Slipping in a few extra entries and several doable science activities on the side, the editors of Canada’s Yes Mag present a half-dozen modern mysteries solved by forensic science. Along with the “Iceman” and the discovery of DNA, readers will get case studies in the identification of Typhoid Mary, the seemingly innocuous chemical that nearly wiped out India’s vulture population in 1999, the cause of the disastrous crash of Swissair Flight 111 off Nova Scotia and Chuck Fipke’s successful hunt for diamonds in the Northwest Territories. Briefer entries include the prehistoric “Hobbit” fossils recently found on Indonesia’s Flores Island, the mysterious rolling stones in Death Valley and more. Including enough specific detail to keep young detectives engaged, and illustrated with a mix of photos and (largely decorative) cartoon artwork, these tales of science in action nicely complement Donna Jackson’s Bone Detectives (1996) with new material. (index) (Nonfiction. 9-11)
Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2006
ISBN: 1-55337-994-2
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Kids Can
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2006
BOOK REVIEW
Miranda’s book counts the monsters gathering at a birthday party, while a simple rhyming text keeps the tally and surveys the action: “Seven starved monsters are licking the dishes./Eight blow out candles and make birthday wishes.” The counting proceeds to ten, then by tens to fifty, then gradually returns to one, which makes the monster’s mother, a purple pin-headed octopus, very happy. The book is surprisingly effective due to Powell’s artwork; the color has texture and density, as if it were poured onto the page, but the real attention-getter is the singularity of every monster attendee. They are highly individual and, therefore, eminently countable. As the numbers start crawling upward, it is both fun and a challenge to try to recognize monsters who have appeared in previous pages, or to attempt to stay focused when counting the swirling or bunched creatures. The story has glints of humor, and in combination with the illustrations is a grand addition to the counting shelf. (Picture book. 3-8)
Pub Date: Aug. 1, 1999
ISBN: 0-15-201835-2
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Harcourt
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 1999
The Pumpkin Book (32 pp.; $16.95; Sept. 15; 0-8234-1465-5): From seed to vine and blossom to table, Gibbons traces the growth cycle of everyone’s favorite autumn symbol—the pumpkin. Meticulous drawings detail the transformation of tiny seeds to the colorful gourds that appear at roadside stands and stores in the fall. Directions for planting a pumpkin patch, carving a jack-o’-lantern, and drying the seeds give young gardeners the instructions they need to grow and enjoy their own golden globes. (Picture book. 4-8)
Pub Date: Sept. 15, 1999
ISBN: 0-8234-1465-5
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Holiday House
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 1999
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