A glimpse of science in the field for early readers.
On a tiny island near St. Croix, Dr. Nicole Angeli searches for critically endangered ground lizards.
A straightforward narrative follows the young, white herpetologist as she looks and listens for animals as part of her fieldwork. In her search she encounters a green walking-stick insect, a pearly-eyed thrasher, land crabs, and finally the tiny lizard, which she catches, weighs, measures, and puts back where she found it. These St. Croix ground lizards exist only on offshore islands because the mongooses farmers brought to control the rat population ate lizards and birds on the main island instead. The researcher and co-author—the titular “Lizard Lady”—is part of a scientific group working to save these reptiles through a conservation translocation project aiming to establish them on two additional islands. The simple text is printed in a large font over Jones’ digital paintings, which include images of white scientists working with black island children as well as curiously static scenes of Nicole at work in a lush tropical setting and the wildlife. As is the case for other books from this publisher, the title, also available in Spanish as La dama de las Siguanas, features helpful backmatter (here, further information about the lizards, their adaptations, the scientist, and invasive species), making it particularly welcome in educational settings.
A glimpse of science in the field for early readers. (map, learning activities) (Nonfiction. 5-8)Pub Date: Feb. 10, 2018
ISBN: 978-1-60718-066-1
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Arbordale Publishing
Review Posted Online: Nov. 21, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 15, 2017
A gleeful game for budding naturalists.
Artfully cropped animal portraits challenge viewers to guess which end they’re seeing.
In what will be a crowd-pleasing and inevitably raucous guessing game, a series of close-up stock photos invite children to call out one of the titular alternatives. A page turn reveals answers and basic facts about each creature backed up by more of the latter in a closing map and table. Some of the posers, like the tail of an okapi or the nose on a proboscis monkey, are easy enough to guess—but the moist nose on a star-nosed mole really does look like an anus, and the false “eyes” on the hind ends of a Cuyaba dwarf frog and a Promethea moth caterpillar will fool many. Better yet, Lavelle saves a kicker for the finale with a glimpse of a small parasitical pearlfish peeking out of a sea cucumber’s rear so that the answer is actually face and butt. “Animal identification can be tricky!” she concludes, noting that many of the features here function as defenses against attack: “In the animal world, sometimes your butt will save your face and your face just might save your butt!” (This book was reviewed digitally.)
A gleeful game for budding naturalists. (author’s note) (Informational picture book. 6-8)Pub Date: July 11, 2023
ISBN: 9781728271170
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Sourcebooks eXplore
Review Posted Online: May 9, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2023
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Another playful imagination-stretcher.
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)Pub Date: May 7, 2024
ISBN: 9781339049052
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Scholastic
Review Posted Online: Feb. 3, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2024
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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