Heartfelt but uneven advice.
A guidebook to help children through troubled times.
This well-intentioned, ambitious book falters in attempts to guide caregivers in conversations with young children. Its failures arise in part from presenting three Western children (two of whom appear white and one who seems to be a girl of color) as the presumed stand-ins for readers. They are shown in watercolor vignettes reading newspapers and smartphones and talking to one another; these illustrations are juxtaposed with photographs of real people enduring real tragedies, which the text states can arise from human error, nature, and intentional, human acts of terror. Such distinctions are fraught since, for example, Hurricane Katrina is described as a “natural disaster,” but historical analysis points to human error and negligence as compounding its tragic impact. Humanity’s impact on climate change as a force behind natural disasters is likewise omitted. Furthermore, in contrast with the illustrated children, many if not most photos (they are uncaptioned) depict people of color in non-Western settings, giving the false impression that tragedies happen elsewhere, to others. Finally, text on closing pages that seeks to find meaning in tragedy may be read as romanticizing it with lines such as, “Perhaps tragedies happen to bring people together,” and “Whenever something negative happens, there is a deep lesson in it” (quoting inspirational guru Eckhart Tolle). Yes, it’s important to “look for the helpers” (backmatter quotes Fred Rogers), but what about dismantling systems that drive humanity toward so many tragedies?
Heartfelt but uneven advice. (Nonfiction. 4-10)Pub Date: Sept. 4, 2018
ISBN: 978-1-4598-1784-5
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Orca
Review Posted Online: June 24, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2018
Erupt into applause for this picture book of the first magma-tude.
A deceptively simple, visually appealing, comprehensive explanation of volcanoes.
Gibbons packs an impressive number of facts into this browsable nonfiction picture book. The text begins with the awe of a volcanic eruption: “The ground begins to rumble…ash, hot lava and rock, and gases shoot up into the air.” Diagrams of the Earth’s structural layers—inner and outer core, mantle, and crust—undergird a discussion about why volcanoes occur. Simple maps of the Earth’s seven major tectonic plates show where volcanoes are likeliest to develop. Other spreads with bright, clearly labeled illustrations cover intriguing subtopics: four types of volcanoes and how they erupt; underwater volcanoes; well-known volcanoes and historic volcanic eruptions around the world; how to be safe in the vicinity of a volcano; and the work of scientists studying volcanoes and helping to predict eruptions. A page of eight facts about volcanoes wraps things up. The straightforward, concise prose will be easy for young readers to follow. As always, Gibbons manages to present a great deal of information in a compact form.
Erupt into applause for this picture book of the first magma-tude. (Nonfiction picture book. 4-9)Pub Date: Jan. 4, 2022
ISBN: 978-0-8234-4569-1
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Holiday House
Review Posted Online: Nov. 15, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2021
A good introduction to observation, data, and trying again.
Cece loves asking “why” and “what if.”
Her parents encourage her, as does her science teacher, Ms. Curie (a wink to adult readers). When Cece and her best friend, Isaac, pair up for a science project, they choose zoology, brainstorming questions they might research. They decide to investigate whether dogs eat vegetables, using Cece’s schnauzer, Einstein, and the next day they head to Cece’s lab (inside her treehouse). Wearing white lab coats, the two observe their subject and then offer him different kinds of vegetables, alone and with toppings. Cece is discouraged when Einstein won’t eat them. She complains to her parents, “Maybe I’m not a real scientist after all….Our project was boring.” Just then, Einstein sniffs Cece’s dessert, leading her to try a new way to get Einstein to eat vegetables. Cece learns that “real scientists have fun finding answers too.” Harrison’s clean, bright illustrations add expression and personality to the story. Science report inserts are reminiscent of The Magic Schoolbus books, with less detail. Biracial Cece is a brown, freckled girl with curly hair; her father is white, and her mother has brown skin and long, black hair; Isaac and Ms. Curie both have pale skin and dark hair. While the book doesn’t pack a particularly strong emotional or educational punch, this endearing protagonist earns a place on the children’s STEM shelf.
A good introduction to observation, data, and trying again. (glossary) (Picture book. 5-8)Pub Date: June 19, 2018
ISBN: 978-0-06-249960-8
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Greenwillow Books
Review Posted Online: March 26, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2018
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