A celebration of the latest high-tech eyes on the skies.
A verbal and visual shoutout to space telescopes, which have added new depth and clarity to our views of the universe.
Slade focuses on the Webb Space Telescope, the largest so far to be sent into orbit, but the galleries of spectacular space photos that accompany her descriptions of how it was conceived, designed, tested, redesigned, assembled, and lifted into space include many taken by (or in conjunction with) several of its cousins, from the venerable Hubble to the Chandra X-Ray Observatory. The author notes that Webb’s construction was the work of many hands—20,000 people were involved over the course of three decades—and includes photos of racially diverse crews, often working in “clean” rooms and shrouded in full-body “bunny suits.” She then explains how technical problems were discovered and ingeniously solved, describes the observatory’s instrumentation, and takes readers through its 2021 launch from the Guiana Space Center in South America. Readers who might be interested in the brief controversy surrounding naming the telescope after an administrator who oversaw NASA during the homophobic “lavender scare” will have to look elsewhere for details (or even mention), but those with stars in their eyes will find the book to be a stimulating reminder of what wonders astronomy can show us, given the right gear in the right location.
A celebration of the latest high-tech eyes on the skies. (bibliography, resource list) (Informational picture book. 7-10)Pub Date: Oct. 8, 2024
ISBN: 9781623544591
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Charlesbridge
Review Posted Online: Aug. 17, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 2024
Friends of these pollinators will be best served elsewhere.
This book is buzzing with trivia.
Follow a swarm of bees as they leave a beekeeper’s apiary in search of a new home. As the scout bees traverse the fields, readers are provided with a potpourri of facts and statements about bees. The information is scattered—much like the scout bees—and as a result, both the nominal plot and informational content are tissue-thin. There are some interesting facts throughout the book, but many pieces of trivia are too, well trivial, to prove useful. For example, as the bees travel, readers learn that “onion flowers are round and fluffy” and “fennel is a plant that is used in cooking.” Other facts are oversimplified and as a result are not accurate. For example, monofloral honey is defined as “made by bees who visit just one kind of flower” with no acknowledgment of the fact that bees may range widely, and swarm activity is described as a springtime event, when it can also occur in summer and early fall. The information in the book, such as species identification and measurement units, is directed toward British readers. The flat, thin-lined artwork does little to enhance the story, but an “I spy” game challenging readers to find a specific bee throughout is amusing.
Friends of these pollinators will be best served elsewhere. (Informational picture book. 8-10)Pub Date: May 18, 2021
ISBN: 978-0-500-65265-7
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Thames & Hudson
Review Posted Online: April 13, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2021
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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