When I was young, I loved caves and couldn't read enough about them. This book would have been one of my favorites as a young reader. It introduces the reader to caves and cave life. The illustrations are awesome. Colorful and accurate too. They show some young explorers venturing into a cave with a guide to show them the interesting things found there. This is a book for young readers and will introduce them to a fascinating world found underground. You can read it with your child or help them read it themselves. It would be a great addition to a library at an elementary school too. It has science concepts, proper safety for exploring, information about life forms, and more. As an introduction, it will pique the interest of any young explorers and spelunkers out there!

Thank you to the publisher for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Heather Ferranti Kinser takes us on an adventure inside a cave. There we learn fantastic things about cave dwellers, rock formations, and the responsibility of preserving them. This picture book is an excellent STEM experience that will make every child’s eyes light up with wonder.

I received an electronic ARC from Gnome Road Publishing through NetGalley.
Readers journey through a cave with this family. The illustrations are realistic so readers feel they are making this descent too. The author seamlessly adds informative text to the story narrative. The overall effect captures the eeriness and stillness of being this far below earth's surface. A glossary of terms is offered at the end. I love the endcaps that identify the needed equipment to make this journey. A definite addition to elementary libraries.

My daughter absolutely loved this book, and I must say the pictures were great. It is a new story adding to our night time story session. I love how it explained the importance of not wandering off and such during the cave exploration. Thank you librarything for allowing me to win a copy of this.

In a Cave is a beautifully illustrated educational journey on a cave hike. Two children go on an underground hike through a cave with a guide. They learn a lot of facts about caves, and they get to see and experience amazing things.

This is a great book for kids to learn a little bit more about caves, to appreciate the beauty of nature, and to understand that there is more to life than just what we see on the surface. The illustrations are beautiful and accurate. This was such a fun book! ❤️

Thanks Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to review this advanced review copy (ARC) in exchange for my honest review on the book!

In a Cave is such a fun book for kiddos looking to learn more about caves. At first I was thrown off that this is a generally non-fiction book that is told as a poem. However, in reflection, I think this helps it feel very approachable to those just starting to learn about caves. It's about a few kids who explore a cave with a guide and get to learn more about it. The illustrations are fabulous and will definitely engage learners. You get to learn not just about the physical aspects of the cave but also the animals that live in it. I think this would be a fantastic way to start a unit on caves or other natural phenomenon. It would also be a fun book to read with a child, especially if you were planning to visit a cave. Definitely recommend!

I thoroughly enjoyed this book by Heather Ferranti Kinser. Her use of prose, intertwined with cave vocabulary was wonderful. Obviously, she is a steward of the Earth and wants to impart the secrets/mysteries that lie beneath the surface for children/families to understand and take care of.

The illustrations were beautifully crafted and conveyed the sense of wonder and excitement of the children in the story.

I would use and recommend this book to my elementary-aged students for discussion of cave part, as well as, our need to be curious about where we live and what lives among us.

A cave-exploring mother and her two young children set out on an adventure through a cave in this beautifully illustrated picture book. Educational and filled with fun poetic phrases, this book is the perfect way to introduce young children to the wonders of a world that is just beyond the darkness of a cave. Contains both a vocabulary glossary and a picture glossary, as well as a thoughtful note from the author and illustrator. I would give this book a 5-star rating and read it to children ages 5-10.

Thank you so much to Gnome Road Publishing and Netgalley for the ebook to read and review.

The story takes you deep down into a dark cave and shares the wonders you may find down there and how to be safe whilst exploring. I really liked that as you read it feels like you are there seeing the sights and exploring with the children, seeing the creatures that live there, seeing all the natural things that grow but may look like other things.

It’s a very creative book and is such a fun adventure book, it’s very factual and shares the details of what each thing is, but in a fun and easy way. I think that children would really love reading this story, making them want to visit a cave and see it for themselves, or open their minds to new things that they can imagine and help use their imagination with.

It comes with illustrations too and shows what each thing looks like in the cave adventure which I really liked being able to see what each thing looked like. I also loved that at the start and end you had pages sharing what you needed to take with you when going into a cave and what things you saw within the cave, such a great addition to it.

What a lovely journey down into a cave. I've adored many good guided cave/tunnel explorations, including a volcano tube in Iceland, the sewers in Prague, the salt mine in Halstatt, the Soudan Mine in Minnesota, and the Crystal Cave in Wisconsin. There's just something so magical about journeying underground!

