A fine introduction to experimental observation for young readers.
Pattison relates the life of French marine biologist Jeannette Power (1794-1871) in this children’s illustrated biography.
Power is famous for inventing aquariums, which enabled her to study “a 4-inch long octopus, the Argonauta argo.” The researcher, who was born Jeanne Villepreux in Juillac, France, journeyed to Sicily in Italy to marry her fiance in 1818. Her fascination with the sea inspired her to study live marine creatures. To keep them alive for any significant length of time, they needed fresh seawater and food; the scientist first tried using glass vases with cork lids and later designed “simple glass cages,” among other things, to study the Argonauta argo, beginning in 1832. These allowed her to observe the octopuses for hours. For more than 10 years, Power observed more than 1,000 octopuses in her aquariums. Through their use, she was able to do an experiment to observe how the octopuses repair their own broken shells, which hadn’t previously been witnessed by humans before. Power effectively opened up a window to the sea so that “others could be captivated by the sea and its creatures.” Pattison’s biography provides engaging information about a relatively little-known figure and her innovations in marine studies, and it does so in a manner that’s likely to appeal to kids. Along the way, the text effectively elucidates the steps of the scientific method, including prediction, observation, analysis of data, and formulation of a conclusion. Willis’ full-color, painterly illustrations are detailed, vividly hued, and clearly enhance the events of the text. Appendices with further information on the “World’s Weirdest Octopus,” the science of oceanography, and other topics add further interest. Overall, young readers will be sure to enjoy this colorful tale of Power’s innovative spirit.
A fine introduction to experimental observation for young readers.Pub Date: June 13, 2023
ISBN: 9781629442327
Page Count: 34
Publisher: Mims House
Review Posted Online: May 24, 2023
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
A gleeful game for budding naturalists.
Artfully cropped animal portraits challenge viewers to guess which end they’re seeing.
In what will be a crowd-pleasing and inevitably raucous guessing game, a series of close-up stock photos invite children to call out one of the titular alternatives. A page turn reveals answers and basic facts about each creature backed up by more of the latter in a closing map and table. Some of the posers, like the tail of an okapi or the nose on a proboscis monkey, are easy enough to guess—but the moist nose on a star-nosed mole really does look like an anus, and the false “eyes” on the hind ends of a Cuyaba dwarf frog and a Promethea moth caterpillar will fool many. Better yet, Lavelle saves a kicker for the finale with a glimpse of a small parasitical pearlfish peeking out of a sea cucumber’s rear so that the answer is actually face and butt. “Animal identification can be tricky!” she concludes, noting that many of the features here function as defenses against attack: “In the animal world, sometimes your butt will save your face and your face just might save your butt!” (This book was reviewed digitally.)
A gleeful game for budding naturalists. (author’s note) (Informational picture book. 6-8)Pub Date: July 11, 2023
ISBN: 9781728271170
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Sourcebooks eXplore
Review Posted Online: May 9, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2023
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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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