Browsable fun but rather lightweight.
Forty-eight “nature stories” about flora, fauna, and natural wonders around the world will whet the appetites of nature and science lovers.
Each of 12 calendar-month sections presents four topics, each except the first getting a full double-page spread, which, in a book whose trim is 10 by 12 inches, is an eyeful. The topics include tulips in the Netherlands, the courtship dance of red-crowned cranes in Japan, a sardine run in South Africa, fig pollination in Palestine, the “wood wide web” in Italy, salmon spawning in Canada, and hermit crab housing issues in Jamaica. Digital spot illustrations with no white space in between fill every bit of space, the text resting on solid colors within them. The borders are an especial delight, reflecting both the spread’s topic and country, though a world map would be a welcome addition. The book is not consistent in using solid scientific terms or even naming the flora and fauna depicted, which may hinder further research. For example, metamorphosis, avalanche, and the names of the parts of the water cycle are missing, though the text mentions both pollination and bioluminescence; and the frog that freezes and the flower that smells like rotting meat are not named. The text also uses quite a bit of anthropomorphization to explain animal behavior. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
Browsable fun but rather lightweight. (table of contents, index) (Nonfiction picture book. 4-10)Pub Date: May 24, 2022
ISBN: 978-0-7112-6966-8
Page Count: 112
Publisher: Wide Eyed Editions
Review Posted Online: April 26, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 15, 2022
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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