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IN BETWEEN

Wondrous and wonderful, for reading and thinking and sharing.

A celebration of transitions in the animal world.

The late April Pulley Sayre documents the in-between moments of animal lives in this posthumously published poem and photo album co-authored by her husband, Jeff. In words and pictures, they demonstrate preparations, waiting, anticipation, even some trepidation—animal experiences that their human readers will surely share. Ground squirrels, chipmunks, and raccoons peek out from hiding places. There are takeoffs, flights, and landings featuring a chickadee, a robin, a blue jay, a red-tailed hawk, a wood stork, flamingos, and a whale leaping from the water. Some images show animals in families: robins in a nest, squirrels, Canada geese, two groundhogs. Many depict young animals, not quite prepared to go out in the world, “awkward,” “unsteady,” “almost ready.” A green darner dragonfly still perched on its previous nymph form—“body transformed, / but not yet gliding.” The close-up images are crisp and clear, the word choice is precise, and the poem flows smoothly—April Pulley Sayre has a well-deserved reputation for combining visuals and text to encourage a child’s awe at the natural world, and this exemplary work is a shining example. The animals are not identified, but most will be familiar to young American readers. (This book was reviewed digitally.)

Wondrous and wonderful, for reading and thinking and sharing. (Picture book. 4-8)

Pub Date: March 28, 2023

ISBN: 978-1-5344-8781-9

Page Count: 40

Publisher: Beach Lane/Simon & Schuster

Review Posted Online: Dec. 13, 2022

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2023

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CECE LOVES SCIENCE

From the Cece and the Scientific Method series

A good introduction to observation, data, and trying again.

Cece loves asking “why” and “what if.”

Her parents encourage her, as does her science teacher, Ms. Curie (a wink to adult readers). When Cece and her best friend, Isaac, pair up for a science project, they choose zoology, brainstorming questions they might research. They decide to investigate whether dogs eat vegetables, using Cece’s schnauzer, Einstein, and the next day they head to Cece’s lab (inside her treehouse). Wearing white lab coats, the two observe their subject and then offer him different kinds of vegetables, alone and with toppings. Cece is discouraged when Einstein won’t eat them. She complains to her parents, “Maybe I’m not a real scientist after all….Our project was boring.” Just then, Einstein sniffs Cece’s dessert, leading her to try a new way to get Einstein to eat vegetables. Cece learns that “real scientists have fun finding answers too.” Harrison’s clean, bright illustrations add expression and personality to the story. Science report inserts are reminiscent of The Magic Schoolbus books, with less detail. Biracial Cece is a brown, freckled girl with curly hair; her father is white, and her mother has brown skin and long, black hair; Isaac and Ms. Curie both have pale skin and dark hair. While the book doesn’t pack a particularly strong emotional or educational punch, this endearing protagonist earns a place on the children’s STEM shelf.

A good introduction to observation, data, and trying again. (glossary) (Picture book. 5-8)

Pub Date: June 19, 2018

ISBN: 978-0-06-249960-8

Page Count: 40

Publisher: Greenwillow Books

Review Posted Online: March 26, 2018

Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2018

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FIND MOMO EVERYWHERE

From the Find Momo series , Vol. 7

A well-meaning but lackluster tribute.

Readers bid farewell to a beloved canine character.

Momo is—or was—an adorable and very photogenic border collie owned by author Knapp. The many readers who loved him in the previous half-dozen books are in for a shock with this one. “Momo had died” is the stark reality—and there are no photographs of him here. Instead, Momo has been replaced by a flat cartoonish pastiche with strange, staring round white eyes, inserted into some of Knapp’s photography (which remains appealing, insofar as it can be discerned under the mixed media). Previous books contained few or no words. Unfortunately, virtuosity behind a lens does not guarantee mastery of verse. The art here is accompanied by words that sometimes rhyme but never find a workable or predictable rhythm (“We’d fetch and we’d catch, / we’d run and we’d jump. Every day we found new / games to play”). It’s a pity, because the subject—a pet’s death—is an important one to address with children. Of course, Momo isn’t gone; he can still be found “everywhere” in memories. But alas, he can be found here only in the crude depictions of the darling dog so well known from the earlier books.

A well-meaning but lackluster tribute. (Picture book. 4-8)

Pub Date: Feb. 6, 2024

ISBN: 9781683693864

Page Count: 32

Publisher: Quirk Books

Review Posted Online: Nov. 4, 2023

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2023

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