A smorgasbord of dog facts and tidbits whose distinguishing value may be to inspire interest in readers to research further.
An overview of the relationship between people and dogs.
Filled with full-color photos of children and dogs interacting (often adorable, but lacking adequate diversity; of 47 photos that include people, only nine feature people of color), this perkily designed book attempts a broad overview of the human-dog connection. Each of the book’s three parts addresses a specific topic. Part 1, “A Perfect Partnership” reiterates currently popular theories on how dogs evolved from prehistoric wolves to become domesticated by humans in prehistory as well as the development of specific dog behaviors and physical characteristics. Part 2, “The Science of Love,” relays select research conclusions about dogs’ intelligence and their emotional lives. Part 3, “Sharing Our Lives,” touches upon the collaboration between dogs and humans, whether it is for companionship, therapy, protection, or other reasons. (A double-page spread in this section, highlighting a specific doggie day care and a specific grooming salon in Montana has tenuous relevance to the theme.) Patent’s text burbles with liveliness, and the book is energetically designed with plenty of color, different-sized type, text bullets, and photographs, but the information is sometimes vague. Several sources are listed for young readers who are interested in learning more.
A smorgasbord of dog facts and tidbits whose distinguishing value may be to inspire interest in readers to research further. (sources, index) (Nonfiction. 8-12)Pub Date: Jan. 23, 2018
ISBN: 978-1-101-93104-2
Page Count: 64
Publisher: Crown
Review Posted Online: Sept. 30, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 2017
With young readers diagnosed with anxiety in ever increasing numbers, this book offers a necessary mirror to many.
Young Raina is 9 when she throws up for the first time that she remembers, due to a stomach bug. Even a year later, when she is in fifth grade, she fears getting sick.
Raina begins having regular stomachaches that keep her home from school. She worries about sharing food with her friends and eating certain kinds of foods, afraid of getting sick or food poisoning. Raina’s mother enrolls her in therapy. At first Raina isn’t sure about seeing a therapist, but over time she develops healthy coping mechanisms to deal with her stress and anxiety. Her therapist helps her learn to ground herself and relax, and in turn she teaches her classmates for a school project. Amping up the green, wavy lines to evoke Raina’s nausea, Telgemeier brilliantly produces extremely accurate visual representations of stress and anxiety. Thought bubbles surround Raina in some panels, crowding her with anxious “what if”s, while in others her negative self-talk appears to be literally crushing her. Even as she copes with anxiety disorder and what is eventually diagnosed as mild irritable bowel syndrome, she experiences the typical stresses of school life, going from cheer to panic in the blink of an eye. Raina is white, and her classmates are diverse; one best friend is Korean American.
With young readers diagnosed with anxiety in ever increasing numbers, this book offers a necessary mirror to many. (Graphic memoir. 8-12)Pub Date: Sept. 17, 2019
ISBN: 978-0-545-85251-7
Page Count: 224
Publisher: Graphix/Scholastic
Review Posted Online: May 11, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2019
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
© Copyright 2025 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Follow
Popular in this Genre
We can’t wait for you to join Kirkus!
It’s free and takes less than 10 seconds!
Already have an account? Log in.
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Welcome Back!
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
