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
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
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