An enticing invitation to be like the courageous and innovative primatologist profiled here.
A warm testimonial to the life and achievements of Jane Goodall, one of the world’s most renowned scientists.
Not really updating Patrick McConnell’s Caldecott Honoree Me…Jane (2011) but offering a fresh and more richly anecdotal recap, Robbins assumes his subject’s voice to trace her progress from early immersion in natural history around her British home to adult observations of chimpanzees in Tanzania and eventual emergence as a world-traveling advocate for animal and environmental conservation. Tallying the names she gave numerous pets and chimps as she goes (though the local assistants who first helped her set up camp in Tanzania go unidentified), the narrator explains how she was able to get close enough to her study subjects to see them using tools, partying, and exhibiting other behaviors long thought exclusively human—and used some of what she learned to raise her own child. Along with a bulleted list of suggestions for readers who want to “Be Like Jane,” the backmatter includes a summary of Goodall’s discoveries and thumbnail profiles of six of her closest chimpanzee friends. In cleanly drawn scenes, Aly places her slender, confident-looking figure in settings both indoors and out, posing serenely with human groups diverse of age and race or sitting on the ground and interacting animatedly with smiling simians. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
An enticing invitation to be like the courageous and innovative primatologist profiled here. (author’s note, timeline, books by and about Goodall) (Picture-book biography. 5-8)Pub Date: April 4, 2023
ISBN: 9781338680126
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Scholastic
Review Posted Online: Jan. 11, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2023
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A brief but sweet snapshot of an inspiring girl who finds hope in song.
Through the power of music, Lucimarian Tolliver is reminded of what’s important.
Lucy is one of the only children of African descent on her block—called Lucy Street—in 1930s Akron, Ohio, but all her neighbors share one commonality: poverty. Lucy’s carefree spirit is dampened when her family’s furniture is repossessed one day. She visits her grandfather, who comforts her by singing the folk standard “This Little Light of Mine.” Grandpa tells Lucy that she’s destined for greatness and that she should never stop singing, even through life’s toughest moments. Back at home, Lucy’s father scolds her for singing at the dinner table, so she quickly finishes eating and wanders outside and sings into the night. Her voice reaches her family and neighbors, who are all touched by her song. Digital illustrations evoke the time period in muted tones, featuring endearing characters with simple yet expressive features. The visual subject matter is repetitive from page to page, as are the incorporated lyrics of “This Little Light of Mine.” Based on Lucimarian Tolliver’s experiences growing up during the Depression, the text contains an epilogue but lacks backmatter detailing historical context or more information about Lucy’s life. Though the themes of optimism and the importance of family, faith, and music shine through the text, readers may be left with more questions than answers.
A brief but sweet snapshot of an inspiring girl who finds hope in song. (Picture-book biography. 5-7)Pub Date: May 20, 2025
ISBN: 9780063222540
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Harper/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: March 22, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2025
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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