An unforgettable encounter that will spark a lifelong fascination with these extraordinary beings.
An extraordinary collaboration that follows the epic migration of humpback whales.
Originally published in Colombia, this work follows the marine mammals on their 8,300-kilometer (5,150-mile) journey from Antarctica’s Gerlache Strait to the Pacific coast of Colombia. Muñoz Toro and Dipacho worked with several whale researchers to ensure scientific accuracy while maintaining the story’s narrative appeal. The text weaves factual information with storytelling elements, using analogies to make complex science accessible to young readers; whales preparing for migration are described as “packing a suitcase,” while their communication is compared to an “oceanic voice that’s intermittent, like the light from a lighthouse blinking in the dark.” Dipacho’s artwork creates moments of visual poetry, from a close-up of a whale tinged with deep blues to striking black pages depicting a whale’s death. Muñoz Toro acknowledges the limits of human knowledge with refreshing honesty, noting that “very little is known about the mating behavior of humpback whales” because “it happens very quickly,” while males may sing elaborate songs “perhaps just because they can.” Even readers initially indifferent to marine life will find themselves captivated by these creatures, whose epic journeys mirror our own need for home and connection yet whose deepest mysteries remain beautifully unsolved. This is not a book to rush through, but rather one to return to repeatedly, as each reading reveals more layers about migration patterns, whale behavior, and marine ecosystems.
An unforgettable encounter that will spark a lifelong fascination with these extraordinary beings. (Informational picture book. 8-14)Pub Date: Sept. 16, 2025
ISBN: 9780802856432
Page Count: 44
Publisher: Eerdmans
Review Posted Online: July 19, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2025
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
Contentwise, an arbitrary assortment…but sure to draw fans of comics, of science, or of both.
Flash, Batman, and other characters from the DC Comics universe tackle supervillains and STEM-related topics and sometimes, both.
Credited to 20 writers and illustrators in various combinations, the 10 episodes invite readers to tag along as Mera and Aquaman visit oceanic zones from epipelagic to hadalpelagic; Supergirl helps a young scholar pick a science-project topic by taking her on a tour of the solar system; and Swamp Thing lends Poison Ivy a hand to describe how DNA works (later joining Swamp Kid to scuttle a climate-altering scheme by Arcane). In other episodes, various costumed creations explain the ins and outs of diverse large- and small-scale phenomena, including electricity, atomic structure, forensic techniques, 3-D printing, and the lactate threshold. Presumably on the supposition that the characters will be more familiar to readers than the science, the minilectures tend to start from simple basics, but the figures are mostly both redrawn to look more childlike than in the comics and identified only in passing. Drawing styles and page designs differ from chapter to chapter but not enough to interrupt overall visual unity and flow—and the cast is sufficiently diverse to include roles for superheroes (and villains) of color like Cyborg, Kid Flash, and the Latina Green Lantern, Jessica Cruz. Appended lists of websites and science-based YouTube channels, plus instructions for homespun activities related to each episode, point inspired STEM-winders toward further discoveries.
Contentwise, an arbitrary assortment…but sure to draw fans of comics, of science, or of both. (Graphic nonfiction. 9-12)Pub Date: Feb. 2, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-77950-382-4
Page Count: 160
Publisher: DC
Review Posted Online: Jan. 12, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2021
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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