An attractive addition to the nature shelf.
Rhyming couplets introduce birds one might see in spite of winter snows.
Hall describes behaviors that help 17 species survive cold winters. She begins and ends with the blue jays familiar to readers east of the Rockies: a pair that takes peanuts from a feeder to hide for later and then, in spring, builds a nest for a new generation. In between she introduces a broad range of birds, some residents and some with shorter seasonal migrations that end in parts of the U.S. that are cold and snowy. Carolina wrens, snow geese, black-capped chickadees, American tree sparrows, downy woodpeckers, and northern cardinals are birds whose winter ranges span much of the country; common redpolls, snow buntings, black rosy-finches, Atlantic puffins, Bohemian waxwings, ruffed grouse, great gray and snowy owls, and golden crowned kinglets frequent only small parts. Readers are quite unlikely to encounter an ivory gull stealing its winter food from polar bears! Desmond’s double-page spreads show the birds beautifully, and they include important details about their appearances, their usual numbers, and their environments. Predominantly done in muted tones with lots of black, white, and shades of gray, they have spots of color when appropriate. Where the bird’s sounds aren’t included in the poem, they’re worked into the images. Hall’s skillful poetry reads aloud well, making this a solid candidate for small-group storytime even where the birds—or even the snow—aren’t familiar. (This book was reviewed digitally with 10.5-by-18-inch double-page spreads viewed at 81.6% of actual size.)
An attractive addition to the nature shelf. (further information) (Informational picture book/poetry. 4-8)Pub Date: Nov. 3, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-4197-4203-3
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Abrams
Review Posted Online: Sept. 28, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 2020
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
A well-meaning but lackluster tribute.
Readers bid farewell to a beloved canine character.
Momo is—or was—an adorable and very photogenic border collie owned by author Knapp. The many readers who loved him in the previous half-dozen books are in for a shock with this one. “Momo had died” is the stark reality—and there are no photographs of him here. Instead, Momo has been replaced by a flat cartoonish pastiche with strange, staring round white eyes, inserted into some of Knapp’s photography (which remains appealing, insofar as it can be discerned under the mixed media). Previous books contained few or no words. Unfortunately, virtuosity behind a lens does not guarantee mastery of verse. The art here is accompanied by words that sometimes rhyme but never find a workable or predictable rhythm (“We’d fetch and we’d catch, / we’d run and we’d jump. Every day we found new / games to play”). It’s a pity, because the subject—a pet’s death—is an important one to address with children. Of course, Momo isn’t gone; he can still be found “everywhere” in memories. But alas, he can be found here only in the crude depictions of the darling dog so well known from the earlier books.
A well-meaning but lackluster tribute. (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: Feb. 6, 2024
ISBN: 9781683693864
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Quirk Books
Review Posted Online: Nov. 4, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2023
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