An informative, age-appropriate introduction to a little-known endangered equine species.
An elementary school–age educational foray into the mysterious, endangered Przewalski’s Horse.
One of hundreds of endangered species in the world, the Przewalski’s Horse is remarkable because it was saved from the brink of extinction by teams of determined zoologists. Much smaller than the average domesticated horse, the Przewalski’s Horse or “P-Horse” is a wild species native to the Asian steppe. The author describes how these horses were originally introduced to the Western world by Col. Nikolay Przewalski in 1878, after being well known to locals in Asia for centuries. They were once an abundant species but by the 1950s were totally extinct in the wild and reduced to only thirteen horses living in various zoos and institutions, mostly in Europe. Scientists at an international symposium in 1959 agreed to find a way to once again increase their numbers and, eventually, reintroduce the horses to living in the wild: “To save the horses from extinction, zoologists started with a small goal: search zoos for P-horses that were the right age and physical condition to breed.” After 40 years, more than 500 P-horses were in existence, so researchers released a small herd into the wild in 1992. Thanks to their continuing efforts, and despite major difficulties, P-horses have been downgraded from “extinct” to merely “endangered” in official parlance. This book, Pattison’s follow-up to Jesus Loves Me: A Pop-Up Storybook (2025), sheds a great deal of light on an interesting but underrepresented species in children’s nonfiction. Its optimistic tone is carefully measured, realistically presenting both successes and setbacks. However, it lacks clear organization, both chronologically and thematically. The narrative starts in 1959, then skips backward almost immediately to 1878. Then we shift to the 1960s and back to the present again without explaining the backstory of this unique species and the reasons for its extinction until at least halfway through. Large, bright photographs, both historical and contemporary, bring the P-horse to life for readers.
An informative, age-appropriate introduction to a little-known endangered equine species.Pub Date: July 8, 2025
ISBN: 9781629442648
Page Count: 34
Publisher: Mims House
Review Posted Online: May 16, 2025
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
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
Another playful imagination-stretcher.
Markle invites children to picture themselves living in the homes of 11 wild animals.
As in previous entries in the series, McWilliam’s illustrations of a diverse cast of young people fancifully imitating wild creatures are paired with close-up photos of each animal in a like natural setting. The left side of one spread includes a photo of a black bear nestling in a cozy winter den, while the right side features an image of a human one cuddled up with a bear. On another spread, opposite a photo of honeybees tending to newly hatched offspring, a human “larva” lounges at ease in a honeycomb cell, game controller in hand, as insect attendants dish up goodies. A child with an eye patch reclines on an orb weaver spider’s web, while another wearing a head scarf constructs a castle in a subterranean chamber with help from mound-building termites. Markle adds simple remarks about each type of den, nest, or burrow and basic facts about its typical residents, then closes with a reassuring reminder to readers that they don’t have to live as animals do, because they will “always live where people live.” A select gallery of traditional homes, from igloo and yurt to mudhif, follows a final view of the young cast waving from a variety of differently styled windows.
Another playful imagination-stretcher. (Informational picture book. 6-8)Pub Date: May 7, 2024
ISBN: 9781339049052
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Scholastic
Review Posted Online: Feb. 3, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2024
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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