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WE ALSO SERVED

Name: WE ALSO SERVED
Author: Erin McGill
ISBN: 978-1-72827-111-8

TRUE STORIES OF BRAVE ANIMALS IN THE MILITARY AND OTHER HEROIC TALES

by Erin McGill ; illustrated by Erin McGill ‧ RELEASE DATE: July 4, 2023

A topic bound to appeal to many readers presented in a sensitive, kid-friendly way.

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A celebration of animals who served heroically.

Though the book mostly focuses on achievements that occurred on the battlefield or in times of active combat, some profiled animals provided civilian support (a pair of guide dogs who kept their owners and others around them calm as they exited the World Trade Center on 9/11) or peacetime service (such as dogs retired from combat who become therapy animals or marine animals who help in surveying the ocean floor). Accompanied by endearing cartoon illustrations, the profiles are succinct, hitting high points and giving specifics without delving into age-inappropriate details. Both world wars are well represented, of course, but McGill also covers other conflicts, such as U.S. participation in Vietnam, Afghanistan, and Iraq as well as British involvement in the Chinese Civil War. The text praises the animals for the lives they saved or improved (mostly human, but one entry highlights a World War II search and rescue dog who saved pet cats in London following a night of bombing) and avoids discussions of human politics and morality (on war, the use of animals in war, or the pets donated for the war effort). The final sections provide global and historical context to the use of animals in war.

A topic bound to appeal to many readers presented in a sensitive, kid-friendly way. (Nonfiction. 5-10)

Pub Date: July 4, 2023

ISBN: 978-1-72827-111-8

Page Count: 40

Publisher: Sourcebooks eXplore

Review Posted Online: May 24, 2023

Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2023

Categories:

CHILDREN'S ANIMALS | CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES | CHILDREN'S HISTORY

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IF YOU WANT A FRIEND IN WASHINGTON
by Erin McGill ; illustrated by Erin McGill

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I DO NOT LIKE THAT NAME
by Erin McGill ; illustrated by Erin McGill

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MATCHY MATCHY
by Erin McGill ; illustrated by Erin McGill

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1001 BEES

by Joanna Rzezak ; illustrated by Joanna Rzezak ‧ RELEASE DATE: May 18, 2021

Friends of these pollinators will be best served elsewhere.

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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

Categories:

CHILDREN'S SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY | CHILDREN'S ANIMALS

- BOOK REVIEW
1001 BIRDS
by Joanna Rzezak ; illustrated by Joanna Rzezak

- BOOK REVIEW
1001 ANTS
by Joanna Rzezak ; illustrated by Joanna Rzezak

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WHAT IF YOU HAD AN ANIMAL HOME!?

From the What if You Had . . .? series

by Sandra Markle ; illustrated by Howard McWilliam ‧ RELEASE DATE: May 7, 2024

Another playful imagination-stretcher.

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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)