A noted science author and her photographer husband follow photographer Swedberg, subject of the documentary movie Home Free: Return of the Bald Eagle, while he stakes out animal haunts, sets up elaborate blinds, patiently waits for hours or even days, and finally snaps wildlife in Florida, Massachusetts, and Alaska. The resulting nature shots may be chosen from hundreds taken in a just few minutes. Unlike Pringle's Batman (1991), the book doesn't bring the photographer himself to life: his quotes are limited to the ``Oh, boy!'' or ``Oh, my gosh, what's goin' on here?'' variety. But the glimpse of special techniques used to photograph in the wild and the handsome color photos (those depicting Swedberg at work are by Knight) make a fine introduction to a fascinating career, as exemplified by a photographer with 30 years of experience. (Nonfiction. 10-12)
Pub Date: May 1, 1992
ISBN: 0-316-51519-1
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Little, Brown
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 15, 1992
Remarking that ``nothing about the weather is very simple,'' Simon goes on to describe how the sun, atmosphere, earth's rotation, ground cover, altitude, pollution, and other factors influence it; briefly, he also tells how weather balloons gather information. Even for this outstanding author, it's a tough, complex topic, and he's not entirely successful in simplifying it; moreover, the import of the striking uncaptioned color photos here isn't always clear. One passage—``Cumulus clouds sometimes build up into towering masses called cumulus congestus, or swelling cumulus, which may turn into cumulonimbus clouds''—is superimposed on a blue-gray, cloud-covered landscape. But which kind of clouds are these? Another photo, in blue-black and white, shows what might be precipitation in the upper atmosphere, or rain falling on a darkened landscape, or...? Generally competent and certainly attractive, but not Simon's best. (Nonfiction. 10-12)
Pub Date: Aug. 1, 1993
ISBN: 0-688-10546-7
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Morrow/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 1993
The Pumpkin Book (32 pp.; $16.95; Sept. 15; 0-8234-1465-5): From seed to vine and blossom to table, Gibbons traces the growth cycle of everyone’s favorite autumn symbol—the pumpkin. Meticulous drawings detail the transformation of tiny seeds to the colorful gourds that appear at roadside stands and stores in the fall. Directions for planting a pumpkin patch, carving a jack-o’-lantern, and drying the seeds give young gardeners the instructions they need to grow and enjoy their own golden globes. (Picture book. 4-8)
Pub Date: Sept. 15, 1999
ISBN: 0-8234-1465-5
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Holiday House
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 1999
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