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MY TINY LIFE BY RUBY T. HUMMINGBIRD

From the Nature Diary series , Vol. 4

Accurate natural history simply and charismatically presented.

A ruby-throated hummingbird chronicles its first full year of life.

This latest addition to the series of first-person nature diaries that began with My Awesome Summer by P. Mantis (2017) introduces the ruby-throated hummingbird, familiar to residents of the East Coast and Midwest, where they summer, and of Mexico and Central America, where they winter. The front endpapers map the ruby-throated species’ range, show some western hummingbirds, and present some facts including the nest-building process. This slightly advanced scientific text sets the stage for Ruby T.’s personal story. Dates head entries of one or two sentences, simple enough for fledgling readers. Meisel’s illustrations augment the storytelling. The title page includes a picture of Ruby T.’s mother on her nest; a page turn reveals just the tip of a beak poking out of a cracked egg. But soon, Ruby T. is flying “really fast!” Spread by spread the pacing reflects the bird’s experience, including speedy growth and challenging migrations. Short words relating to the bird’s actions sit directly on these paintings (“CHASE”; “ZOOM”). Ruby T. often enjoys a hummingbird feeder—probably the way most readers will encounter this species. There are quarrels, communal feeding, and preparations for the big trip. Ruby T. winters in a different environment. When spring comes, his newly red throat reveals that he’s male. The story winds up neatly when he meets a potential mate after his return.

Accurate natural history simply and charismatically presented. (sources, recommended reading, further information) (Informational picture book. 4-8)

Pub Date: April 13, 2021

ISBN: 978-0-8234-4322-2

Page Count: 40

Publisher: Holiday House

Review Posted Online: March 1, 2021

Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2021

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CECE LOVES SCIENCE

From the Cece and the Scientific Method series

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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FIND MOMO EVERYWHERE

From the Find Momo series , Vol. 7

A well-meaning but lackluster tribute.

Readers bid farewell to a beloved canine character.

Momo is—or was—an adorable and very photogenic border collie owned by author Knapp. The many readers who loved him in the previous half-dozen books are in for a shock with this one. “Momo had died” is the stark reality—and there are no photographs of him here. Instead, Momo has been replaced by a flat cartoonish pastiche with strange, staring round white eyes, inserted into some of Knapp’s photography (which remains appealing, insofar as it can be discerned under the mixed media). Previous books contained few or no words. Unfortunately, virtuosity behind a lens does not guarantee mastery of verse. The art here is accompanied by words that sometimes rhyme but never find a workable or predictable rhythm (“We’d fetch and we’d catch, / we’d run and we’d jump. Every day we found new / games to play”). It’s a pity, because the subject—a pet’s death—is an important one to address with children. Of course, Momo isn’t gone; he can still be found “everywhere” in memories. But alas, he can be found here only in the crude depictions of the darling dog so well known from the earlier books.

A well-meaning but lackluster tribute. (Picture book. 4-8)

Pub Date: Feb. 6, 2024

ISBN: 9781683693864

Page Count: 32

Publisher: Quirk Books

Review Posted Online: Nov. 4, 2023

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2023

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