Celebrating some of the multifarious life-forms in diverse Earth environments.
Profiles of varied diurnal and nocturnal inhabitants of global habitats.
Like the creators’ North Pole / South Pole (2020), this book is evenly divided between two types of animals; kids can start off reading about one group, then flip the volume over to learn about the other. Crepuscular animals mediate between the halves. Each page briefly identifies and explores a particular habitat, from the Australian outback to North American prairies. The same environments appear in both sections. Intriguingly labeled paragraphs describe noteworthy denizens (like the “rabbit imposter” vizcacha of the Andes Mountains) and the habitats themselves. The well-written text includes wonderfully specific details, like the speed at which a panther chameleon thrusts out its tongue, as well as some esoteric information, like the difference between monotremes and marsupials. (Though clownfish and sea anemones offer a perfect illustration of symbiosis, that term is not used to describe their relationship.) The visuals balance their focus between settings and inhabitants. On some pages, the animals are labeled with small-type pages; not all are (though they are identified in the main text), which may frustrate curious readers. As in the previous book, the absence of an index is disappointing, and the nighttime section avoids mentioning human light pollution. But the dramatic and colorful artwork is attention-grabbing and provides both context and detail.
Celebrating some of the multifarious life-forms in diverse Earth environments. (Informational picture book. 7-11)Pub Date: Sept. 26, 2023
ISBN: 9780711283527
Page Count: 64
Publisher: Words & Pictures
Review Posted Online: Sept. 9, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 2023
BOOK REVIEW
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
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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
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