpillars is a daily work. In describing the farm, Griffin, the author of a number of outstanding science titles for children (Citizen Scientists, Tracking Trash, The Hive Detectives) explains how these insects move from egg to larva to pupae to butterfly. Clear color photos of El Bosque, the activities of its staff, and each stage of the insect's life cycle provide additional information. This is an essential resource for schools and classrooms that purchase pupae to observe the unfolding of a butterfly’s chrysalis in the classroom. Those that don’t should grab this book and find a butterfly pavilion in their area. Jarrow, Gail. Red Madness: How a Medical Mystery Changed What We Eat. (Calkins Creek; Gr 5 Up). In researching this gripping medical mystery, Jarrow unearthed case studies of pellagra (a disease characterized by an alarming red rash and dementia, among other symptoms), and sifted through photographs of its many victims. In the book, she follows the work of Dr. Joseph Goldberger, the physician who eventually solved the mysterious sources of the illness in the early 20th century—realizing that it was caused by nutritional deficiencies, not bacteria or viruses, and thus was far more prevalent among impoverished populations in the Deep South. Jarrow has done more than create an informative volume about a now obscure disease; she has melded science with socioeconomic and history to create a truly nuanced and intricate work. Prins, Marcel and Peter Henk Steenhuis. Hidden Like Ann Frank: 14 True Stories of Survival. (Arthur A. Levine/Scholastic; Gr 7 Up). Marcel Prins's mother was one of the approximately 28,000 Jews that went into hiding in the Netherlands, and one of the "roughly 16,000 that survived." Her story opens this book, one of the 14 oral histories presented. Some of the individuals were very young children at the time they went into hiding, others were teens. Some were constantly on the move, others found a home within families who risked their lives and shared their meager rations. Still others were sheltered but not welcome; Jack Eljon tells of his mistreatment by a family in Zeist. The other, background stories that emerge are those of the members of the Resistance who found homes for these children, transported them. and provided for them in many ways. Some, such as Sieny Kattenburg, aided the movement by sneaking children out of the kindergarten where she worked. Be sure to visit the website that accompanies the book; it includes additional photographs (and stories), animated recordings of some of these survivors stories as told to Prins, a map, and more. Rubin, Susan Goldman. Everybody Paints: The Lives and Art of the Wyeth Family. (Chronicle; Gr 5-9). There’s no denying the legacy of the Wyeth family. N.C. Wyeth’s illustrations for Treasure Island, Kidnapped, Robin Hood and other classics were the standard against which all other artwork for these stories were judged in the 20th century. His son Andrew Wyeth’s “Christina” and “Helga” paintings became so well known that they were criticized for being “too popular,” and Jamie Wyeth’s portraits, paintings, and animal sketches (including those of George W. Bush’s pets), have garnered him a name in the art world. Rubin covers the lives as well as the legacy of the three generations of this family. Employing a liberal use of quotes, she discusses their training, careers, media, and, for the later two, what growing up in a home where “everyone paints” was like. Black-and-white family photos illustrate the books, but it’s the stunning, quality reproductions that will hold readers in thrall. A bibliography and list of where the images can be found are included. Zoehfeld, Kathleen Weidner. Orbiting the Sun in Our Backyard: Secrets of the Seasons. illus. by Pricilla Lamont. (Knopf; Gr 2-4). Both a story about the seasonal changes observed by two friends, and a look the science behind those changes. As summer comes to an end, Alice and her friend  Zack notice the days are getting shorter. As the year progresses, other changes are noted: leaves change color and fall, animals migrate or hibernate, and so on. Simultaneously, an alternate text narrated by two chickens explains why these changes occur, beginning with Earth’s rotation and orbit around the sun. In addition to illustrating the story, the charming pen-and-watercolor art depicts the position of the sun and Earth at various times during the year, and examples of “Winter” and “Migrating” birds, animal tracks in the snow, etc. Story, science, and humor combine to explore basic concepts.