A lovely interpretation of curiosity and wonder.
A young Carl Sagan ponders the mysteries of the universe.
What was the astronomer and host of the television series Cosmos like as a boy? He began by asking questions. As young Carl fantasizes about what it would be like to be smaller, Yang depicts a block-shaped child dwindling in size “until he [can] visit atoms floating around him.” The tiny Carl looks up at big bold red and blue molecules, observes atoms creating cells, and concludes, “If every living thing is made of cells, then everything is connected.” Then Carl mulls what would happen if he could grow bigger “and visit the stars. Stars [are] made of atoms, too.” Yang lines up Carl’s big, round face alongside planets, illustrating the vastness of his imagination. This point becomes literal when Carl figures out that he needs “something special…to answer his questions”: a spaceship named Imagination. The ship launches a journey to Venus, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn (and Europa, one of Jupiter’s moons), each a vivid world of geometric shapes and swirls. Yang frames the story with illustrations depicting Carl daydreaming as he gazes out of his backlit apartment window on a starry night filled with deep shades of blue. Young Carl stands in for every child who’s ever asked big questions and considered how to answer them. The first step, as Yang makes beautifully clear, is always imagination.
A lovely interpretation of curiosity and wonder. (author’s note) (Informational picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: July 1, 2025
ISBN: 9780593693070
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Viking
Review Posted Online: March 22, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2025
Readers will agree that “Melba Doretta Liston was something special.”
Bewitched by the rhythms of jazz all around her in Depression-era Kansas City, little Melba Doretta Liston longs to make music in this fictional account of a little-known jazz great.
Picking up the trombone at 7, the little girl teaches herself to play with the support of her Grandpa John and Momma Lucille, performing on the radio at 8 and touring as a pro at just 17. Both text and illustrations make it clear that it’s not all easy for Melba; “The Best Service for WHITES ONLY” reads a sign in a hotel window as the narrative describes a bigotry-plagued tour in the South with Billie Holiday. But joy carries the day, and the story ends on a high note, with Melba “dazzling audiences and making headlines” around the world. Russell-Brown’s debut text has an innate musicality, mixing judicious use of onomatopoeia with often sonorous prose. Morrison’s sinuous, exaggerated lines are the perfect match for Melba’s story; she puts her entire body into her playing, the exaggerated arch of her back and thrust of her shoulders mirroring the curves of her instrument. In one thrilling spread, the evening gown–clad instrumentalist stands over the male musicians, her slide crossing the gutter while the back bow disappears off the page to the left. An impressive discography complements a two-page afterword and a thorough bibliography.
Readers will agree that “Melba Doretta Liston was something special.” (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: July 1, 2014
ISBN: 978-1-60060-898-8
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Lee & Low Books
Review Posted Online: June 3, 2014
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2014
A good bet for the youngest bird-watchers.
Echoing the meter of “Mary Had a Little Lamb,” Ward uses catchy original rhymes to describe the variety of nests birds create.
Each sweet stanza is complemented by a factual, engaging description of the nesting habits of each bird. Some of the notes are intriguing, such as the fact that the hummingbird uses flexible spider web to construct its cup-shaped nest so the nest will stretch as the chicks grow. An especially endearing nesting behavior is that of the emperor penguin, who, with unbelievable patience, incubates the egg between his tummy and his feet for up to 60 days. The author clearly feels a mission to impart her extensive knowledge of birds and bird behavior to the very young, and she’s found an appealing and attractive way to accomplish this. The simple rhymes on the left page of each spread, written from the young bird’s perspective, will appeal to younger children, and the notes on the right-hand page of each spread provide more complex factual information that will help parents answer further questions and satisfy the curiosity of older children. Jenkins’ accomplished collage illustrations of common bird species—woodpecker, hummingbird, cowbird, emperor penguin, eagle, owl, wren—as well as exotics, such as flamingoes and hornbills, are characteristically naturalistic and accurate in detail.
A good bet for the youngest bird-watchers. (author’s note, further resources) (Informational picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: March 18, 2014
ISBN: 978-1-4424-2116-5
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Beach Lane/Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: Jan. 3, 2014
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 15, 2014
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