Another compelling, hopeful account of ecosystem defense.
On the African savanna, efforts to save the southern white rhino require varied approaches.
Continuing a longtime focus on animal conservation and rescue, science educator Markle turns her attention to the plight of the southern white rhino. This giant mammal, an important “ecosystem engineer,” was brought close to extinction in the mid-20th century by hunting and loss of habitat before being rediscovered, protected, and restored. Now it is threatened again, by poachers harvesting its horns for their rumored therapeutic powers. The author introduces her disturbing story with a suspenseful description of a poacher attack and concludes with the targeted rhino’s rescue and the species’ prospects for the future. In between, she covers protection efforts in South Africa that include: reserves and restrictions against hunting, relocation, market attempts to reduce horn value, helping survivors of horn removal, and the use of patrols and trained dogs. The clear and well-organized exposition weaves in plenty of information about the habits and habitats of this remarkable species and the nature of its coveted horn. Appealing design includes photos from a variety of sources, many showing rhino mothers and their calves and more than a few showing their human African protectors, both white and black. These images are captioned with clear explanations and additional information. Supportive backmatter includes a good list of books and websites about all kinds of rhinos appropriate for the intended readers.
Another compelling, hopeful account of ecosystem defense. (author’s note, timeline, source notes, glossary, find out more, index, photo acknowledgements) (Nonfiction. 9-14)Pub Date: Aug. 1, 2018
ISBN: 978-1-5124-4436-0
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Millbrook/Lerner
Review Posted Online: May 27, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2018
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Contentwise, an arbitrary assortment…but sure to draw fans of comics, of science, or of both.
Flash, Batman, and other characters from the DC Comics universe tackle supervillains and STEM-related topics and sometimes, both.
Credited to 20 writers and illustrators in various combinations, the 10 episodes invite readers to tag along as Mera and Aquaman visit oceanic zones from epipelagic to hadalpelagic; Supergirl helps a young scholar pick a science-project topic by taking her on a tour of the solar system; and Swamp Thing lends Poison Ivy a hand to describe how DNA works (later joining Swamp Kid to scuttle a climate-altering scheme by Arcane). In other episodes, various costumed creations explain the ins and outs of diverse large- and small-scale phenomena, including electricity, atomic structure, forensic techniques, 3-D printing, and the lactate threshold. Presumably on the supposition that the characters will be more familiar to readers than the science, the minilectures tend to start from simple basics, but the figures are mostly both redrawn to look more childlike than in the comics and identified only in passing. Drawing styles and page designs differ from chapter to chapter but not enough to interrupt overall visual unity and flow—and the cast is sufficiently diverse to include roles for superheroes (and villains) of color like Cyborg, Kid Flash, and the Latina Green Lantern, Jessica Cruz. Appended lists of websites and science-based YouTube channels, plus instructions for homespun activities related to each episode, point inspired STEM-winders toward further discoveries.
Contentwise, an arbitrary assortment…but sure to draw fans of comics, of science, or of both. (Graphic nonfiction. 9-12)Pub Date: Feb. 2, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-77950-382-4
Page Count: 160
Publisher: DC
Review Posted Online: Jan. 12, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2021
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Hot on the heels of the well-received Leonardo da Vinci (2005) comes another agreeably chatty entry in the Giants of Science series. Here the pioneering physicist is revealed as undeniably brilliant, but also cantankerous, mean-spirited, paranoid and possibly depressive. Newton’s youth and annus mirabilis receive respectful treatment, the solitude enforced by family estrangement and then the plague seen as critical to the development of his thoughtful, methodical approach. His subsequent squabbles with the rest of the scientific community—he refrained from publishing one treatise until his rival was dead—further support the image of Newton as a scientific lone wolf. Krull’s colloquial treatment sketches Newton’s advances in clearly understandable terms without bogging the text down with detailed explanations. A final chapter on “His Impact” places him squarely in the pantheon of great thinkers, arguing that both his insistence on the scientific method and his theories of physics have informed all subsequent scientific thought. A bibliography, web site and index round out the volume; the lack of detail on the use of sources is regrettable in an otherwise solid offering for middle-grade students. (Biography. 10-14)
Pub Date: April 1, 2006
ISBN: 0-670-05921-8
Page Count: 128
Publisher: Viking
Review Posted Online: June 24, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2006
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