A quirky fact book sure to spark interest and further discovery.
An abundance of unusual facts highlighting what makes each state weird and wonderful.
With all 50 of the states and the District of Columbia each getting a two-page spread, this book has room for some unusual and strange facts. Listed for each state are both its official and unofficial nicknames, often with a brief explanation behind their origins. Each page bristles with clumps of fun facts, including bizarre festivals, weird laws, world records, and more. Readers can learn about bathtub races in Iowa or the International Banana Museum in California. State favorites, like snacks, pizza toppings, desserts, etc., are listed as well. There is a fast facts section for each state: state capital, humorous place names, state slang, “fantastic foods” (not always phrased as locals would), and interesting inventions. Readers also learn what is pictured on the state quarter and a couple of books for ages 7 through 12 set in the state. Facts about Indigenous, African American, and immigrant connections are included for a few states. The inclusion of some of the names gathered under the rubric “Funny Place Names” could be considered culturally insensitive, as with Aiea, Hawaii, and Eek, Arkansas, which stem from Indigenous cultures. The highlight of the book is the vintage Americana-style graphics. The vibrant, bold colors are captivating, and many of the graphics add fun context to the text.
A quirky fact book sure to spark interest and further discovery. (index) (Nonfiction. 7-10)Pub Date: Oct. 5, 2021
ISBN: 978-0-7112-6284-3
Page Count: 112
Publisher: Wide Eyed Editions
Review Posted Online: June 28, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2021
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
An in-depth and visually pleasing look at one of the most fundamental forces in the universe.
An introduction to gravity.
The book opens with the most iconic demonstration of gravity, an apple falling. Throughout, Herz tackles both huge concepts—how gravity compresses atoms to form stars and how black holes pull all kinds of matter toward them—and more concrete ones: how gravity allows you to jump up and then come back down to the ground. Gravity narrates in spare yet lyrical verse, explaining how it creates planets and compresses atoms and comparing itself to a hug. “My embrace is tight enough that you don’t float like a balloon, but loose enough that you can run and leap and play.” Gravity personifies itself at times: “I am stubborn—the bigger things are, the harder I pull.” Beautiful illustrations depict swirling planets and black holes alongside racially diverse children playing, running, and jumping, all thanks to gravity. Thorough backmatter discusses how Sir Isaac Newton discovered gravity and explains Albert Einstein’s theory of relativity. While at times Herz’s explanations may be a bit too technical for some readers, burgeoning scientists will be drawn in.
An in-depth and visually pleasing look at one of the most fundamental forces in the universe. (Informational picture book. 7-9)Pub Date: April 15, 2024
ISBN: 9781668936849
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Tilbury House
Review Posted Online: May 4, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2024
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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