A warm and thoroughly inviting children’s introduction to understanding data.
Devshree Golecha and her 10-year-old daughter Kiara Golecha offer a brief, colorful explanation of data science for young readers.
In their nonfiction debut, the Golechas make Kiara (and her two dogs) the focal point of a short, extensively illustrated guide for teaching kids how to visualize and analyze “big data,” which “helps scientists find cures for diseases, lets companies create better products, and enables cities to plan for a brighter future.” To help younger readers unlock this “treasure chest of knowledge,” the authors, in a series of brief chapters full of charts and bulleted points, lead readers through some of the basic data skills, including how to interpret data averages like mean and median and how to spot patterns and make predictions based on data habits or trends. Concepts like the range visible in any given data set or the nature of outliers to that data are explained using a combination of text, pictures, and charts. Every chapter includes activities designed to help both students and teachers in addition to prompts for “reflection and conclusion” aimed at bringing the whole picture into sharper focus. “Data science is like a magical key that unlocks secrets hidden in numbers and information,” the Golechas write, and the joyful energy of this book actually has a magical feeling. The sheer enthusiasm for the adventure that unfolds in these pages is infectious, and it serves very effectively to demystify the charts and numbers the text includes. The choice to reiterate at regular intervals the importance of data in our modern world is a wise one, guaranteeing that young readers won’t lose interest when the going gets more technical. Touching on everything from scores to statistics, this book does an excellent job of making data exciting.
A warm and thoroughly inviting children’s introduction to understanding data.Pub Date: June 12, 2024
ISBN: 9781964209814
Page Count: 78
Publisher: Creative Book Writers
Review Posted Online: Aug. 16, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 2024
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
Essential.
A guidebook for taking action against racism.
The clear title and bold, colorful illustrations will immediately draw attention to this book, designed to guide each reader on a personal journey to work to dismantle racism. In the author’s note, Jewell begins with explanations about word choice, including the use of the terms “folx,” because it is gender neutral, and “global majority,” noting that marginalized communities of color are actually the majority in the world. She also chooses to capitalize Black, Brown, and Indigenous as a way of centering these communities’ voices; "white" is not capitalized. Organized in four sections—identity, history, taking action, and working in solidarity—each chapter builds on the lessons of the previous section. Underlined words are defined in the glossary, but Jewell unpacks concepts around race in an accessible way, bringing attention to common misunderstandings. Activities are included at the end of each chapter; they are effective, prompting both self-reflection and action steps from readers. The activities are designed to not be written inside the actual book; instead Jewell invites readers to find a special notebook and favorite pen and use that throughout. Combining the disruption of common fallacies, spotlights on change makers, the author’s personal reflections, and a call to action, this powerful book has something for all young people no matter what stage they are at in terms of awareness or activism.
Essential. (author’s note, further reading, glossary, select bibliography) (Nonfiction. 10-18)Pub Date: Jan. 7, 2020
ISBN: 978-0-7112-4521-1
Page Count: 160
Publisher: Frances Lincoln
Review Posted Online: Sept. 14, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 2019
BOOK REVIEW
PROFILES
Erupt into applause for this picture book of the first magma-tude.
A deceptively simple, visually appealing, comprehensive explanation of volcanoes.
Gibbons packs an impressive number of facts into this browsable nonfiction picture book. The text begins with the awe of a volcanic eruption: “The ground begins to rumble…ash, hot lava and rock, and gases shoot up into the air.” Diagrams of the Earth’s structural layers—inner and outer core, mantle, and crust—undergird a discussion about why volcanoes occur. Simple maps of the Earth’s seven major tectonic plates show where volcanoes are likeliest to develop. Other spreads with bright, clearly labeled illustrations cover intriguing subtopics: four types of volcanoes and how they erupt; underwater volcanoes; well-known volcanoes and historic volcanic eruptions around the world; how to be safe in the vicinity of a volcano; and the work of scientists studying volcanoes and helping to predict eruptions. A page of eight facts about volcanoes wraps things up. The straightforward, concise prose will be easy for young readers to follow. As always, Gibbons manages to present a great deal of information in a compact form.
Erupt into applause for this picture book of the first magma-tude. (Nonfiction picture book. 4-9)Pub Date: Jan. 4, 2022
ISBN: 978-0-8234-4569-1
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Holiday House
Review Posted Online: Nov. 15, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2021
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