Curiously miscellaneous but likely to appeal to animal lovers.
When Covid-19 kept humans home, animal behaviors changed.
The author of the “Sidewalk Naturalist” column for the digital magazine Catapult offers a dozen examples of changes observed in animal behavior around the world in 2020. Kangaroos ventured onto city streets in Australia; sika deer clattered down subway steps in Japan; sea lions sunned themselves at a resort in Argentina; lions napped on roads where safari jeeps usually take tourists. Urban animals like coyotes and wild boars became bolder; pandas in zoos mated and gave birth. Clean waters allowed Venetians to see undersea creatures. Far more spring peepers than usual survived road crossings in the eastern United States; more flamingos nested in Indian wetlands; and more hatchling turtles made their way from beaches to the ocean. In one case, Todaro highlights changed human behavior: To avoid infecting mountain gorillas, rangers used face masks and hand sanitizers. Each example receives two spreads, with a short, illustrated story followed by an appealing, gently humorous double-page illustration. These interesting, explanatory stories always include a word for the species as a group. They’re appropriate for reading aloud to a young audience, though the places and even the species may require some adult introduction. There’s extensive backmatter for older readers, including the idea of the “anthropause,” a note on habitats, and suggestions for actions to help create more safe spaces for wildlife.
Curiously miscellaneous but likely to appeal to animal lovers. (further resources) (Informational picture book. 5-9)Pub Date: Oct. 5, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-66265-049-9
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Maria Russo/Minedition
Review Posted Online: July 13, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 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
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
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