Budding arborists, environmentalists, and collectors of unusual information will find treasures here.
Astonishing, overachieving trees impress in this oversized album.
An accomplished illustrator, Flouw admits that in the past, he’s often drawn trees in the background of his artwork without giving a thought to different species. Redressing that slight, he depicts some extremes of the tree world, notable for “size, longevity, strength” or other unique characteristics. Starting with useful brief definitions of vocabulary (photosynthesis, range, inflorescence) and a note on nomenclature, Flouw organizes his 49 subjects into 16 groups. Considering that the goal is specificity, the illustrations are surprisingly stylized, but Flouw demonstrates that flat, quasi-geometric forms can still convincingly convey a tree’s individuality. A general description of each type is accompanied by a specific example, like a banyan in India called Thimmamma Marrimanu, known for its five-acre canopy, or the rare King’s holly in Tasmania, a clone of an original 43,600-year-old plant. Readers will also learn about the elephant cactus, waterborne algae such as the giant kelp, the 82-foot-long leaves of the royal raffia palm, the smelly rafflesia and titan arum (aka corpse flower), and the jackfruit, which produces the largest fruit of any tree. The entries’ brevity leaves unanswered questions (Why are sea coconuts disappearing? Are sea heart pods edible?) but may inspire readers to do further research. Sacred, toxic, ancient, medicinal, sadly vulnerable, or special in other ways, these are trees to know and cherish.
Budding arborists, environmentalists, and collectors of unusual information will find treasures here. (map) (Illustrated nonfiction. 8-12)Pub Date: Feb. 20, 2024
ISBN: 9782408049898
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Twirl/Chronicle
Review Posted Online: Nov. 18, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 15, 2023
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Friends of these pollinators will be best served elsewhere.
This book is buzzing with trivia.
Follow a swarm of bees as they leave a beekeeper’s apiary in search of a new home. As the scout bees traverse the fields, readers are provided with a potpourri of facts and statements about bees. The information is scattered—much like the scout bees—and as a result, both the nominal plot and informational content are tissue-thin. There are some interesting facts throughout the book, but many pieces of trivia are too, well trivial, to prove useful. For example, as the bees travel, readers learn that “onion flowers are round and fluffy” and “fennel is a plant that is used in cooking.” Other facts are oversimplified and as a result are not accurate. For example, monofloral honey is defined as “made by bees who visit just one kind of flower” with no acknowledgment of the fact that bees may range widely, and swarm activity is described as a springtime event, when it can also occur in summer and early fall. The information in the book, such as species identification and measurement units, is directed toward British readers. The flat, thin-lined artwork does little to enhance the story, but an “I spy” game challenging readers to find a specific bee throughout is amusing.
Friends of these pollinators will be best served elsewhere. (Informational picture book. 8-10)Pub Date: May 18, 2021
ISBN: 978-0-500-65265-7
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Thames & Hudson
Review Posted Online: April 13, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2021
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A variety show brimming with esoteric and practical information.
Two youngsters embark on a journey peppered with history, trivia, and skits while teaching money lessons.
Meet Mellody and John, the young stars of this currency showcase. Their very first dialogue offers a taste of the intriguing information to come, from the ancient Mayans’ use of cacao beans as payment to the origins of the piggy bank. The book offers a chronologically and geographically broad timeline of the history of money, encompassing the past 3.9 billion years (starting with meteorite crashes that scattered metals—“the very first bank deposit”) and referencing practices across five continents. Readers will find themselves eagerly sharing the facts gleaned here, including the centuries-old origins of terms and expressions still used today. Mellody and John’s fun banter crucially reflects their experiences with money, such as their families’ differing attitudes toward allowances. Both are savers as well as givers, sharing stories about giving to charity. In one especially entertaining section, a cat and a bunny converse in money-related catchphrases that are separately defined at the bottom of each page. Stevens’ watercolors are appropriately realistic and appealing, whether depicting Mellody’s pretend bank or Elizabeth II’s butler ironing a 10-pound note. Messages about money’s use as a means to an end, rather than an end in itself, ensure that readers will think about their own purposes for their savings. Mellody and John are Black.
A variety show brimming with esoteric and practical information. (index) (Nonfiction. 8-12)Pub Date: Oct. 1, 2024
ISBN: 9781536224719
Page Count: 80
Publisher: Candlewick
Review Posted Online: Sept. 14, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 2024
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