The wonderful rhyming text in this picture book introduces kids to the wonders of caves--and also to the rules of responsible spelunking. What great prep or a souvenir if you get to actually visit a cave! And if you don't, then visiting through a book is the next best thing.

I enjoy the language a lot more than the art, so overall this is a 4-1/2 for me.

In this cute little children's story, two kid explorers go on an adventurous subterranean trip.

There is a guide in tandem, who helps them to explore the wonders of nature in its darkest, coldest form with lots of natural treasures hidden beneath the earth.

They enter the natural crack formed out of big stone, as light dims and darkness engulfs.

All three turn on their headlamps and flashlights to navigate the unilluminated, rocky path.

They are greeted by bats' wingbeats and drippy sounds of water.

Slowly, the silence creeps in, echoing in their eardrums.

The kids are fascinated by creatures that dwell in this deep pit of unknown — one such being troglobites.

Stalactites and stalagmites are then witnessed, a natural formation/decoration due to calcite deposits.

Besides these, dripstone, rimstone and selfstone make their jaws drop — formed over many thousands of years.

After travelling for a mile, they come across (cave) popcorns and bacons — only to be admired, not to fulfil their hungry tummies.

The crevices narrows and darkness blinds their eyes; they slowly look for the sunlight as they climb through the steep slope.

Finally, they are out — as they bid adieu to the wonderful cave journey and say hello to the shining sun.

The trio high-five of their accomplishment — exploring the treasures buried in the earth's surface, similar to the hidden talents hidden inside us.

This picture book also gives details on accessories needed for cave exploration and how to be responsible as a visitor to not damage these fragile and delicate cave formations.

The author’s ability to interweave caving language with their rhymes makes In a Cave both fun and informative to read. Beginning with the initial process of entering the cave, the reader is taken on a journey that includes creatures like bats and troglobites, as well as natural formations such as stalagmites and stalactites. This informational text emphasizes the important of safety and respect for nature through the characters exploration of the cave. This text is an excellent introduction to caving, it leaves the floor open for further exploration and discussion among families.

"In a Cave" is a wonderful read for primary grade students. Caves are for some reason not a frequent topic in juvenile literature, yet they are quite fascinating to kids and grown-ups alike.

This was beautifully illustrated and told in jaunty rhyme. The author and illustrator really captured the awe of exploring a cave and the need for conserving these beautiful ecosystems. I highly recommend this for young readers, and will be adding this book to my collection.

I really enjoyed this rhyming story about exploring caves. Filled with great factual information throughout the story about what you will find in a cave and beautiful illustrations. Also includes a great note from the author and illustrator at the end of the book about visiting caves, protecting them and the animals that inhabit them, and safety.

In a Cave is a children’s book written by Heather Ferranti Kinser and illustrated by Bonnie Kelso.

Summary: The story follows two children and their guide as they explore a cave and discover all it has to offer.

My Thoughts: I thought this book was very well done. The author does a fabulous job educating young readers on things you can find in caves and explaining what they are, along with the do’s and don’ts of exploring caves.

I enjoyed the rhyming text and illustrations, and think this book is not only a wonderful introduction to caves, but is sure to make more kids interested in exploring caves as well.

I would like to thank Gnome Road Publishing for providing me with a free digital copy of this book in exchange for my review. Thank you.

A really lovely book sharing cave exploration. The illustrations complement the text well and the use of a glossary (or Vo-cave-ulary as they cleverly call it in the book) will help children to understand some of the more technical language used.
There is an interesting author and illustrator note towards the back which adds context to the book as well as diagrams and pictures.
A really good book to introduce and share information about these often unexplored places.

Great introduction to cave eco systems for young children. Can also be used for topics handling light & dark.

This nonfiction picture book has atmospheric illustrations and simple, rhyming text. It introduces kids to the concept of cave exploration, showing them the kinds of things they might discover and experience in a cave. The book also includes safety guidelines and messages about respecting nature by not defacing caves or taking anything from them. The author's note at the end shares even more information, and this will be great for young school-age kids who are interested in the outdoors.

Fun rhyming trip into a cave to search for rock formations, animals, and more. Great suspense building and sensory details. I think this one will make a lovely read aloud in groups! Back matter includes an excellent glossary. Thank you so much to the publisher and NetGalley for the chance to read early.