Memorable pictures of what a worthy life, and a million pennies, might look like.
A warm tribute to a Wisconsin country doctor and the community spirit that launched an unusual fundraiser.
Harking back to the days when doctors made house calls, Newbery Honor–winning author Preus retraces the career of Kate Pelham (later Newcomb, 1885-1956), who came out of retirement to serve her scattered rural community—including, the author notes in the backmatter, the local Lac du Flambeau band of Chippewa—for many years and in all weather conditions. She also inspired a much-needed hospital built from what started as a casual classroom discussion of what a million of anything might look like. That discussion kindled a penny drive that went on to attract international attention; by 1954, it had raised over $110,000. Aware that big numbers figure prominently in this story, Zollars outdoes herself in the illustrations; she includes a full spread of 300 individually drawn babies to represent the thousands that Dr. Kate delivered, an intricately illustrated page filled edge to edge with minuscule pennies, and scenes of coins piled by the bazillion in the school’s gym for people to climb, play on, and marvel at. Images of the pale-skinned Dr. Kate are interspersed with racially diverse scenes of local residents. Along with photos and further details about the doctor and her legacy, the backmatter includes a plea from the author to recognize the commitment and courage of all health care workers, today and everywhere.
Memorable pictures of what a worthy life, and a million pennies, might look like. (illustrator’s note, bibliography) (Picture-book biography. 6-9)Pub Date: Oct. 28, 2025
ISBN: 9781419756719
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Abrams
Review Posted Online: July 4, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2025
An in-depth and visually pleasing look at one of the most fundamental forces in the universe.
An introduction to gravity.
The book opens with the most iconic demonstration of gravity, an apple falling. Throughout, Herz tackles both huge concepts—how gravity compresses atoms to form stars and how black holes pull all kinds of matter toward them—and more concrete ones: how gravity allows you to jump up and then come back down to the ground. Gravity narrates in spare yet lyrical verse, explaining how it creates planets and compresses atoms and comparing itself to a hug. “My embrace is tight enough that you don’t float like a balloon, but loose enough that you can run and leap and play.” Gravity personifies itself at times: “I am stubborn—the bigger things are, the harder I pull.” Beautiful illustrations depict swirling planets and black holes alongside racially diverse children playing, running, and jumping, all thanks to gravity. Thorough backmatter discusses how Sir Isaac Newton discovered gravity and explains Albert Einstein’s theory of relativity. While at times Herz’s explanations may be a bit too technical for some readers, burgeoning scientists will be drawn in.
An in-depth and visually pleasing look at one of the most fundamental forces in the universe. (Informational picture book. 7-9)Pub Date: April 15, 2024
ISBN: 9781668936849
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Tilbury House
Review Posted Online: May 4, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2024
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A gleeful game for budding naturalists.
Artfully cropped animal portraits challenge viewers to guess which end they’re seeing.
In what will be a crowd-pleasing and inevitably raucous guessing game, a series of close-up stock photos invite children to call out one of the titular alternatives. A page turn reveals answers and basic facts about each creature backed up by more of the latter in a closing map and table. Some of the posers, like the tail of an okapi or the nose on a proboscis monkey, are easy enough to guess—but the moist nose on a star-nosed mole really does look like an anus, and the false “eyes” on the hind ends of a Cuyaba dwarf frog and a Promethea moth caterpillar will fool many. Better yet, Lavelle saves a kicker for the finale with a glimpse of a small parasitical pearlfish peeking out of a sea cucumber’s rear so that the answer is actually face and butt. “Animal identification can be tricky!” she concludes, noting that many of the features here function as defenses against attack: “In the animal world, sometimes your butt will save your face and your face just might save your butt!” (This book was reviewed digitally.)
A gleeful game for budding naturalists. (author’s note) (Informational picture book. 6-8)Pub Date: July 11, 2023
ISBN: 9781728271170
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Sourcebooks eXplore
Review Posted Online: May 9, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2023
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
© Copyright 2025 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Follow
Popular in this Genre
We can’t wait for you to join Kirkus!
It’s free and takes less than 10 seconds!
Already have an account? Log in.
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Welcome Back!
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
