by Robin Page ; illustrated by Robin Page ‧ RELEASE DATE: March 21, 2023
A high-stepping reminder that we aren’t the only ones who can put on a show.
A gallery of wild creatures that dance—some to attract mates, some for no known reason at all.
Page portrays 15 of her brightly hued animal subjects in balletically posed pairs or larger groups but leaves 16 more to strut their stuff alone—which is particularly disappointing when she writes so enticingly of how, for instance, blue-footed boobies “high-step” together and a properly dazzled female calliope hummingbird will join a male in flight. Still, in brief but exact descriptive language, with occasional anthropomorphic flights (no, Asian forest scorpions probably don’t actually “tango” nor humpback whales “waltz”), she tallies a great range of steps, displays, gestures, sounds, postures, and other behaviors…not all of which are exclusively performed by males (springboks of both sexes, for example “pronk”). Better yet, some, such as the prancing gait of sifakas and the synchronized leaps of spinner dolphins, aren’t associated with mating and so, she suggests, may be just for fun. That observation plus naturalistic portraits, digitally rendered and resembling collages, add further bounce to her terpsichorean premise. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
A high-stepping reminder that we aren’t the only ones who can put on a show. (source list) (Informational picture book. 7-9)Pub Date: March 21, 2023
ISBN: 978-1-66591-605-9
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Beach Lane/Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: Dec. 13, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2023
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by Jennifer Ward ; illustrated by Robin Page
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by Steve Jenkins & Robin Page ; illustrated by Steve Jenkins & Robin Page
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by Henry Herz ; illustrated by Mercè López ‧ RELEASE DATE: April 15, 2024
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
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edited by Henry Herz
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edited by Henry Herz ; illustrated by Adam Gustavson
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edited by Bryan Thomas Schmidt & Henry Herz
by Ruth Spiro ; illustrated by Teresa Martínez ‧ RELEASE DATE: Oct. 10, 2023
A lighthearted first look at an increasingly useful skill.
Grown-ups may not be the only audience for this simple explanation of how algorithms work.
Taking a confused-looking hipster parent firmly in hand, a child first points to all the computers around the house (“Pro Tip: When dealing with grown-ups, don’t jump into the complicated stuff too fast. Start with something they already know”). Next, the child leads the adult outside to make and follow step-by-step directions for getting to the park, deciding which playground equipment to use, and finally walking home. Along the way, concepts like conditionals and variables come into play in street maps and diagrams, and a literal bug stands in for the sort that programmers will inevitably need to find and solve. The lesson culminates in an actual sample of very simple code with labels that unpack each instruction…plus a pop quiz to lay out a decision tree for crossing the street, because if “your grown-up can explain it, that shows they understand it!” That goes for kids, too—and though Spiro doesn’t take the logical next step and furnish leads to actual manuals, young (and not so young) fledgling coders will find plenty of good ones around, such as Get Coding! (2017), published by Candlewick, or Rachel Ziter’s Coding From Scratch (2018).
A lighthearted first look at an increasingly useful skill. (glossary) (Informational picture book. 7-9)Pub Date: Oct. 10, 2023
ISBN: 9781623543181
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Charlesbridge
Review Posted Online: Aug. 26, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 2023
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by Ruth Spiro ; illustrated by Victoria Tentler-Krylov
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by Ruth Spiro ; illustrated by Irene Chan
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