An inviting, accessible, information-filled package.
There are birds everywhere, but what’s a bird?
Defining birds as creatures that have beaks, two wings, and feathers, this colorful collection is the fourth of an ongoing series; bugs, fish, and reptiles came before, and mammals are on the way. The format is appealing. Each spread covers a distinct topic, sometimes with a large variety of differing examples, sometimes focusing on one species or activity. The author focuses on the barn owl to describe the habits of raptors, penguins for child rearing, and Arctic terns for migration. (The clever design emphasizes the tern’s long-distance voyage by requiring the reader to turn the book vertically to read that spread.) Besides the interesting facts, most spreads include an invitation to take a more careful look, with a seek-and-find puzzle or guessing game. Informative text appears in short blocks printed on an illustrative background, sometimes with lines or arrows to help readers figure out what to read next. Topics include bird anatomy, descent from dinosaurs, habitats, feathers and flight, courtship, nesting, migration, and the relationship between birds and humans. Unusually, the author distinguishes possible prehistoric ancestors of songbirds, waterbirds, and raptors. In conclusion, she tells readers how to do some bird-watching themselves. There are no sources or suggestions for further research, but the writer’s many previous natural history titles show her longtime engagement with the subject. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
An inviting, accessible, information-filled package. (Informational picture book. 7-10)Pub Date: March 7, 2023
ISBN: 978-1-5362-2973-8
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Big Picture Press
Review Posted Online: Nov. 28, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 15, 2022
BOOK REVIEW
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
An in-depth and visually pleasing look at one of the most fundamental forces in the universe.
An introduction to gravity.
The book opens with the most iconic demonstration of gravity, an apple falling. Throughout, Herz tackles both huge concepts—how gravity compresses atoms to form stars and how black holes pull all kinds of matter toward them—and more concrete ones: how gravity allows you to jump up and then come back down to the ground. Gravity narrates in spare yet lyrical verse, explaining how it creates planets and compresses atoms and comparing itself to a hug. “My embrace is tight enough that you don’t float like a balloon, but loose enough that you can run and leap and play.” Gravity personifies itself at times: “I am stubborn—the bigger things are, the harder I pull.” Beautiful illustrations depict swirling planets and black holes alongside racially diverse children playing, running, and jumping, all thanks to gravity. Thorough backmatter discusses how Sir Isaac Newton discovered gravity and explains Albert Einstein’s theory of relativity. While at times Herz’s explanations may be a bit too technical for some readers, burgeoning scientists will be drawn in.
An in-depth and visually pleasing look at one of the most fundamental forces in the universe. (Informational picture book. 7-9)Pub Date: April 15, 2024
ISBN: 9781668936849
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Tilbury House
Review Posted Online: May 4, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2024
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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