Dynamic colors and textual versatility make for a quality nonfiction read.
A circular account of a dragonfly’s life span told simultaneously as a narrative and a collection of scientific facts.
The creative duo behind Good Trick, Walking Stick (2016) returns to the insect world. Readers follow the life cycle of a green darner dragonfly, from its mother laying eggs to fertilizing its own before leaving to “find warmer days” elsewhere. The primary text, set in a relatively large font, relates the development of a particular dragonfly in a preschool-friendly manner with simple sentences, sound effects, and a rhythmic refrain—“Oh my, a baby dragonfly!”—that varies the first few syllables with each repetition. Supplementary text is in smaller, multicolored type and gives a factual description of the species, complete with vocabulary definitions and fourth wall–breaking questions to encourage inquisitive thought: “Do you think that the nymph looks like a dragonfly?” Blocks of this text are tucked into the corners of spreads, so younger readers can choose to skim them over while older or inquisitive readers can learn more about the natural world. Unfortunately, there is no informative backmatter to further help them on their way. Lambert places marbled colors à la Eric Carle against a plain, mostly white background. The result is a rich vibrancy that makes the book and its insect protagonist delightfully attractive.
Dynamic colors and textual versatility make for a quality nonfiction read. (Informational picture book. 5-8)Pub Date: March 15, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-58536-410-7
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Sleeping Bear Press
Review Posted Online: Dec. 21, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 15, 2019
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Another playful imagination-stretcher.
Markle invites children to picture themselves living in the homes of 11 wild animals.
As in previous entries in the series, McWilliam’s illustrations of a diverse cast of young people fancifully imitating wild creatures are paired with close-up photos of each animal in a like natural setting. The left side of one spread includes a photo of a black bear nestling in a cozy winter den, while the right side features an image of a human one cuddled up with a bear. On another spread, opposite a photo of honeybees tending to newly hatched offspring, a human “larva” lounges at ease in a honeycomb cell, game controller in hand, as insect attendants dish up goodies. A child with an eye patch reclines on an orb weaver spider’s web, while another wearing a head scarf constructs a castle in a subterranean chamber with help from mound-building termites. Markle adds simple remarks about each type of den, nest, or burrow and basic facts about its typical residents, then closes with a reassuring reminder to readers that they don’t have to live as animals do, because they will “always live where people live.” A select gallery of traditional homes, from igloo and yurt to mudhif, follows a final view of the young cast waving from a variety of differently styled windows.
Another playful imagination-stretcher. (Informational picture book. 6-8)Pub Date: May 7, 2024
ISBN: 9781339049052
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Scholastic
Review Posted Online: Feb. 3, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2024
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A sweet and endearing feathered migration.
A relationship between a Latina grandmother and her mixed-race granddaughter serves as the frame to depict the ruby-throated hummingbird migration pattern.
In Granny’s lap, a girl is encouraged to “keep still” as the intergenerational pair awaits the ruby-throated hummingbirds with bowls of water in their hands. But like the granddaughter, the tz’unun—“the word for hummingbird in several [Latin American] languages”—must soon fly north. Over the next several double-page spreads, readers follow the ruby-throated hummingbird’s migration pattern from Central America and Mexico through the United States all the way to Canada. Davies metaphorically reunites the granddaughter and grandmother when “a visitor from Granny’s garden” crosses paths with the girl in New York City. Ray provides delicately hashed lines in the illustrations that bring the hummingbirds’ erratic flight pattern to life as they travel north. The watercolor palette is injected with vibrancy by the addition of gold ink, mirroring the hummingbirds’ flashing feathers in the slants of light. The story is supplemented by notes on different pages with facts about the birds such as their nest size, diet, and flight schedule. In addition, a note about ruby-throated hummingbirds supplies readers with detailed information on how ornithologists study and keep track of these birds.
A sweet and endearing feathered migration. (bibliography, index) (Picture book. 5-8)Pub Date: May 7, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-5362-0538-1
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Candlewick
Review Posted Online: March 26, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2019
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