This fascinating book flies high and definitely rises to the occasion.
A daring woman soared into history.
From childhood, Mary Myers (nee Hawley, 1850-1932) dreamed of flying, something women of her era weren’t supposed to contemplate, let alone accomplish. In adulthood, she found a way to escape her earthly bonds: ballooning, a new fad “that sailed in from France and captivated America.” At age 21, Mary married photographer, inventor, engineer, and scientist Carl Myers, a ballooning enthusiast himself. Carl was interested in researching weather conditions in the skies; Mary read up on meteorology and aeronautics. Together, they designed and built better balloons. What they needed was someone to record scientific/weather data while flying and to dazzle crowds who paid to witness flying exhibitions. Mary volunteered and adopted “Carlotta” as her stage name. It rained the day of her first solo flight—July 5, 1880. Carlotta had promised to take her balloon one mile up and stay aloft for five miles or 30 minutes. She received 10 minutes of training to learn how to avoid crashing into tall standing objects, to land safely, and to make her balloon rise or fall, as necessary. The event was a rousing success: Carlotta recorded abundant weather statistics and flew higher, farther, and longer than expected. Loaded with information, this meticulously researched tale about one high-flying woman’s exploits will captivate readers; quotes from Mary/Carlotta are incorporated. The crisp ink illustrations are superb, beautifully capturing period details and settings; note some eye-popping typesetting creativity.
This fascinating book flies high and definitely rises to the occasion. (more information about Carlotta, timeline, bibliography, picture credits) (Informational picture book. 7-10)Pub Date: April 16, 2024
ISBN: 9781635928150
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Calkins Creek/Astra Books for Young Readers
Review Posted Online: Feb. 17, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 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
© Copyright 2024 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Follow
Popular in this Genre
We can’t wait for you to join Kirkus!
It’s free and takes less than 10 seconds!
Already have an account? Log in.
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Welcome Back!
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
bookshelf
