Lively, informative, and pretty convincing.
Translated from Dutch, a genial overview of the fungal clan and its many roles from conscientious keeper of the “wood wide web” to deadly poison and delicious food.
Interspersed with occasional close-up photos and fanciful images of diminutive, red-capped human observers peering curiously at specimens, Panders’ galleries of labeled, exactly drawn mushrooms and schematic views of molds and yeasts in action present a diversity of shapes and forms as colorful as the multitude of fungi facts and functions that Roebers lays out in his informal but information-rich commentary. The author argues that “King Fungus” is the boss underground (“Worms, moles, centipedes, even the roots of trees and other plants are all supporting players”); as ubiquitous organisms that help make rain, contribute to animals’ digestion, and busily chow down on organic wastes of all sorts, they also help “make nature a nice place to live.” (“Okay, they can be a nuisance at times…” No kidding.) Making good on the “and Company” part of the title, the author goes on to introduce the composite organisms slime molds and lichens. He ends his survey with a “Which fungus are you?” feature, along with suggestions for ways to study and—only under the guidance of verified experts—collect and sample these fascinating and essential members of our one, interrelated biosphere.
Lively, informative, and pretty convincing. (glossary, index) (Nonfiction. 9-11)Pub Date: Oct. 28, 2025
ISBN: 9781778402227
Page Count: 152
Publisher: Greystone Kids
Review Posted Online: July 19, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2025
In this glossy photo essay, the author briefly recounts the study and exploration of the moon, beginning with Stonehenge and concluding with the 1998–99 unmanned probe, Lunar Prospector. Most of the dramatic photographs come from NASA and will introduce a new generation of space enthusiasts to the past missions of Project Mercury, Gemini, and most especially the moon missions, Apollo 1–17. There are plenty of photographs of various astronauts in space capsules, space suits, and walking on the moon. Sometimes photographs are superimposed one on another, making it difficult to read. For example, one photograph shows the command module Columbia as photographed from the lunar module and an insert shows the 15-layer space suit and gear Neil Armstrong would wear for moonwalking. That’s a lot to process on one page. Still, the awesome images of footprints on the moon, raising the American flag, and earthrise from the moon, cannot help but raise shivers. The author concludes with a timeline of exploration, Web sites, recommended books, and picture credits. For NASA memorabilia collectors, end papers show the Apollo space badges for missions 11–17. Useful for replacing aging space titles. (Nonfiction. 8-11)
Pub Date: Feb. 1, 2001
ISBN: 1-57091-408-7
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Charlesbridge
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2001
Thousands of years ago, the Komodo dragon may have inspired dragon legends in China and beyond. In more recent times, researchers from all over the world have traveled to the Lesser Sunda Islands of Indonesia to study the Komodo dragon. This lively if somewhat haphazardly organized account focuses on the efforts of contemporary researchers, presents some of their cooler findings (female dragons can reproduce through parthenogenesis; their saliva is laced with deadly bacteria) and profiles a few captive specimens. Mostly color photographs from a variety of sources adorn almost every page, and captions add to the information. Learning about the Komodo dragon is not for the faint of heart, and the photos show the wild beasts in all their gory glory. The extensive backmatter includes brief facts about Indonesia, more information on the Komodo dragon life cycle and its use of smell and conservation information. A portion of the sales will be donated to the Komodo Survival Program. (bibliography, further reading, glossary, websites, index, author’s note) (Nonfiction. 9-11)
Pub Date: Oct. 1, 2010
ISBN: 978-1-59078-757-1
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Boyds Mills
Review Posted Online: Sept. 15, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 2010
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