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HOW DOES A BUTTERFLY GROW?

From the Fun with Flaps series

Visually overloaded.

In this Fun with Flaps offering, a multitude of facts about butterflies is presented.

With the signature DK style of pages filled with captioned photos, this board book teaches youngsters about the variety of butterflies around the world, their life cycle, and what they eat. Highly patterned art in muted colors is used to the give the pages texture and fill in the backgrounds. Compositions are busy, with photos competing with digital art and text for readers’ attention. While flaps are touted on the cover, there are only eight in total, and they don’t appear on every double-page spread. The rush of images, graphics, and text in a variety of fonts makes for a dizzying reading experience for little ones, and even opening the flaps is not a satisfying experience, since what’s underneath looks similar to what’s pictured outside. While somewhat colloquial, much of the text is not geared to the needs of the board-book audience: The butterfly “feeds on the sweet nectar that’s in the flower heads.” A glossary is included at the back and features a few words of interest.

Visually overloaded. (Board book. 2-4)

Pub Date: Jan. 8, 2019

ISBN: 978-1-4654-7867-2

Page Count: 18

Publisher: DK Publishing

Review Posted Online: Jan. 27, 2019

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2019

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CLIMATE CHANGE FOR BABIES

From the Baby University series

Adults looking for an easy entry into this subject will not be disappointed.

This book presents a simplified explanation of the role the atmosphere plays in controlling climate.

The authors present a planet as a ball and its atmosphere as a blanket that envelops the ball. If the blanket is thick, the planet will be hot, as is the case for Venus. If the blanket is thin, the planet is cold, as with Mars. Planet Earth has a blanket that traps “just the right amount of heat.” The authors explain trees, animals, and oceans are part of what makes Earth’s atmosphere “just right.” “But…Uh-oh! People on Earth are changing the blanket!” The book goes on to explain how some human activities are sending “greenhouse gases” into the atmosphere, thus “making the blanket heavier and thicker” and “making Earth feel unwell.” In the case of a planet feeling unwell, what would the symptoms be? Sea-level rises that lead to erosion, flooding, and island loss, along with extreme weather events, such as hurricanes, blizzards, and wildfires. Ending on a constructive note, the authors name a few of the remedies to “help our Earth before it’s too late!” By using the blanket analogy, alongside simple and clear illustrations, this otherwise complex topic becomes very accessible to young children, though caregivers will need to help with the specialized vocabulary.

Adults looking for an easy entry into this subject will not be disappointed. (Board book. 3-4)

Pub Date: Aug. 18, 2020

ISBN: 978-1-4926-8082-6

Page Count: 24

Publisher: Sourcebooks eXplore

Review Posted Online: Aug. 31, 2020

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 2020

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BABY BOTANIST

From the Baby Scientist series

A nice addition to this baby-attuned series.

In this newest addition to the Baby Scientist series toddlers are introduced to the basics of what a botanist does.

The book starts with a simple and straightforward explanation of its subject matter: “Who studies plants? / Baby Botanist does!” Wearing a white lab coat with yellow polka dots, a brown-skinned child with a purple hair bow holding up its one little curl proceeds to present a number of simply stated and easily understood plant facts. As with the previous books, the illustrations are colorful, uncluttered, and humorously engaging, and baby has a sidekick; this time it is a blue-and-yellow snail. After planting a seed, Baby wonders what plant will grow. The text explains that some plants have roots and some do not, and they might grow on water or underground. In a simple acknowledgment of a healthy diet, the book states “Baby’s favorite foods all come from plants.” Children are also presented with food they may not recognize as coming from plants, such as noodles and chocolate. In the end, the seed that Baby has planted, watered, and kept in the sunlight “grows into a flower for Mama!” and with that comes a big thank-you hug from Mama.

A nice addition to this baby-attuned series. (Board book. 2-4)

Pub Date: Oct. 1, 2019

ISBN: 978-0-06-284132-2

Page Count: 22

Publisher: HarperFestival

Review Posted Online: Sept. 23, 2019

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 2019

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