Rock-solid history and science, high-octane action, and vivid descriptions—the book will inspire as much as it entertains.
A chronicle of the history and science behind the Mount St. Helens eruption.
In March 1980, Mount St. Helens in Washington state became active. Intermittent earthquakes and ash plumes baffled scientists at the U.S. Geological Survey and frustrated journalists as they sought concrete predictions on what would happen and when. Barone explores how scientists were torn between giving people warning to prepare and inadvertently causing a panic. Once the eruption hits, the prose—which maintains unimpeachable credibility through clear, precise explanations—takes a turn for the cinematic as those dangerously close to the volcano fight for survival. Readers will make frequent use of the frontmatter; maps are helpful in charting the journeys of loggers and campers, and the list of “characters” will allow readers to keep track of the survivors and the legion of scientists trying to unlock the volcano’s mysteries. Barone’s interviews with key figures make for intense accounts of heart-pounding moments. In explaining what went wrong, the author makes clear that the earthquake was nobody’s fault and calls out politicians who falsely claimed that victims of the disaster had chosen to ignore warnings and stayed on the mountain. She ends on a note of hope by discussing what was learned from the eruption both scientifically (how to better monitor for future disasters) and socially (the importance of being able to communicate scientific explanations to laypeople).
Rock-solid history and science, high-octane action, and vivid descriptions—the book will inspire as much as it entertains. (websites and QR codes for photos, bibliography) (Nonfiction. 10-adult)Pub Date: May 14, 2024
ISBN: 9781250881656
Page Count: 192
Publisher: Henry Holt
Review Posted Online: March 9, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2024
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A book about engineering notable mostly for its illustrations of diverse characters. (Board book. 1-3)
Babies and engineers have more in common than you think.
In this book, Alexander highlights the unlikely similarities between babies and engineers. Like engineers, babies ask questions, enjoy building, and learn from their mistakes. Black’s bold, colorful illustrations feature diverse babies and both male- and female-presenting adult characters with a variety of skin tones and hair colors, effectively demonstrating that engineers can be any race or either gender. (Nonbinary models are a little harder to see.) The story ends with a reassurance to the babies in the book that “We believe in you!” presumably implying that any child can be an engineer. The end pages include facts about different kinds of engineers and the basic process used by all engineers in their work. Although the book opens with a rhythmic rhyming couplet, the remaining text lacks the same structure and pattern, making it less entertaining to read. Furthermore, while some of the comparisons between babies and engineers are both clever and apt, others—such as the idea that babies know where to look for answers—are flimsier. The book ends with a text-heavy spread of facts about engineering that, bereft of illustrations, may not hold children’s attention as well as the previous pages. Despite these flaws, on its best pages, the book is visually stimulating, witty, and thoughtful.
A book about engineering notable mostly for its illustrations of diverse characters. (Board book. 1-3)Pub Date: Sept. 17, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-338-31223-2
Page Count: 24
Publisher: Cartwheel/Scholastic
Review Posted Online: June 22, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2019
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
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