Something on the Hill

by Jane Kohuth, Sonia Sanchez (Illustrator)

Celebrate the arrival of Spring with this picture book that follows a small field mouse as she rallies the larger woodland animals to join her on a journey up a hill, sensing that something is about to happen at the top.... What could it be?!

When Field Mouse wakes from her nap, the air is no longer chilly, and she feels like there's something has changed. Something is out there, calling to her.... Something is on the Hill.
She spots her friend, Squirrel. "Help me find the Something," Mouse tells him. And so the two scamper through a clearing. Soon, they spot Doe. "Where are you hurrying today?" Doe asks them. "We're going to the Hill," says Mouse.
And so it goes, as Turtle, the Ducks, and the Bears join the group, all making their way to the Something on the Hill. As they climb to the tippy-top, this parade of animals will discover just what that S omething a leaf shoot, tiny and green.
Just in time for spring comes this delightful picture book--perfect for storytime--that reminds us that the smallest of things can matter just as much as the big ones.

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens, Animals

40 pages, Library Binding

Published March 12, 2024

About the author

Jane grew up in Brooklyn, New York, went to High School on Cape Cod, and now lives and works in her house surrounded by woods in Holliston, Massachusetts. She lives with her husband, son, and Pearl, a white cat with black spots, and Esme, a black cat with white spots.

Jane graduated from Brandeis University with a degree in English and Creative Writing and from Harvard Divinity School with a Master’s Degree in Theological Studies. Though not all of what she’s studied makes an appearance in her work (no Biblical Hebrew yet . . . .), the habits of creative thought and curiosity she developed in school help her every day. She has worked as a children’s room library assistant, a writing teacher, and a children’s bookseller and organizer of author events. She is currently a Jewish educator and Hebrew School Principal.

You can find her on Instagram at
instagram.com/janekohuth and Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/pages/Jane-Ko...-
Childrens-Book-Author/118152851537764?r

Jane's first book, Ducks Go Vroom was a Parents
Magazine Best Book of 2011. She is also the author of the picture books Estie the Mensch (a PJ Library
Book) and Duck Sock Hop (Kirkus Critic's Pick,
Chicago Public Library Best of the Best Book 2013,
NYPL 10 Best Read-Alouds of 2012, a Bank Street
Best Children’s Book of 2013, called "charming" by
the NY Times). Her early reader Anne Frank's
Chestnut Tree, published by Random House in
September, 2013, was named a Notable Social
Studies Trade Book for Young People. Her picture
book, Who's Got the Etrog (Kar-Ben, 2018) is a PJ
Library and PJ Goes to School selection

Publisher's Weekly called her picture book Something on the Hill (Anne Schwartz Books, PRH, 2024) "a jubilant tribute to creaturely instincts, as well as bonds that endure seasonal transitions." Something on the Hill received a starred review from School Library Journal.

Her picture book The Dark is For will be published by Simon & Schuster BFYR in September, 2025.

She is represented by the Bookmark Literary Agency. You can find out more about her and her books at http://www.janekohuth.com.

Reviews

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

There is something on the hill, and it is making field mouse very curious. So, moving through the melting snow, off field mouse goes and collects a lot of friends on the way to find out what could possibly be on the hill.

This is a lovely little picturesque adventure for a lot of forest animals moving together to explore what could be on the hill.

It will be a wonderful reading adventure to guide kids to the various types of animals that live in the forest.

Reading level: Ages 3 – 7 years – Grade Level: Preschool – 2nd grade

[Sarah Threlkeld · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sweet read aloud for the start of spring that lends itself to making predictions.

[Read Ribbet · Rating 5 out of 5]

Something on the Hill has the feel of a cumulative story as the wildlife in the forest slowly emerge from winter to see what is happening at the top of the hill. The field mouse, grey squirrel, doe, turtle, Mallard ducks, and the bears all head up the hill to see what is happening. When they finally see the new leafy shoot poking out of the earth, they know that spring had come. The illustrations by Sinia Snachez beautifully capture the changing seasons from winter to spring. The climb up the hill takes a sudden turn when the layout of the book flips from a horizonal to vertical layout conveying a sense of moving up the hill. The narrative story shows how the animals help each other.

[Brittany · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book did a great job of introducing new characters of all kinds and making each one feel welcome in the story. The text was very easy to read and perfect for a K-3rd reader. It also lends itself to lots of predictions from listeners! What is up the hill? An animal? A snack? A human? What could it be...? The illustrations were very soft and beautiful, made up of handmade digital textures/brushes. I would recommend this book to young readers that like a fun story filled with lots of anticipation. Although, some readers may guess what is coming from a mile away. (Diamond 25-26)

[Julie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a lovely meditation on the arrival of spring. Would be a great read aloud, as there is a bit of suspense thrown in.

[Tina Hoggatt · Rating 3 out of 5]

Spring is coming - it's just up the hill. Animals join together to follow their sureness that there is something on the hill. Lovely illustrations by Sonia Sanchez

[Y.Poston]

a beautiful welcome to Spring book